DAY 2 - BONAR BRIDGE TO GLEN NEVIS

After grabbing a full English this morning, I set off at 9:00 on day 2 with renewed vigour.

Within an hour though, that was gone. It must have only been a mile or two down the road that I hit a hill that was very long and very steep. I averaged about 7mph in that first hour which, as Jenni pointed out later on in a phone conversation, is slower than I run!

After that, it was typical country roads, long, winding and very up and down. And then, another climb that seemed to go on forever which once again had me in the lowest gear for the best part of 20 minutes.

Coming to the end of this road, I was hoping for a very long descent to ground level. What I really got was a short, very sharp descent which saw me hit 40mph and, that was with me braking a lot with it being so windy!

I managed to spot some seals way off in the distance from the road I was on, lounging on the rocks along the A9 near the bridge that takes you over the Cromarty Firth.

A while later I had spotted Nessie! It wasn’t hard though. She was in the same place she has been for at least 13 years, in the pond of one of the establishments near Loch Ness! Back in 2001 when I came up to Scotland on my motorbike with my mate, Dave, we saw her then too. She’s looking a bit worn out now but, maybe that’s why they’ve put a five foot fence around her so people don’t see her in her not so nice state.

I stopped in a lay-by en-route to Fort Augustus to grab a sandwich for lunch. That went in no time!

Back on the road again, I eventually reached Fort Augustus around 15:00 and, jumped on the Caledonian Canal path for about an hour and a half. It went from a gravel path to a stony path, grass path and, eventually a full on off-road path with me having to negotiate tree roots jutting about 8 inches out of the ground. The fact that I have a hybrid bike was so I could go down canal paths but, not to go full on mountain biking – with panniers on the back as well!

I eventually managed to get back on the tarmac and get going properly again, passing Loch Lochy on the way. I also stopped at the Commando Memorial for a quick reflection on what the real heroes of our nation have sacrificed for us.

Then I was in to Fort William at around 19:00 where I met up with Mackie, my mate from Bury who, is staying at the Travelodge for a couple of nights while he comes and climbs Ben Nevis with me tomorrow.

I arranged to meet him later and got back on my bike to SYHA Glen Nevis a couple of miles away. It’s a big chalet style building, situated at the foot of Ben Nevis which is really clean and decent enough for my standards!

I met a fellow cyclist in reception who put my efforts in the shade having ridden across America, down the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Holland and now here to Scotland. They guy has a full on Scandinavian look beard so I thought he was a Swede or Dane in his late 30s. I was amused to find out he is a 22 year old Aussie from Adelaide!

I’m starting to get a bit of stiffness in my left knee now which, was starting to get a bit painful about a week before I set off. Not good!

I had a chippy tea with the Mack then, living the rock star lifestyle, I hand-washed my stinking bike gear. I just hope it smells better once it dries!!!

DAILY MILEAGE – 105.3