Ribble Canoe Club Re-union 2017 (aka, the biking long weekend...)

7 – 11^th October 2017  (... "the biking long weekend" as normally there's a deficit of river water.... )


As usual at this time of year, RCC old boys come north of the border with their boats and bikes.  As usual the paddling was a minimal session (a low Findhorn and a lumpy Grandtully) and the MTB days become the focus.  The 5 days were centred at Feshie Bridge so mountain walking, river kayaking, and MTB were all undertaken at some stage – different folk different preferences….

Map reading wasn't always perfect,  lots of cooks...

 The first ride was several loops of single track in the nearby Inshriach Forest (well worth doing if you are in the area) that added up to 32 kms – there’s some really testing wet peat/rooty downhill trails along with mainly fire road climbs.  Second day was a longer (and linear) ride up from Dalnacardoch Lodge (off A9 near Blair Atholl) northwards through the Gaik Gap and then Glen Tromie back to Insh & Feshie Bridge.  This was 51 kms all told but straight forward enough.  Then for a smaller ride the day after we did the usual Loch an Eileen / loch Morlich circuit (still came out as 44 kms !).  Another great tea/cake stop of course at the beach in Glenmore.

Day 2 and Day 3's biking

Fine men of a certain age (need stop for calorie intake...)

Yours truely cruising to Loch Morlich

In the evenings we were a group of 13 socialising in one of the Lagganlia log cabins and having the odd beer.  Cardhu seemed to win the "volume" consumed stakes.  We also had a good meal out in the bar/restaurant at Loch Insh watersports who coped very well with such a rabble.




Thanks to big Ian for organising and cheers till the next one.