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A few hours free on a sunny Sunday, so I headed up to Glen Almond with the bike in the boot. I had thought about heading up Ben Chonzie as the first sprinkling of snow had hit the summits, however the days are short and I reckoned night cycling would have occurred on the way back!! The skies were blue , however the winds were to be high and as I pulled up at Newton Bridge the bending trees certainly suggested the forecast to be right. The direction was northerly so I thought I may have been sheltered in the Glen – wrong! The wind howled through the glen and I was blown over a few times!! It was a biting wind and I soon had an idea of where to go. From no go Chonzie, I then set my sights on Auchnafree Hill. However there was no shelter on its northern slopes and the sun was nowhere to be seen on them either. A hill to the north of the glen was going to be my best bet.
A quick look at the map and I found a wee track heading to the north. Pushing my bike up the steep track, I was soon enjoying myself. The southern slopes were relatively sheltered and the sun was shining down
I soon left the bike and headed up heathery , pathless slopes, trying to keep to the southern slopes as much as possible. The views soon opened up and a fantastic view to upper Glenalmond was enjoyed. Up I went and as soon as I reached the shoulder , the wind returned!! A few cairns and standing stones were passed as I set my sights on Beinn na Gainimh. The ground was frozen which made the going easier and if it wasn’t for the wind this would have been an enjoyable stroll! Soon the smallest summit cairn in Perthshie was reached and I about turned and raced the locals back to the bike (white hares are super fast!!) lol..
Glad to be back at the bike, I was looking forward to my cycle back – downhill then win assisted back to Newton Bridge. The latter was fine but I soon discovered my bike needed new brake pads!! The gradient on the descent was too steep and the brakes were pretty useless. Luckily I was taking my time and I hadn’t gathered too much speed before realising I wasn’t stopping very efficiently!! Pushing the bike downhill wasn’t in the plans !! However the cycle along the glen was wind assisted and great fun
A grand afternoon and when I got home I realised that I had managed to tick off a Graham (never realised this was one!). Pretty sure that if you like solitude then you don’t have to travel too far from the central belt – this hill will almost certainly be deserted (well apart from the wildlife )
