Local bike 'n' hike - pushing the limits

[Mrs Scoob]

Still basing our local routes on the tumps we've not yet ticked on the hillbagging site, today we cycled a bit further. By the time we passed Kinnaird House my legs were already feeling a bit jelly-like... so we ended up pushing the bikes more than cycling after that - glad of them on the way back down though, wheee!
Tough walking once we'd dropped the bikes at the top of the track - going over 6 Tumps on heather all the way, ranging from ankle to baw deep (a guid Scots measure ), plus one more Tump on the way back down, and then we still had the road cycle back home again. Really pushed ourselves physically today, but also aware of the once-a-day permitted exercise... this was our only trip away from home today and we passed by fewer people today than any other day in the last week.

13Apr20 Kinnaird House tumps.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Taking the bikes for a walk, giving the legs a much needed rest

We did manage to cycle for small sections too though - good track up here

Dropped the bikes at the gate just before Loch Skiach, where we'd be looping back around to. Good track carried on to the loch.

The good track changed to a grassy/burnt heather line, and then stopped altogether - pretty much all heather from here

High knees through deep heather gets even tougher when going uphill

Zoomed in view from our first summit, Meall Reamhar south top, looking through the majestic turbines over to Ben Lawers and Schiehallion

Off on the heather again, the main top on Meall Reamhar wasn't far though

Meall Reamhar summit - next one's a bit further away, straight ahead

Looking back to the loch where we've come from - lovely day to be out! Getting warmer too :)

More heather-trudging; so much open space but these aren't big hills, so not on the radar for many people even when there aren't restrictions on travelling

Heading back around above Loch Skiach, we did find a (deer) track to follow now and then

Again, a steep pull up through heather - poor legs!

Craig Lockie summit; just 2 left on this round

Back to pushing through the heather, trying to pick out faint lines up the next hill

View to Loch Skiach

Creag a' Choire Odhair summit

Steep coming down this one, then we picked up the track

Heading back down the final hill, Stob Loch Skiach, back to the bikes

Freewheeled down (surprised to pass a couple of dog walkers just after we'd set off - first people we'd seen all day!) then peeled off to climb up one last wee hill

On top of Creag na Larach; just to get back home now

Stopped on the road back to check out the new lambs

Phew!! Scoob had accidentally paused his recording, so can't compare stats. He was almost 1.5hrs short of mine, but still showed over 1000m ascent - so as a guestimate I'm taking 200m off of mine (been recording way too high recently)