Double hard Wild Wild West event

AndyB_11 · Dec 27, 2022

Well I’m sitting having a coffee just north of Dumbarton and it’s grim. There was a bit of sleet around as I went past Shap on the M6 but that cleared soon enough then from just before Beattock it turned rotten with constant rain mixed in with sleet and snow. The snow is very wet but just about settling in the centre of the road and on the hard shoulder.

I was merrily winding my way along the A82 watching it deteriorate further so decided to stop for a coffee in Luss and make my up whether to press on or stop in Tarbert and that did the job, as soon as you get off the heavily gritted (and busy) A82 the road is a mess with a lot of very wet slush and light snow falling on top so I’m not going any further today. There’s a Premier inn next door to where I am now so I’ll have another coffee then probably book that and see what it’s like tomorrow. I’ll be checking the forecast going south as well and if there’s a lot of snow around the high parts of the M74 overnight I might get bale completely and head south today.

Micky · Dec 27, 2022

Just in at Strontian, one caravan on site, large wooden shack occupied.

Left Inverness in a blizzard but soon cleared. Roads clear at Fort William and Strontian ... even risked the small narrow road on the west side of the Loch, but totally passable. Bit of snow on the north end, but it's raining now. It's also five or six degrees warmer than Inverness :thumb2

Will upload a couple of photographs later .... for now I'm having a bier

Northern jock · Dec 27, 2022

I’m in the ferry queue, ready for a beer

Micky · Dec 27, 2022

Northern jock said:
I’m in the ferry queue, ready for a beer

In the fridge :thumby:

Fort Bill from the west side of the lock (Ben Nevis behind) :thumb2

AndyB_11 · Dec 27, 2022

That’s me settled for the night.

I’m glad I decided to stop in a hotel because my jacket and trousers are saturated but underneath I was bone dry. Goretex gloves still don’t like heated grips but I was stupid and didn’t bother looking out my over gloves that I used to use for climbing so my gloves are now standing on a radiator drying out.

I’d also forgotten just how crap my Schoei Neotec helmet is even after I was returned and allegedly fixed because rain gets inside the visor and when I say rain gets in I mean it has water running down it constantly. I hadn’t used it for ages so that may have something to do with it misting up between the pin lock and the visor so I’ll try and seat the pin lock later.

Apart from that it wasn’t a bad 320 mile ride, my feet were chilly (not what I’d call properly cold) and the visor annoyed me but the bike was faultless when you consider the conditions. It slid a bit on overbanding but that’s hardly a surprise, it’s a big bike with a full load on board, the road surface must have only been a fraction above freezing it’s been wet all day.

Have a good night and let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Northern jock · Dec 27, 2022

Enjoy the beer and the warmth, hopefully you’ll manage the next bit

mspenz · Dec 27, 2022

AndyB_11 said:
If I’d got heated grips and a plug for my jacket on my Husqvarna I’d be on that rather than teetering around on a lardy 1200RT or maybe I should have kept my GS road legal but you have to play with the cards you’ve been dealt

I was mildly surprised to find that I’ve completely filled a pannier with an Exped and a 4 seasons sleeping bag because I used to get both in one side of my Wolfman throw over panniers but I’ve got a top box the size of the boot on a small car for clothes, a second pannier for cooking gear and some food if I can find the boil in the bag stuff I had left over after the summer then I’ll put spare gloves etc in my tankbag so I’ll be ok.

Hopefully you’ll both be feeling better in a day or so but winter camping when you’re already under the weather is no fun at all.

At the moment I would get a podium finish if it was a sneezing and nose blowing competition..with some shivering thrown in !
Well done for getting as far as you have on the lardy lady, and as you said, see what the next day brings :thumb2

We had heavy wet snow here last night and then a quick freeze, I live half a mile from any treated roads and that half mile is complete water ice today so even getting as far as Steve Ts house today would have been a real challenge regardless of man flu :blast

Husqvarna 701, very nice

Ride safe

mspenz · Dec 27, 2022

SteveT said:
I was beginning to wonder at your sanity Mike . . . and my own cos I was considering running through with you for a ride out

Like you, her indoors and myself have both got "the lurgy", so I can stand meself down from a very cold run there and back again.

Both of our lads have benifitted though - all the christmas/boxing day grub has been split between them

Safe journey to all that are going to the meet - stay warm and safe.

SteveT

The Met Office gave conflicting reports, initially temperatures staying on the plus side and dry...then the yellow warnings were issued !

I can take Ibuprofen for a touch of arthritis in my hands but sneezing / shivering / camping don't mix very well :thumb2

mspenz · Dec 27, 2022

Anyone heard from Santa Martin ?

Northern jock · Dec 27, 2022

No, hopefully in front of a fire somewhere warm and dry

Santa-2512 · Dec 27, 2022

Im here

, absolutely shite ride up

The world and is bastid half brother decided to

travel today, net result - A34 gridlocked 40mph, a

As was the 40 42 m6 toll, m6 all the sodding way

Net result, i set off just after 10am.and had only

got as far as Manchester by 6pm, utterly rubbish!!

Then the heavens opened. (you couldn't make it upffs)

I arrived in Moffat just after 8.30pm.

