Hillz + clear skies = chillz

Zwift - Group Ride: Standard - Stage 2 - Tour de Zwift on Three Musketeers in France

Zwift - Volcano laps & hills

Zwift - Volcano Laps - Too icy outside

Friyay - Zwiftie - Group Ride: Standard - Stage 1 - Tour de Zwift on Chasing the Sun in Makuri Islands

A few dead ends at the start and a river crossing that could be avoided 😂

Then onto a cracking route around to Invergarry passing by Loch Lundie on the way and a section of gravel I’ll be back to do again, bliss! 

Dropped down over the river Garryon the suspension bridge and then followed the great Glen way down the edge of loch lochy and onto the lock gaits at Gairlochy. With sunny clear skies over Ben Nevis I stopped at the memorial before a quick stop at Spean Bridge for a refuel. 

Then onto the back roads and the track up the river spean, a short hop on the road and then the road up to Fersit. More gravel winding up the spean valley hugging the river and crossing the west highland railway line after which I saw the flyboys chopper past up the Glen in an Apache helicopter 🚁 buzzing low between the pines and under the mountain tops.


After this encounter things were less dramatic and I was onto the edge of Loch Laggan, past the James Bond Land Rover chase flip spot and enjoyed some flat steady gravel all the way to Adverkie Castle. From here it was another short road section up to the main road before then diverging onto another steep ascent on gravel.

This was a short but steep lump over into the Spey valley, but once onto the moorland it flowed quickly and the sun was starting to draw more and more of my shadow. I followed the deer down and then along General Wades Road before a sharp right hander onto the new gravel track for the pillons. Then another sharp right and a very very steep ascent up to the windfarms at Glendoe. Even some push / walk was required as the gravel became too loose on the 20% inclines. Then the top, 808m, sadly the gravel track ended here and it was only some hard pack and grass covering the buried electrical cables until the wind farms. Peat bog won though, and it was a bit of a sticky mess at points, giving some slip & slide and squelch moments. Luckily the sun was just peaking over the hills, providing warmth with a light tailwind breeze to keep the midges and deer keds at bay. Slow progress here which ate into the remaining daylight and I was down onto the windfarm access roads as the sky darkened further but the bright full moon gave some dim glow, allowing me to pick out the leaping deer between the Turbines and track ahead. 

Things picked up, a wind cross/tail provided some extra speed and it was a quick weave between the turbines before the reservoir climb. A final kicker up over the top of the access road. From here it was a flowy gravely descent back to the main road before a descent on tarmac down into Fort Augustus. 

Glad I had my lights and wind jacket for the end. What a ride, I’ll have to update it for the future to improve done sections but overall a great success 🙌

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Matt Stevenson

Highlanders Trail (needs some work) 😉

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Hillz + clear skies = chillz

Zwift - Group Ride: Standard - Stage 2 - Tour de Zwift on Three Musketeers in France

Zwift - Volcano laps & hills

Zwift - Volcano Laps - Too icy outside

Friyay - Zwiftie - Group Ride: Standard - Stage 1 - Tour de Zwift on Chasing the Sun in Makuri Islands

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