SkiBike Tour 2009-10 - Whiteout
Posted: Wednesday 6 January 2010 by Mark Kinnon in Labels: 2009-10 Tour, D.I.Y., Scotland, SkiBike
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Having assembled my skibike and footskis over the Christmas to New Year break, early January brought even colder weather when an unusually strong northerly wind brought arctic conditions to all of the UK the timing couldn't have been better for me.
The mainstream media was totally useless for real information about travel conditions, nothing but banal human interest stories about people stranded in remote locations since the New Year and advice to keep off the roads. I phoned my friend Mat Archer in Manchester, about 200 miles further North for the truth, "Local roads iced up but the motorways are fine" he said, "oh and it's alpine sunny....in Manchester!".
I decided book a hotel in Fort William through LateRooms there and then and take the chance to drive up the following day with a view to visiting Nevis Range first. I waxed my skis and began to pack the car with all the items I thought I might need for a week away in extreme weather, such as; an army jerry can, shovel, car tools, bike tools, spare fuses, light bulbs, anti-freeze, oil, maps, blankets, sleeping bag and emergency rations.
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| UK under snow photo courtesy of NASA |
I decided book a hotel in Fort William through LateRooms there and then and take the chance to drive up the following day with a view to visiting Nevis Range first. I waxed my skis and began to pack the car with all the items I thought I might need for a week away in extreme weather, such as; an army jerry can, shovel, car tools, bike tools, spare fuses, light bulbs, anti-freeze, oil, maps, blankets, sleeping bag and emergency rations.