Pentlanding and Unicycling - 20/1/2007

With a trek to the Pentlands on tired legs and a unicycle tutorial later in the evening, I slept well on Saturday night. I learned firsthand where the word quagmire comes from. I knew connotations such as "sticky situation" and "dilemma" generally, but never knew it's mushy peat origins. Neil, George and Euan hinted at its definition for me, but the ride defined it more specifically. We headed into the Pentlands via a steep climb in Bonaly instead of a steep climb in Balerno or the other steep climb in Bonaly. The steepest climb was up a trail covered in large fist and skull sized rocks. I don't know if Neil climbed it successfully on his bicycle. I will assume yes because he's disgustingly fit for that sort of thing. The slope of the hill seemed rideable, which made it all the more frustrating that getting started and maintaining momentum over the rocks felt impossible. As I watched George and Euan struggle, too, I decided the more efficient climb would be on foot. I ran past them pushing my bike and caught my breath for two minutes before they rejoined us. It was the only climb I wasn't last for, but I felt I deserved a pat on the back for it!

That last climb put us at the road that was just a few hundred metres from the top of the evil paved Balerno hill. We took a left there and continued climbing and bopping through slippery, wet, rooty trails and the occasional quagmire. The transition from trees and shelter to open Pentlands hillsides meant the wind made itself known. I suppose I should have mentioned that we chose to ride on a sunny day with 30-40MPH winds. In the Pentlands. Where trees are not the most common form of vegetation by any means. Glutton for punishment.

We stopped for a late lunch in the shelter of some trees not hugely far away from the visitor centre. Neil and I left the journey early, with Neil concerned that he needed to get to a bookshop before it closed and me concerned my toes and fingertips wouldn't be able to thaw if I rode much longer. George and Euan continued longer and each took journeys over the handlebars when underestimating the depth of one particular quagmire at the bottom of a hill. After the bike ride, I returned to Neil's with unicycle and some dinner ingredients in hand.

Unicycling videos are here and Neil's pre-Pentland bench hits and misses are here.