Author Topic: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, - now Friday 29/04/2022  (Read 40027 times)


http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/20-84/

Draft route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30166330

New for 2020, 1000 km up the Scottish west coast and around the sea lochs, just (but just enough) into the Highlands, then back through Edinburgh, across the Lammermuirs and down the English east coast, under the Tyne at the fabulous cycle tunnel* and back through Durham's coal country.

This has been a long time a-brewing, and I think the balance of ferries, hills, main roads and - of course - bridges is about right.

It starts on a Thursday to take advantage of the 75th anniversary VE Day Bank holiday, and finishes on the Sunday, so local riders will only need the Thursday afternoon off work.

It starts in Darlington, which has great transport links from everywhere. Top tip for Londoners and other foreigners: Grand Central services from King's Cross to Eaglescliffe are a lot cheaper and more bike-friendly than direct services to Darlo, and then you can just hop a local train (no bike reservation needed).

There's a midafternoon start, which will see you riding over Upper Teesdale in the early evening in late spring, and there isn't a finer time to be in the best place in the world, you lucky lot. You'll pretty much need to ride through the first night, though there is a feed stop at Castle Douglas (no beds, it just breaks up a long section of buggerall - if you're fast enough to have time for proper sleep, there are hotels in Ayr). The ferry at Gourock starts operation again at 6 am6.30 am, and I'm planning to dish out ferry tickets to riders at Greenock Cut. Along with cake, if you're there before the cafe opens. There should be enough cake for later riders, too, but it's a decent cafe.

A loop around the Cowal peninsula and over the Rest and be Thankful takes you past the peace camp and nuclear subs at Faslane, down the Forth Valley and over the muir to the Friday night stop, which is now at Comrie rather than Cultybraggan camp, but we still have showers. at Cultybraggan Camp. We've booked one of the huts where German and Italian POWs were housed, so it'll be reveille at 4.30 sharp, roll-call at 5, and the Great Escape theme piped into the hut overnight (possibly). Snorers and farters will be sent to the cooler nuclear bunker. Sleeping mats and blankets provided, plus showers.

Assuming you do stop to sleep, the morning will bring Loch Earn, Glen Ogle and Loch Tay to sweet home Aberfeldy, then up past the Birks and through Glen Cochill, Glen Almond, Sma' Glen, Strathearn, Gleneagles, Glendevon, across the Ochils and down to Edinburgh. You'll get to cross the Lammermuirs away from the Forth and down into England to the Saturday night control at Shilbottle village hall. Again, sleeping mats and blankets provided, plus showers.

From there, it's a gorgeous run back down the coast, under the Tyne* and through the lanes back to Darlo. Hopefully I'll get to ride it myself in one go before the event ;D


Yad Moss


Gourock ferry


Northumberland coast

*the cycle tunnels are wonderful and open 24 hours a day, though we're still awaiting the great glass elevators.

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #1 on: 05 July, 2019, 08:40:49 am »
What a fantastic route!
And Cultybraggan is an amazing place - shame the riders won't have time for a proper look round!


Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #2 on: 05 July, 2019, 10:27:05 am »
The first ferry from Gourock is 6:30am ( 6am if you live on the other side of the river.)

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #3 on: 05 July, 2019, 10:58:01 am »
Cheers Roberto - now corrected. It shouldn't affect too many riders, mind...

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #4 on: 05 July, 2019, 11:49:27 am »
What a fantastic route!
And Cultybraggan is an amazing place - shame the riders won't have time for a proper look round!

I'm looking forward to a look-round too!

And if anyone does fancy an excuse for a look-round, I'll want volunteers for Culty and the other controls...

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #5 on: 05 July, 2019, 11:51:12 am »
This or the Crackpot or the WAWA.  Or hang out with my Dutch cycling club in Bunnik.  Choices  :facepalm:
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #6 on: 05 July, 2019, 02:39:10 pm »
Why chosse just one- ride all three :demon:

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #7 on: 05 July, 2019, 03:17:44 pm »
What a fantastic route!
And Cultybraggan is an amazing place - shame the riders won't have time for a proper look round!

I'm looking forward to a look-round too!

And if anyone does fancy an excuse for a look-round, I'll want volunteers for Culty and the other controls...

The current Mrs Socks is on holiday Friday 8th May until Sunday 10th, so if we can get to Cultybraggan in time (in the campervan) we could sort out that control.
Sunshine approaching from the South.

First time in 1,000 years.

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #8 on: 07 July, 2019, 08:20:14 pm »
Cheers Socks - I'll PM you.

bairn again

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #9 on: 07 July, 2019, 09:19:09 pm »
That route looks to me to be the best 1000km Audax-that-starts-in-England-and-visits-Scotland.

Well done Dean. 


Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #10 on: 07 July, 2019, 09:45:11 pm »
That route looks to me to be the best 1000km Audax-that-starts-in-England-and-visits-Scotland.

Well done Dean.
Of course it's a great route, the best route - it goes to Comrie.  :thumbsup:

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #11 on: 07 July, 2019, 10:03:24 pm »
Cheers G - and to think, I nearly didn't go to Comrie. I don't know what I was playing at.

FifeingEejit

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #12 on: 09 July, 2019, 08:56:12 pm »
Tempted but the "riding home to ride away" thing...

