Loch Ordie loop Aftermath - Macretro 24th Jan Dunkeld

The Ken

MacRetro Rider
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This is a re-edit to make it easier to read and to hopefully attract more riders on our trips....

As I cruised up the A9 with Back in Black blasting out of the CD and the
Sun rising behind me, catching the snow kissed mountains in the distance,
I had a feeling this would be a good day.

We met up at 10.30 - a little later for the lost Kaiser and Jimi and set
off just after 11am once I had finally packed my toolchest into my
backpack an AC had put back all the tiny ballbearings that fell out of his
SS freewheel.

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photo left to right...
Kaiser; Jamie Dyer; AwayCaboose; ClockworkGaz and JimiHendrix
GT Karakoram, 88 Stumpie, OnOne SS, Cannondale SS and Orange SS

I'm on the camera and riding my GT Xizang.

The Tracks were very icy but the sun was blazing so we didn't mind.

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As usual I met the others about five minutes after they finished the first
climb. Jimi was the first to go down on the ice but he didn't have time to
bleed so we pushed on to the first loch.

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Every lochan we passed was frozen over, the climbs were steady
though despite the ice. Looks like I missed the winter photo competition,

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oh well, so we stopped for our first photo shoot for the up and coming
kerrang cover...

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For a while the trail ice cleared up, we saw deer in the distance,
as we headed on to the half way point of Loch Ordie.

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Loch Ordie was absolutely stunning half frozen over, we stopped
for a slap up lunch of caramel logs and peanut kitkats.

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After that we decided on a route change as the way up was far too
icy to enjoy on the way down, and we actually wanted to extend the
run because we were having so much fun.

We looped around the back of of the loch crashing through the icy
puddles. We all fell off at some point and there were several amazing
recoveries with side slides not unlike a scrambler race.

We found a single track that would take us back over the hill but it was
unfamiliar territory. the weather had greyed now and as we pushed our
bikes up an unridable track a snow flurry hit us.

We started to wonder when we would make it back? We were looking
for the forest on the map, Gaz's wisdom told us that it must start at the
trees up a head. The forest was a head of us a good sign it signified
what we thought might be the way down, and it was.

I reckon it was about 1.5 miles of reasonably fast wet and icy downhill, it
was fantastic. We split up when we reach the first loch again with Jimi and
AC heading back to dry off.

The rest of us continued on another mile long wide forest track with rock
jumps everywhere, it was well worth the final slog along a road back to the cars.

A grand day out was had by all, hopefully we could persuade a few more
to come along next time.
 
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