An Turas Mor

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Borderer
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An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Joe and I have just returned from riding An Turas Mor. I will write it up properly for our website soon but in the meantime if anyone is interested in seeing the trip and photos in more detail then they are on our FB page. Cheers.

https://www.facebook.com/Weirdos-On-Bik ... 796016239/
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thenorthwind
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by thenorthwind »

Been following your ride on Facebook and it looks great - looking forward to reading more about it :-bd
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

It's a pretty good route - just wait til later when the midges have gone though!
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JimmyG
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by JimmyG »

Like Dave above, I followed your adventure on FB. Very impressive Bridget (and Joe, of course). Oh, and point taken re the midges!
One day, you’ll wake up and there won't be any more time to do the thing you always wanted to do. Do it now. – Paolo Coelho
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Here you go - the full write-up is now on our website. It is a long and pic-heavy read!
https://www.weirdosonbikes.com/2020/09/ ... -mor-2020/
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stevewaters
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by stevewaters »

Thanks for sharing that. - Fantastic to read about your adventure and see all the pics. It made me look forward even more to the Cairngorms 300 in a week's time :smile:
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Bearlegged
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Bearlegged »

Aye, very enjoyable.
Your recollection of the Road to the Isles as magical rang very true, even though it was shrouded in most when I rode it.
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

stevewaters wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:26 pm Thanks for sharing that. - Fantastic to read about your adventure and see all the pics. It made me look forward even more to the Cairngorms 300 in a week's time :smile:
Hope you get the weather for it!
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Landslide wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:28 pm Aye, very enjoyable.
Your recollection of the Road to the Isles as magical rang very true, even though it was shrouded in most when I rode it.
Thanks for that. Yes I really want to go back to that area sometime.
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fatbikephil
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by fatbikephil »

Great trip there B and a good read. I've ridden most of that (I'd agree the road to the isles is a cracker of a route and I've got similar evening pics of the Ben in sunshine) so great to see all the pics. Must try to bag the cashel dhu trail next time I'm up there :-bd
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

htrider wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 5:45 pm Great trip there B and a good read. I've ridden most of that (I'd agree the road to the isles is a cracker of a route and I've got similar evening pics of the Ben in sunshine) so great to see all the pics. Must try to bag the cashel dhu trail next time I'm up there :-bd
Thanks Phil. Have you always gone the Glen Golly way then? I really liked the look of that broch up there by Ben Hope too, but I couldn't stop for a mooch as it was midge-central.
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fatbikephil
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by fatbikephil »

Borderer wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 7:35 pm Thanks Phil. Have you always gone the Glen Golly way then? I really liked the look of that broch up there by Ben Hope too, but I couldn't stop for a mooch as it was midge-central.
Image
Its a belter!
Yeah only ever been up on a bike doing the Highland Trail so Glengolly and horne to loan path (Above was on a motorbike trip....)
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Richpips
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Richpips »

Great write up and pictures Bridget.
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

:-bd
May the bridges you burn light your way
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Richpips wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:36 pm Great write up and pictures Bridget.
Cheers Rich. We thought of you guys on the night ride home - we got very cold paws and had to stop in to the 24hr Tesco for marigolds :lol: Joe said we looked like The Simpsons :lol:
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RIP
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by RIP »

What a fantastic adventure, and well-crafted writeup and photos. Dervla reincarnated methinks :smile: .

What shines through is your adaptability, deal-with-it-as-it-comes, toughness. Maybe we take that as par for our course, but to be continuously responsible for your own 'private plague of locusts' at the same time raises things to another level. I'm sure Joe could look after himself now but... Anyway, I thought you said he'd given up bikepacking :grin: . All this stuff is an incredible life-lesson for Joe isn't it? I really really wish I done more bivvying with my kids :sad: .

I'm interested to know how you managed to stay supplied on that seemingly remote route. Still, the ice-cream honesty-box is something that I think should be far more widely available :smile: .

A few random points stood out for me (amongst many other thoughtful/thought-provoking ones)...

"protected from the storm by only a few microns of nylon" - an elemental consideration which I've pondered on for several minutes.

"rubbing shoulders with all sorts when the options are few" - one of the big pleasures of tramping, although I doubt the feeling is always reciprocal :smile: .

Loved the en-suite shower in the, er, shower :grin: .

