Beinn Mhùrlaig.

What a weird winter it has been. Weather wise and otherwise, but for the purposes of this blog, it is the weird weather im thinking about. Last week there was a couple of days of spring like, beautiful sunshine. With the aim to finish some unfinished business and top up the stores of Vitamin D i headed up to Ben Vorlich (Beinn Mhùrlaig). Why unfinished? I had wanted to loop round from Callander via Stuc a"Chroin and then back via the dismantled railway down Glen Ogle (interestingly translatable as the glen of dread...Gleann Eagal). However, i had to make some short cuts as the terrain had been slow going. On top of Stuc a'Chroin, i had a good view of Ben Vorlich and so i wanted to close this one off.

My fitness has evaporated. The time window was so tight it was silly. I didnt even stop to put fuel in my car which meant i had to park atop a hill just in case....yep, running on vapours. The sunshine and warmth was unprecedented as i yomped and rode up the initial climb, the trail then flattens a bit and to head up Vorlich you take a slightly eastward, and definitely upwards path. Rocky, loose and then up into the snow, but still the sun beat down. The top section of the trail is on the edge of a corrie. Not vertical, but you wouldnt want to misplace a tyre or a foot....anyway, the view from the top was amazing. I could feel some of the stresses and strains evaporate, and i knew the descent would be a test, given how little off road riding i have done recently.

No doubt! BA saved my life a couple of times and it was a real back to school experience on the faster sections. Nevertheless, i made it back to Ardvorlich in one piece and after some super conservative driving i made it to a petrol station and got Daisy on time as well! Win.