It's been another eventful day in our quest to reach the top. After a very pleasant evening at the Drovers Inn we stuck around for a bit longer than usual to allow us to have breakfast. Which I should point out was in amongst their collection of stuffed animals. So if it's not your thing then probably not wise to visit. After a hearty breakfast we set off at 9am. That's the latest start time yet.
A whole mile after starting we started to climb. We needed to reach 1000ft before any respite with a down hill section. Slowly we climbed to save as much energy as we could for later in the day. The views were fantastic as we watched the scenery change the higher we climbed. It's now very noticeable the strength we have built up in our legs. Our ability to ride all day with an immediate recovery is astonishing, certainly not gasping for breath. And in any case, cycling around Scotland with your mouth open results in too much protein intake!
At the top of the mountain climbs we found roadworks if all things. A big one too with a convoy controlled by an escort vehicle. As the traffic had been stopped for some time we decided to jump the queue and ask how one should negotiate such a convoy on a bike. We were greeted by the usual Scotish workman pleasantry of "You wait!". What is it about wanting to ask a question when an assumption is made before you utter a word. Fortunately, this time around my small talk worked a treat. Having explained I had no intention of riding the 300m of roadwork but wanted to know how we do it safely. i.e. do I let all the other cars go first? The answer? I should go right behind the convoy vehicle... followed by a mile of cars all wanting to get up the road. Very cool.
The ride down the other side became dark and very windy. I can only put it down to the havoc the mountains play with the weather. At one point we were pedalling just to be able to move downhill. We had to take it slowly as the wind would change direction and gust, this mixed with trucks driving past made stable control a bit of an art.
Finally making it down the mountain we stopped at the visitor centre for a cup of tea and to warm up. It was very nippy at the top. We got talking to a lady who was touring for 10 weeks with her bike, puts our 2 weeks to shame.
Getting back to a more flat route we raced the last 15 miles to Fort William. Holly can maintain a fast pace now achieving around 16-17 miles per hour when she wants to. That's pretty quick when you have already covered over 40 miles.
Tomorrow we head for Inverness.
And Finally: A big shout out for everyone at Northlands Wood Primary School! I know many of you have been following us on our big adventure. Thank you to everyone who have made donations.
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