Doing Black Hill the day after Storm Malik and just before Storm Collie!

Some of the debris deposited from a building site by Storm Malik

The views from the top of Black Hill today were tremendous!

The three of us who did the ride today atthe top of Black Hill

Winter loop clockwise today

Up the valley to the water crossing, still pretty chilly!

Over the wee wooden bridge!

And then through the water, you dont want to come off these days, its too cold!

Bloody cold up in the hills this morning!

The first real climb of the trip today!

No frost today so the greasy bits are soft and slidy instead of hard and slidy!

The first time for a year or two we've come down this rough bit of track but we all managed safely! My battery just made it home whether its ageing or the cold weather is a mystery!

An easy mtb ride with Clive to help his recovery from severe migraines

Nice and easy to startwith!

After the climb up to Castlelaw Farm it was nice and easy along to the shelterbelt

On our way up to the Howe and turning there for the return home. Everything was nice and easy and Clive suffered no ill effects! A perfect way to treat migraines!!

Eastside Farm loop again, first time for a wee while

This is Eastside Farm in actual fact, nestling in the Pentland Hills

The rough track along the side of West Kip

and finally the rough gully des cent down to the Howe

A grey day in the Pentland Hills……

Pretty bleak in the hills today, not many people walking or biking!

About the only bit of excitement today, sheep crossiing the track in front of me!

Another bit of minor excitement.....the water crossing, would I get through unscathed?

Some bits are frozen solid, other bits are soft as hell!

This bit of track was pure ice but no problem for the ice spikers on my bike

Baz was on ordinary tyres and found the going hard to cope with in parts

You definately needed spikers on this section!

Fair bit of ice today, thank goodness for the ice spikers

The ice spikers certainly paid their way today, parts of the track would have been unrideable without them!

What could be more Scottish than a Highland Cow?

I didnt want to come off in here today with the temperature at -5C

First time out in 2022

Jumping for joy at getting 2021 behind us.....it wasn't a great year!

Not a great introduction to 2022 either, its all muck and water presently!