Gawd knows how you put up with the midges - good point that smidge stops bites but not the enraging clouds.

I need to get some crocs - I want to do a whole ride with them.

Good to see that Ralph has a rival now :-bd .
I need to get Panda out again. (I was pleased to see that mini-panda was still out about with Viv on the not-WRT!).

After reading yours and Trep's stories ... well, I can't find the words.

:-bd
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I can't find the words.
You've done alright.






:wink:
May the bridges you burn light your way
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:02 am
I can't find the words.
You've done alright.
:wink:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Cheeky Monkey
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Borderer wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:47 pm Here you go - the full write-up is now on our website. It is a long and pic-heavy read!
https://www.weirdosonbikes.com/2020/09/ ... -mor-2020/
Thanks for sharing. A wonderful read :cool:
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

RIP wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:41 am Dervla reincarnated methinks
Thanks Chris, I was hoping you would read it. I always like your considered reviews. You did give me quite a fright with the above though - she is still alive! I thought you meant she had snuffed it :shock: Thankfully no, she is still with us, the tough old bugger. I do love her books.

Yes, the storm was quite an experience. A bit like having fifty people stand in a circle around your tent and aim Karchers at it. At the height of this Joe casually mentioned that the cottages we had cycled past on the way to our bivvy spot all had flood doors. (We are both very hot on these things as we live in a town that floods with depressing regularity). Cue a barely-contained sense of panic. Suddenly I understood why this field was empty - it was a flood plain. :o :o I had to don waterproofs and go out to check on the river level a few times, but thankfully all was well. Lesson learned though.

I think I didn't successfully manage to stay well-supplied on the trip, hence the weight loss. I should point out that Joe didn't lose any weight, but he did return with rather fine calves that could probably be used to deflect bullets if required. He is quite pleased with those. :lol: He is at the age now where he could cope quite well alone on a practical level (he shoos me away now and wants to put the tent up solo) but not on an emotional level. He was getting quite adamant that he didn't want to come cycling with me any more, but as I don't have anyone to leave him with he just has to put up with it for now. I think it helped enormously that Rich and Tom came to visit just before this trip and acted as the kick-in-the-pants for me to get us out there. When Joe met Tom previously it just demoralised him that someone slightly younger than him had done so much more. This time I think it motivated him and perhaps also normalised the idea of a boy and his parent undertaking such a trip. The big thing though was that I scored him a 'new' bike on eBay before we left. A carbon 29er that came with a frame bag and Harley-style handlebars. It is a 5teed that any teenage boy would be proud to be seen on. It fits him really well and made an instant difference to his enjoyment and achievement level. At only £365 it was a bit of a gift from the cycling gods.

The heilan coo mascot is called Bartholomoo, named after our friend Bartholomew who put us up in Glasgow. :lol:
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Cheeky Monkey wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:32 am
Borderer wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:47 pm Here you go - the full write-up is now on our website. It is a long and pic-heavy read!
https://www.weirdosonbikes.com/2020/09/ ... -mor-2020/
Thanks for sharing. A wonderful read :cool:
:smile: Cheers for that
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RIP
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by RIP »

I'm now worried that because I've been in awe of yours and Trep's japes in quick succession it's because it seems like I'm perpetuating some patronising element towards female adventurers! My self-analysis would claim that it's not, but... now I'm worried about being worried :grin: .

Anyway I'm sure I get patronised for being an OAP Tramp so there we go :smile: .

We've been here before and now I feel stupid for even mentioning it :smile: . We should all know ourselves well enough Here by now.

Whatever. It gladdens my heart that you're Here and Doing as A Bikepacker so thank you for that :-bd .
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Chill Chris. It's fine. There are so many more barriers to women getting out there, so I don't have a problem with someone respecting and acknowledging that.
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Dave Barter
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Dave Barter »

A top write up and a route I am now seriously looking at. Thanks!!
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Borderer
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Re: An Turas Mor

Post by Borderer »

Dave Barter wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 12:57 pm A top write up and a route I am now seriously looking at. Thanks!!
Cheers Dave, I'm sure you would enjoy it. It's funny - we met a guy at Cape Wrath who was saying how much he had enjoyed your Tour Divide write-up. I can't remember how we got onto the subject now, but you got a mention anyway.
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