Outdoors

A view from halfway up the mountain

At last we are back to internet access! It's amazing how this can hold a blog back.....
So I'll reach back into my memory a bit and try to recap our days in the UK. We have had a chance to visit some of the great western cities on this trip: Venice, Firenze, Geneve, Paris, London. But I remain a small town kid! Sure, one that is deeply involved and interested in art and architecture and history, (usually urban things) but a small town kid all the same, maybe even a guy from farming roots? Certainly one who is eager to explore and enjoy nature.
So, there is a good reason to enjoy our time in IOM and Peebles! IOM was hiking and farming. Scotland was riding and, well, flying.....
We were welcomed by Jenny and Nigel Thake, Sue's Auntie and Uncle to Peebles. Peebles is a borders town, in the south of Scotland and a lovely little town, with a typical high street, headed by the Church of Scotland, and independent shops and pubs.

Happy bikers

When, Nigel, in his email about possible activities in Peebles wrote 'mountain biking" I very quickly googled "Peebles MTB" and the top hit was Glentress of the 7 Taines! I'd heard about this place!

Our favourite section: Good name

Glentress is a palace of mountain biking, a place that makes all other trails I've ridden pale in comparison! Not for scenery or technical challenges or even location: I've had the chance to ride in some nice locations: Glentress is mountain biking well thought out! It's got trails that have been built to withstand weather and riding; it's got factilites (good espresso! and bike rentals for me and my boys) and it's got graded trails for all riders. The blue trail which Toby, Kenzie and I rode 2 times was a marvel of mtb ingenuity. The climb was long, (30 minutes to 1 hour) but not too steep, the switchbacks were perfectly sculpted, the track was gravel lined in places to withstand wet and cold (both of which we saw). The downhill, was amazing, swooping, rolls, lips and berms! SO much fun, even Kenzie forgot the climb! 18kms later we dropped our rental bikes off and enjoy coffee and hot chocolate before catching the 10 minute bus ride back to town.

Kenzie riding strong

Mountain biking is helping a quaint little town survive. Glentress apparently attracts 4000 riders per week and that is bound to rub off on this lovely little town.
Certainly it will bring me back: next time with my own bike, shoes and (not to put too fine a point on it) bike shorts! Can't wait.

sweet switchbacks

Our third, for all four of us, adventure was Go Ape, a treetop adventure course....Those who know me, know I have a pretty well developed fear of heights. And a strange need to face fears....And kids who were so excited about doing this, and Sue, who seemed nonplussed by the whole thing! We strapped on harnesses, learned how to use our various safety lines and were sent into the trees. Onto very narrow platforms, across zip lines of increasing lengths, facing traverses of space of increasing challenge, until my nerve and brain was about to explode. The penultimate zip line took us from an impossible high tree, across a valley, over an lake (100+ metres high....) to land in woods, hundreds of metres away. I just about lost it, but trusted my harness, and the pocket sized first aid kit that all the guides carried, (that was a joke, I mean really!) to keep me from dying. I lived, the boys ad Sue had a great time, and I didn't make a mess in my pants or have a nervous breakdown: A good day all round!

Luckily you can't see the expression on my face....yikes!

2 years and we'll be back.

I haven't talked enough about how well we were taken care of in IOM and Peebles. Sue's Uncle Tim and his partner Jean and Auntie Jenny and Uncle Nigel, treated us all in a most "old school" family way: you're the guests, we'll take care of you. It was so welcome after weeks of advanced, (and spontaneous planning), after days of navigating by sketchy map, half loaded google maps, (and shear luck) to just be invited to sit back, relax and have dinner prepared! Thank-you Jenny and Jean, and Nigel and Tim. We'll be back, not to take advantage of this generosity, but hopefully to repay it, if you'll let us!

Sue enjoying the Scottish weather: On Ape day we experienced: sun, rain, thunder, and finally hail!  No problem!

Yeah, we zipped across that valley....The line is WAY over our heads!