With about 12 miles left in the tank lol

Aiming to get up to Glencoe after 10am

To clear the ice warning and incomming rain

Battlaxes are bloody noisy lol, and they slide too

mspenz · Dec 27, 2022

Santa-2512 said:
Im here &#55357;&#56834;, absolutely shite ride up

The world and is bastid half brother decided to

travel today, net result - A34 gridlocked 40mph, a

As was the 40 42 m6 toll, m6 all the sodding way

Net result, i set off just after 10am.and had only

got as far as Manchester by 6pm, utterly rubbish!!

Then the heavens opened. (you couldn't make it upffs)

I arrived in Moffat just after 8.30pm.

With about 12 miles left in the tank lol

Aiming to get up to Glencoe after 10am

To clear the ice warning and incomming rain

Battlaxes are bloody noisy lol, and they slide too &#55357;&#56833;

Kin ell !!

Santa wins :clap

Northern jock · Dec 27, 2022

Santa-2512 said:
Im here &#55357;&#56834;, absolutely shite ride up

The world and is bastid half brother decided to

travel today, net result - A34 gridlocked 40mph, a

As was the 40 42 m6 toll, m6 all the sodding way

Net result, i set off just after 10am.and had only

got as far as Manchester by 6pm, utterly rubbish!!

Then the heavens opened. (you couldn't make it upffs)

I arrived in Moffat just after 8.30pm.

With about 12 miles left in the tank lol

Aiming to get up to Glencoe after 10am

To clear the ice warning and incomming rain

Battlaxes are bloody noisy lol, and they slide too &#55357;&#56833;

I’ll buy you a dram

Micky · Dec 27, 2022

Northern jock said:
I’ll buy you a dram

We'll buy him a dram, Andy too ... c'mon you chaps, stiff upper lip and all that shit

It's not called the 'Double Hard Wild West Event' for nuthin' :blast

Chocky chills out with Alastair ...

AndyB_11 · Dec 28, 2022

Santa-2512 said:
Im here &#55357;&#56834;, absolutely shite ride up

The world and is bastid half brother decided to

travel today, net result - A34 gridlocked 40mph, a

As was the 40 42 m6 toll, m6 all the sodding way

Net result, i set off just after 10am.and had only

got as far as Manchester by 6pm, utterly rubbish!!

Then the heavens opened. (you couldn't make it upffs)

I arrived in Moffat just after 8.30pm.

With about 12 miles left in the tank lol

Aiming to get up to Glencoe after 10am

To clear the ice warning and incomming rain

Battlaxes are bloody noisy lol, and they slide too &#55357;&#56833;

I’d completely forgotten you were planning to overnight in Moffat because when I stopped near Loch Lomond I phoned one of the guys I work with to ask where he reckoned I should stop (he lives east of Glasgow) he said avoid the city with the bike and find somewhere just off the M74 so after stopping to check booking.com at the Cairn Lodge services I ended up in Moffat :blast

Google maps says 4hrs so I’ll see how the roads are once I get back to Loch Lomond and if they’re still full of slush and shite I’ll give it up as a bad job on road tyres because it’s forecast to snow from Crianlarich onwards and I’ve got to head back tomorrow. I’ve got all day today to mess about without being caught up at higher levels on bad roads after dark so I’ll just cross my fingers and hope for the best again.

Micky · Dec 28, 2022

Snow gone at sea level here at Strontian. Sounds like you two, Andy and Martin, have had it a bit rough

Walk up through the woods this morning with Chocky ...

Not many on the site ...

Alastairs HiLux in the distance. He's in a cabin

Northern jock · Dec 28, 2022

The coast road should be better than Glencoe, relatively mild here in Strontian

Posh Pete · Dec 28, 2022

Northern jock said:
The coast road should be better than Glencoe, relatively mild here in Strontian

Tyndrum clear now and Glencoe above zero. You pays yer money ... :thumb2

AndyB_11 · Dec 28, 2022

Well it started raining as I passed Hamilton then didn’t stop and had turned to very wet snow by Crianlarich so I turned round and headed south.

Now I’ve stopped for fuel and seen the photos from Strontian I’m regretting that move but such is life. With the benefit of hindsight I should have used the truck and I’d have been sitting there now but I wanted to ride the bike and see what it’s like for 2-300 mile days and it’s ok so I’ll take that as a minor positive.

Enjoy the rest of the week :beerjug:

johnnyboy · Dec 28, 2022

AndyB_11 said:
Well it started raining as I passed Hamilton then didn’t stop and had turned to very wet snow by Crianlarich so I turned round and headed south.

Now I’ve stopped for fuel and seen the photos from Strontian I’m regretting that move but such is life. With the benefit of hindsight I should have used the truck and I’d have been sitting there now but I wanted to ride the bike and see what it’s like for 2-300 mile days and it’s ok so I’ll take that as a minor positive.

Enjoy the rest of the week

Good effort Andy

. Tough going on the big RT........

Double hard Wild Wild West event

Still waiting

Never knowingly understood

Well-known member

Never knowingly understood

Still waiting

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Omnipotent one

Well-known member

Well-known member

Never knowingly understood

Still waiting

Never knowingly understood

Well-known member

Still got a pulse.

Attachments

Still waiting

Well-known member

Similar threads