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- Dale.
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I've come to realise, that this can be quite a dangerous hobby at times. 3 of my last 4 trips to Glencoe/Kilchurn have come quite close to ending in disaster.
My 1st trip alone, I fell backwards off the rocks at The Buachaille. I fell about 4 feet, backwards, landing on my back, with arms outstretched to save my camera. With hindsight, quote comical but 10 feet to my left, I'd have been over the big falls.
2nd trip, I got home unscathed.
3rd trip, Kilchurn Castle last June, I ended up having an altercation with a bog, up to my waist in black, cold gooey stuff and brand new boots too.
4th trip, and possibly my closest dice with death ever. I'm not kidding, this was nearly the big one. I'd been out since 3-15 am, firstly to Kilchurn as conditions looked good. I got my reflections but no real light. I gave up and headed off, not deciding until I was almost back at Tyndrum if I was going straight home or popping up to Glencoe. I decided it would be rude not to, so I headed to The Buacahille, got some shots from the river and headed up to Buachaille Etive Beag. I couldn't get parked there so I decided to head back down to Loch Tulla as it looked very still on the way up. I was heading happily along the A82, heading South, just coming off a long straight and into a right hander for me. A car was approaching his side of the road but as I entered the corner, a motorbike appeared alongside the car, overtaking it. It was a do a die thing, literally, the closing speed was too fast and a collision was inevitable. I had 6 inches to my left and took them, anymore, I'd have been in the ditch. The bike was banking at the time but he stood it up and managed to squeeze through (I saw his eyes) but not without significantly damaging my car all along the driver's side. How he stayed on, I'll never know. He just rode off, without stopping, as did the car he was overtaking.
I stopped, looked at my car, phoned the police and waited. The police took a while but to be fair, it's quite remote up there. They were brand new with me, took my details and told me to go home and have a few beers. I took their advice.
Damage to my car is as follows, scrape to front bumper in front of front wheel, front wing badly damaged, windscreen water bottle punctured, wing mirror smashed and cover missing, trim and scrapes as well as dents to the front driver's door, back door much the same. Dented rear wheel arch.
I'm guessing it was a panier strike, as if it had been the bike itself, he'd have been off. 6 inches less clearance, he'd have been over the top and I might not be typing this. My car is 13 years old and I use it for roadtrips like this one. It's old but nice and only 63,500 miles from new but it could well be written off as the market value is probably about £1400.
I'm seriously considering my Glencoe future.
Be safe out there.
My 1st trip alone, I fell backwards off the rocks at The Buachaille. I fell about 4 feet, backwards, landing on my back, with arms outstretched to save my camera. With hindsight, quote comical but 10 feet to my left, I'd have been over the big falls.
2nd trip, I got home unscathed.
3rd trip, Kilchurn Castle last June, I ended up having an altercation with a bog, up to my waist in black, cold gooey stuff and brand new boots too.
4th trip, and possibly my closest dice with death ever. I'm not kidding, this was nearly the big one. I'd been out since 3-15 am, firstly to Kilchurn as conditions looked good. I got my reflections but no real light. I gave up and headed off, not deciding until I was almost back at Tyndrum if I was going straight home or popping up to Glencoe. I decided it would be rude not to, so I headed to The Buacahille, got some shots from the river and headed up to Buachaille Etive Beag. I couldn't get parked there so I decided to head back down to Loch Tulla as it looked very still on the way up. I was heading happily along the A82, heading South, just coming off a long straight and into a right hander for me. A car was approaching his side of the road but as I entered the corner, a motorbike appeared alongside the car, overtaking it. It was a do a die thing, literally, the closing speed was too fast and a collision was inevitable. I had 6 inches to my left and took them, anymore, I'd have been in the ditch. The bike was banking at the time but he stood it up and managed to squeeze through (I saw his eyes) but not without significantly damaging my car all along the driver's side. How he stayed on, I'll never know. He just rode off, without stopping, as did the car he was overtaking.
I stopped, looked at my car, phoned the police and waited. The police took a while but to be fair, it's quite remote up there. They were brand new with me, took my details and told me to go home and have a few beers. I took their advice.
Damage to my car is as follows, scrape to front bumper in front of front wheel, front wing badly damaged, windscreen water bottle punctured, wing mirror smashed and cover missing, trim and scrapes as well as dents to the front driver's door, back door much the same. Dented rear wheel arch.
I'm guessing it was a panier strike, as if it had been the bike itself, he'd have been off. 6 inches less clearance, he'd have been over the top and I might not be typing this. My car is 13 years old and I use it for roadtrips like this one. It's old but nice and only 63,500 miles from new but it could well be written off as the market value is probably about £1400.
I'm seriously considering my Glencoe future.
Be safe out there.
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