This was the day when it felt like the walls were starting to come down. Having spent a sleepless night in a very over-heated hotel room, I had very little energy and the initial climb up to Crianlarich was a slog of the highest order. I made it up to the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum feeling dazed and on the edge of climbing off, stopped, restocked with water and put on my rain jacket as a light rain was falling. I began the next phase towards Bridge of Orchy with a feeling that it was starting to go bad. By Bridge of Orchy the rain had set in and I was climbing on pure muscle memory, forcing myself over the climb just past Loch Tulla and slogging over the moor past Glencoe Mountain. The rain got worse, and I began to doubt getting over to Glencoe.
As I crested the climb by Glencoe Mountain, I could see that a wall of cloud was rolling up from Glencoe, and as I finally reached the top of the descent into Glencoe itself, the heavens finally opened and the downpour began. I was on the edge of being too cold, so no option at this point but to open the taps and get downhill as quickly as possible, in very dodgy conditions, motorcycles and cars going past and soaking me in spray, and of course no chance of stopping in a hurry. I cannot tell you how glad I was to see the National Trust Visitor Centre and get under cover with a hot coffee and some cake. Still 18 miles or so to go from this point, all I wanted to do was get off the bike so again, open the taps, ignore the screaming from my legs and slam through the gears as quickly as possible along the bonnie banks until the welcome sight of the hotel.
Learning point: sleep and Goretex are your friends.
It is beginning to sink in that I have three days left, and the longest of those days is "only" 88 miles.
Mileage: 89.8
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/549971263
https://www.justgiving.com/Sean-Bonnington/
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