29-30 May 2009 – Days 1&2 – London, Darlington, Barnard Castle, Mabie, Dalbeattie

Half an hour on the tube, over three hours on a train and two hours in a car, yet the journey had only just begun. I’m in Scotland for a long weekend with a mate from school and we’re tackling two of the 7stanes.

I ride to work nearly every day nowadays, which is an 18km round trip through the busy streets of London. I’ve learned to become fearless of bendy buses and zombie pedestrians stepping out into the middle of the road, whilst weaving through the traffic, in order to dart through the amber lights in the morning rush hour.

However, London isn’t renowned for its mountainous terrain, so when we arrive at Mabie, in Southwest Scotland, I’m surprised how much of a challenge mountain biking can really be. Sharpy, my drinking buddy and teacher for the weekend, ignores the fact I’ve never done this before and immediately takes me to a ‘Red grade’ trail. The description on my map says red trails are suitable for ‘proficient mountain bikers with good off-roading skills’ – a higher level of fitness and stamina is required’!

Surprisingly, after a few wobbles, I don’t do that badly. It’s hard work but incredibly good fun. The steep climbs are worth the effort, as the descents are even more satisfying than flying down a black piste on skis.

Dalbeattie is a relatively small village and yet it’s frightening how many barrels of beer the locals must go through each week. We spend the first evening mixing with them and I’ve never seen people give themselves such a liver pounding. There are women who look double their age and men who are double the size they should be, and it’s not hard to see why; everyone is completely trashed! It is entertaining though, and the Scottish friendliness throughout the day continuously reminds me why Scotland is one of my favourite countries.

31 May 2009 – Day 3 – Dalbeattie

An enormous Scottish breakfast keeps the hangover at bay and we head straight back to the trails for more biking. Today it’s the Dalbeattie Stane and at over 30km, it doesn’t sound like very far. However, the ascents are long and the downhill sections are steep and technical, meaning it’s an absolute killer on the legs.

As always, I refuse to go anywhere without my camera gear; it’s an extra 10km on my back that I could do without, but there are photo opportunities everywhere, especially as the weather this weekend has been simply outstanding – you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d gone over a mountain and found yourself in southern Europe!

It’s another red trail, but we try a few of the black ‘trick’ sections as I slowly build more confidence. However, Dalbeattie’s infamous ’slab’ is a well beyond my comfort zone; it’s a long, steep and rocky descent that practically screams at me, “pain and blood”!!

My legs are exhausted but there’s still enough light to explore the coast. With the sun low in the sky, the views are outstanding, especially on foot along the footpaths over Rockcliffe. I particularly like the pier at Rough Firth.

The beaches are extraordinary: I’ve never seen such flat plains of sand and apparently the tide comes in faster than you can run, catching out many tourists. In the end, we settle for a seaside restaurant and a relatively early night, preparing ourselves for tomorrow’s final biking effort.

01 June 2009 – Day 4 – Dalbeattie, Mabie

The massaging beds in the bed & breakfast are a Godsend! I really thought I’d struggle to move today but as we head back to Mabie, I’m excited to test my skills and see if I can do better than my first attempt two days ago.

Being more familiar with the route, we go a lot faster and it’s a great way to end the long weekend; and although it’s a shame that it’s over so quickly, I’m actually rather relieved that I’m still in one piece! Even more surprising, despite the shaking, vibrating and alien-like sounds that Sharpy’s car made on the journey back to England, it too managed to stay intact!