May 4, 2025
Sunday
The chatter from others camping nearby faded out around dusk and it was a peaceful night Camped by the lake albeit cold. My light sleeping-bag was at the limit of its low temperature comfort. I have it almost 25 years, a Swedish brand but only meant for Summer use with a low temperature comfort rating of +4 and according to the forecaster on the radio this morning, the temperture in this area dropped a degree below freezing in the early hours. In short, I was curled up feeling the chill while trying to preserve body heat.
The rider who uploaded this route on Komoot was obviously vehicle supported, as the route goes no where near a village or town with services. I on the other hand am unsupported by a vehicle. I'm self-supported, so this morning I'm detouring to the nearest town to buy groceries and charge the phone. The phone usually does 2 days on a 100 percent charge. I should perhaps buy a generator wheel in future to forgo depending on finding a cafe to charge.
I head for Dalmellington, but this is a small place with only a small Co Op open where I buy a yogurt and half litre of milk to snack upon before continuing on to the next place on the map Cunnock, a good ways uphill and into the cutting northerly wind.
I am now in Cunnock sitting in a Greg's (a low price cafe chain with power points). Looking at the map I see my only option to rejoin the Faultline Trail is another long stun on the road to a split off upon a gravel road, which seems to go up through a grey shaded block what looks to be a wind farm to join stage 4, having missed out on stage 3.
There is a low cost supermarket on the same street as Greg's where I buy a few packet of biscuits, tuna and rice.
I am on the A70 onward with Sunday afternoon traffic. It is hard to imagine or understand how some of these cars remain upright the speed they pass at. And the speed of the plastic clad motorbikes which roar by. At least the traffic is fairly light.
Large cumulus clouds block out the sun, making the northerly wind even colder and after a while it is good to reach the gravel road split off where I climb steadily towards a wind turbine lined hilltop. Then over the crest and steeply down to a deep hollow and up a steep incline on the other side which has me spinning in the lowest gear. The whole hillside has been stirred up and reformed by a bulldozer and going down the next descent is like a moonscape. I'm glad its dry as it would be absolutely miserable if it were raining. I fear the mud would make it unridable.
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A half hour later and still cold, but with a glimpse of sunshine and its greener as I trundle along an old rail trail banked up on either side from the surrounding brown hill grass. If I could only get beyond the constant loud whirling howl and revolving shadows of the sails when the sun comes out.
I climb up through a block of pine plantation, followed by a sweeping descent where at last I'm out from underneath the turbines.
I come down to a locked gate and lift the bike over, which I can just about do. Cross a tarmac road to a double gate that opens to a gravel farm road to a roofless derelict farmhouse, where I sit down on a low wall for afternoon tea.
Later I'm on narrow country lanes as I ride to about 7.30 looking out for a block of woodland. Having skirted the edge of Strathaven and half a mile on go right along a small road where I pass a field with a tractor mowing grass for silage. All the fields for the next mile with a break for a large farmyard have already been mown and are in neath rows ready for the harvester, then at the end I see the dark green of a stand of woodland. A block of pine trees on the edge of fields with a wide grassy strip on the inside between the pines and a row of broad leaf trees along the fence. There is even a single-track which aids cycling off the road and about a hundred metres in I clear a spot on the edge of the pines of pine-cones and pitch the tent.
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1 day ago
I have since returning bought a solar charger and powerback because I'm fed up of sitting in a cafe each day.
22 hours ago