Mountain Biking on Arran
July 4, 2008 on 2:22 pm | In Mountain Biking |
I was recetly on Arran and took part in a trail quest organised by Arran Adventure Company. Having not been on a bike for about five years I was a bit wobbly to begin with! We had a practice session on the first day - a practice session of six miles! It was all about navigating your way around a specific route and looking for certain points so you could stamp your route card. The time for this route would establish our teams for tomorrow.
I thought I was better on my bike than I actually was and ended up going over the handlebars - not a pretty sight! Therre was a lot of uphill which wasn’t so much fun but coming down the other side was amazing. I did the route with Michael, Louise and Maria and we stuck together as a team instead fo competing against each other which made the journey good fun.
We were having so much fun that we actually rode straight past one of the stamps and only realised when we came to number seven after number five. We had a few mishaps with Michael’s bike as his chain came off about nine times around the route. Grrr!
Once we had our last stamp we enjoyed the view back to the adventure cabin. Everyone could hear us coming as we were singing Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now!
Our timing wasn’t bad considering none of us were particularly bike friendly however as our times were similar we weren’t in the same team on the second day.
The second day was much harder and we had three hours to complete the course with markers all over Arran. For our team to gain maximum points there were also extra activities you could complete: aerial assault, sea kayaking and abseiling. Yikes! Our strategy was simple, the two fastest and the two slowest paired up and we did our best to try and get as many points as possible. Unfortunately our team didn’t win but we had loads of fun trying!
Gillian Thompson
http://www.visitscotland.com/adventure
Works with adventure sports in Scotland and has a keen interest in keeping fit and walking and a new passion for surfing.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Hi Gillian, It was great to see everyone competing in the Adventure Quest. Getting wet & muddy is good for the soul! I was surprised that you all had the energy for the ceilidh in the evening but it seemed to go down well, especially with the non-Scots participants!
Arran offers a fantastic number of adventure activities and a stunning natural environment that is easily accessible from the mainland.
Sea Kayaking has become our most popular activity and we offer a wide range of sessions for every level from complete beginner to the more advanced paddler. It is the one of the best ways to view the mountains and coastline and with close-up views of seals and other sealife.
The summer holidays are nearly over, so the island will be quieter, but we have an Outdoor Festival from 18-22 September, with lots of guided walks, from the high tops to the coastal way. There are also some great evening events planned, including a Safari Supper and a mountain film night. See www.arranoutdoorfestival.co.uk.
BRgs
Suzanne Sell
Arran Adventure Company
Isle of Arran
W: www.arranadventure.com
E: suzanne@arranadventure.com