Day 10. South Laggan to Tain - bad weather and kit failure (75.2 miles)

Our accommodation was hostel-style based in South Laggan. It was now privately owned but ran in formal YHA style with self clear and a morning clean.

The wardens had previously worked for the Scottish YHA, but the building had been sold off five years previously, along with several other hostels. Fortunately, a local builder had bought it and kept the family on as wardens (losing their livelihood would also have resulted in loss of home).

No such reprieve from the weather today. Record levels of rainfall over Loch Lochy (3" just over the morning). It poured whilst we slept on in our dormitory bunks. Despite a fear of the deluge reaching biblical proportions, we headed out, a long line of brilliant yellow 'fluoro' waterproofs and flashing red lights.

Many had procured costly waterproof gloves and similar weather-proof amulets. But to no avail. The roads were awash. Miniature rivulets swept across the roads in curious rhythmic waves. Gloves and special booties with inner sealskin socks were no match for the torrent.

Leaving Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and crossing the Caledonian Canal, we joined the south end of Loch Ness at Fort Augustus. The canal and lochs follow a geological fault line, Great Glen. The addition of the 60 mile canal in 1822 added a final connection between east (Inverness) and west (near Fort William). This represented a move to improve social and economic cohesion in the highlands, following the punitive Highland Clearances (a ban against wearing tartan, playing the bagpipes and speaking Gaelic in order to break the clan system).

The road along Loch Ness reminded me that they do a marathon here. There's a thought!

We passed Urquhart Castle onto to Drumnadrochit for a pit stop prior to Heartbreak Hill, the steepest of the trip. One of our party, Tom, is a super fit cyclist who lives nearby in Beauly. He's attempted the 750' steep ascent (18% in places and relentless). On the two previous occasions he had to get off and walk. We brace ourselves, some with heart rate monitors, others happy to walk. Each in our own way we ascend to fine peaty moorland and then drop down for coffee and cake in a Beauly Deli, soggy and dripping. Our host seems very chilled despite turning her floor into a miniature loch.

Onto lunch in a leisure centre in Dingwall. A swapping and re-swapping of attire, layering up below jackets, ringing out of gloves, adding or subtracting waterproof trousers, all depending on the individual fancy of the rider. We depart, hitting a particularly steep and unwelcome climb, muscles having cooled down and stomachs weighted with pasta. However, the high road bypasses the unpleasant A9 and forms part of the National Cycle Route 1. We traverse farmland, autumnal forest with mixed deciduous woodland. To the right are sweeping views of Cromarty Firth.

Whilst knees and bruises have improved, kit is less reliable. Another puncture, waterproofs not waterproof, Garmin sat nav cycle computers misbehaving, rechargeable lights running down too quickly, other lights and cycle computers falling off and, at worst, bikes requiring serious mechanical support and replacement in one case. We weather these problems, accept the malfunction and make do.

My 'all singing all dancing' Garmin Edge 800 reads speed, distance, heart rate, elevation, shows sat nav maps, a navigational line for each day and screeches like an irate cicada when off course. It give innumerable other pieces of data, allows recording of new routes and posting on the web or by email for future riders. However, it is very imperfect. Spontaneously, it reverts to an auto pause mode when cycling, turns off the satellite link and can be skittish over the route. Thus, some of my data has been estimated from other devices and my speed is an underestimate. Not good for those on the spectrum!

Worst of all has been my Funkier non-carbon bib shorts bought on the way. Never trust a brand with a name like Funkier. The seat area has an unnecessary cobbled construction not conforming with any perineal anatomy of which I am aware. The inside 'hem' is rubberised similar to better brands. However, Funkier take it a step further by heavily embossing their name, leaving a painful impregnated 'K' in my thigh. I would like to rename the brand (you decide), shred the shorts and drop the remnants in Mount Doom. Last full day tomorrow, bodies coping, kit as it comes.

Statistics
Distance: 75.2 miles
Riding time: 5:44
Climbing: 895m (descending 916)
Ave speed 13.1 mph, max speed 35.4 mph
Road kill: hedgehog, goose, badger
High point: stunning back roads through moorland, farms and autumnal mixed deciduous woodland above Drumnadrochit and Dingwall
Low point: overwhelmed by exhaustion after the ice water bath