I note that the Glasgow may day holiday is the 6th of May, so also the tour of the Highlands weekend and potentially bollocks traffic in popular places.

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FifeingEejit

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #13 on: 09 July, 2019, 09:10:06 pm »
Tempted but the "riding home to ride away" thing...

I note that the Glasgow may day holiday is the 6th of May, so also the tour of the Highlands weekend and potentially bollocks traffic in popular places.

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Cracking route, want to do another 1000 and plenty choice next year.

Thoughts on the holiday weekend..
I'm not sure what the laich of mentieth is like on a Glasgow holiday, it's really the wrong way for them and there isn't much between Aberfoyle and Callander.

So the Rest and Vale of Leven are the only bits I'd be concerned about and there's some attempts at busy road avoidance possible there.
Hells glen route up the rest instead of kinglass, down the old road, rcr70 walker and wind blow dodging, shopper dodging at Loch lomond shores and on up the other side of the Loch through the park and the hilly road up the side of the hill from the A81. Hmm...

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #14 on: 09 July, 2019, 09:33:48 pm »
Yeah, I thought about going through Lomond shops, but it's chewy routing, and would be very busy for anyone there early.

Have you looked at the Cowal Way between Strachur and Arrochar? I might give it a ride myself in the autumn.

FifeingEejit

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #15 on: 09 July, 2019, 09:41:38 pm »
Yeah, I thought about going through Lomond shops, but it's chewy routing, and would be very busy for anyone there early.

Have you looked at the Cowal Way between Strachur and Arrochar? I might give it a ride myself in the autumn.
Think cowal way is mostly off road, not had a chance to take a proper close look at the route on rwgps as I decided to bugger off to Loch Tummel after getting home from Andy C's 1000.

If I'm not riding I'll try to make sure I'm available to help at a control.

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IanDG

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #16 on: 11 July, 2019, 12:25:52 pm »
'Can you run a control?' asks Deano.

'No problem' I replied.

Didn't realise at the time that it would be open between 9pm and 6am  ;D

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #17 on: 11 July, 2019, 04:16:20 pm »
Have you looked at the Cowal Way between Strachur and Arrochar? I might give it a ride myself in the autumn.

First section from Strachur to Lochgoilhead is trackless bog deathmarch  :thumbsup: I suspect Charlie Bikemonger and Marcus Stitz are using it as part of their Dunoon Dirt Dash ( http://dirtdash.cc/dunoon/ ) later this year as the entry regs include the comment:
Quote
PLEASE NOTE: Day 1 includes a section of 4.5km which crosses steep, boggy terrain where pushing the bike is neccesary and there are NO obvious tracks.

After LGH it gets better but still rocky over to Ardgarten.

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #18 on: 11 July, 2019, 04:27:56 pm »
It wasn't a serious suggestion (except the bit about riding it myself).

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #19 on: 12 July, 2019, 12:48:36 pm »
It wasn't a serious suggestion

Shame. I've found nothing gets randonneurs annoyed like chucking in a bit of off-road at least 8 hours into a long audax  ;)

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #20 on: 12 July, 2019, 01:20:58 pm »
Check out the third photo in the OP :)

quixoticgeek

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #21 on: 12 July, 2019, 01:49:01 pm »
Check out the third photo in the OP :)

That's not off road, that's sustrans finest work...  :p

J
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FifeingEejit

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Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #22 on: 13 July, 2019, 04:01:55 pm »
Looking over the route,
The thought of climbing the Ballochandrain climb after almost 400km and probably no sleep given the start time... AND the Rig at 800, not to mention everything inbetween.

Suspect I need longer after the last 1000 to enter another!

Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #23 on: 15 July, 2019, 10:54:10 pm »
Looking over the route,
The thought of climbing the Ballochandrain climb after almost 400km and probably no sleep given the start time... AND the Rig at 800, not to mention everything inbetween.

Suspect I need longer after the last 1000 to enter another!

Ah you'll be fine. Up the Rigg and down through Duns is the best route south from Edinburgh to Darlo.

Is Ballochandrain some Scottish pun I'm missing? I dunno where you mean. But yeah, there are hills. It's not a flat route, it's a gorgeous route.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, Thursday 07/05/2020
« Reply #24 on: 15 July, 2019, 11:10:44 pm »
Looking over the route,
The thought of climbing the Ballochandrain climb after almost 400km and probably no sleep given the start time... AND the Rig at 800, not to mention everything inbetween.

Suspect I need longer after the last 1000 to enter another!

Ah you'll be fine. Up the Rigg and down through Duns is the best route south from Edinburgh to Darlo.

Is Ballochandrain some Scottish pun I'm missing? I dunno where you mean. But yeah, there are hills. It's not a flat route, it's a gorgeous route.
Ballochindrain is the farm in Glen daruel at the foot of the climb over to otter ferry.

Theres always the backup two feet option on the rig, I've a 100% record of using it too.

Definitley a good looking route!

Tbh the real challenge I see is the one I had on the auld alliance, from killin to Inverkeithing its home roads...

Edit: remembered part of the route wrong home roads starts at Drymen, but it is a fecking awesome route.
Need to check the location of the Highland boundary fault I think it's a double dip...
Edit edit: yes it is, first dip at Dunoon, undip somewhere on the loch, second dip at the pass of leny, then undip at the sma glen.

Suppose I do have nearly a year to get the hill training in and move house.


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