Well that’s it, the jobs a good un.
I have to say a BIG thank you to Tash and Oonyack, Ronno and Schultz, Cookson Marty-P and Russell. Andy Davis and Sethmop. Slainte
The day of the run, I, and I suspect all the other riders was up bright and early, like a child all excited. All the final checks completed, all equipment checked and double checked and it was of to the pub, our handover point.
The local press were there and we quickly set up a shot with Tash on her bike and all the support riders wearing pink marigolds around her. That was the tone for the day, some fun but we had a job to do, and that was to support Tash and make sure we arrived in Inverness safely.
We had been in contact with the region 8 team and knew of their difficulties, sounded like the makings of an excellent “road kill” game pie. So we were relieved to see them arrive safely. They were accompanied by Andy Davies who joined us for a couple of hours on our leg.
Well done to Sillymoo, Grahame and Derm for all your efforts.
We got underway at noon, our team was made up of Tash and Oonyack, Ronno and Schultz, Cookson Marty-P and Russell.
We headed up the A82 and were blessed with great weather, this aided our progress and after an hour and a 1/2 we stopped for 5 minutes.
We then pressed on along the side of Loch Carron, here we started on the single track roads, of which we had many. I took point and attempted to persuade both the sheep and oncoming traffic to get out of our way and allow continual progress, Tash was holding a good pace and we were making good time. We said goodbye to Andy around here, cheers for the company.
Our first fuel stop was in Ullapool, everything going to plan, our recce runs were proving their worth.
From here our next goal was Scourie where soup and sandwiches would be waiting for us, on the way there we encountered our Stetson heided friend who decided that a group of 8 bikes were there for his sport. I looked in my mirror to see him overtake another couple of our group and then push his way in behind Tash, he was too close to tash, I started to say in my helmet, “someone needs to …..” I never got the sentence finished, a bike pulled out from the back, went past him and pulled in to allow some space for our baton carrier. There may have been one or two hand signals used, not sure though, Ive never seen them in the highway code,.
We continued to the Scourie hotel for a well earned break where we had what was to be our last food for 8 hours.
(After this we raided Cooksons tank bag which was full of chocolate treats, bananas, biscuits and god knows what else.)
From here we continued to Thurso where Sethmopp joined us we had a quick Fuel stop then pushed on to Dunnet Head.
We used the last of the daylight along with some GS spots to take a photo.
The track out to Dunnet Head was typical of the roads in the far North of Scotland, it has gravel, 90 degree bends and potholes, a bad combination in the dark. I later learned that Tash had a “moment” on the way back down. It shook her a bit but she carried on, she was on a mission.
More to follow.
I have to say a BIG thank you to Tash and Oonyack, Ronno and Schultz, Cookson Marty-P and Russell. Andy Davis and Sethmop. Slainte
The day of the run, I, and I suspect all the other riders was up bright and early, like a child all excited. All the final checks completed, all equipment checked and double checked and it was of to the pub, our handover point.
The local press were there and we quickly set up a shot with Tash on her bike and all the support riders wearing pink marigolds around her. That was the tone for the day, some fun but we had a job to do, and that was to support Tash and make sure we arrived in Inverness safely.
We had been in contact with the region 8 team and knew of their difficulties, sounded like the makings of an excellent “road kill” game pie. So we were relieved to see them arrive safely. They were accompanied by Andy Davies who joined us for a couple of hours on our leg.
Well done to Sillymoo, Grahame and Derm for all your efforts.
We got underway at noon, our team was made up of Tash and Oonyack, Ronno and Schultz, Cookson Marty-P and Russell.
We headed up the A82 and were blessed with great weather, this aided our progress and after an hour and a 1/2 we stopped for 5 minutes.
We then pressed on along the side of Loch Carron, here we started on the single track roads, of which we had many. I took point and attempted to persuade both the sheep and oncoming traffic to get out of our way and allow continual progress, Tash was holding a good pace and we were making good time. We said goodbye to Andy around here, cheers for the company.
Our first fuel stop was in Ullapool, everything going to plan, our recce runs were proving their worth.
From here our next goal was Scourie where soup and sandwiches would be waiting for us, on the way there we encountered our Stetson heided friend who decided that a group of 8 bikes were there for his sport. I looked in my mirror to see him overtake another couple of our group and then push his way in behind Tash, he was too close to tash, I started to say in my helmet, “someone needs to …..” I never got the sentence finished, a bike pulled out from the back, went past him and pulled in to allow some space for our baton carrier. There may have been one or two hand signals used, not sure though, Ive never seen them in the highway code,.
We continued to the Scourie hotel for a well earned break where we had what was to be our last food for 8 hours.
(After this we raided Cooksons tank bag which was full of chocolate treats, bananas, biscuits and god knows what else.)
From here we continued to Thurso where Sethmopp joined us we had a quick Fuel stop then pushed on to Dunnet Head.
We used the last of the daylight along with some GS spots to take a photo.
The track out to Dunnet Head was typical of the roads in the far North of Scotland, it has gravel, 90 degree bends and potholes, a bad combination in the dark. I later learned that Tash had a “moment” on the way back down. It shook her a bit but she carried on, she was on a mission.
More to follow.