Category: Journal

A year in 20 photographs 10/20 – arriving at the top of a climb

Today’s contribution is two photos from our Hebridean Island Hopper tour: cyclists arriving at the tops of the Quiraing and the climb from Kylerhea ferry, both on the Isle of Skye.

Part of the fun (quite a big part to be truthful) of riding a bike is going downhill. However, cycling is an activity that demands payment in effort and sweat before it relinquishes the pleasures of gravity. There are, of course, ways to cheat the burden of gradient. For example, you could go up to the top in a motorised vehicle. But then, as my teachers at school were very fond of saying, “You would only be cheating yourself”. 

Being over six feet tall and not the lightest of cyclists, I often feel that my due payment to the climbs can be a bit on the expensive side – smaller and lighter riders may exert the same power through the pedals as I do. Still, their diminutive stature dictates a power-to-weight ratio that means they will get to the summit more quickly than I do.

Fortunately, my extra ballast usually means I can catch them again on the way down the other side. Despite the effort involved, the general masochistic nature of a cyclist means they generally enjoy the suffering of going uphill on their bike. Why else would they spend so much money going on cycling holidays to mountainous areas? 

Everyone has their own reason for riding a bike. For some it’s for fitness, for others it’s to travel and see the world from a different perspective. Perhaps it’s for purely utilitarian reasons. But often, above all, it’s because it is great fun. Maybe the effort that it takes to ride a bike, especially on an ascent, makes these reasons more appreciable. In my lifetime of uphill efforts on a bike, I have never really worked out why I find so much enjoyment in suffering on a climb. 

When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, the mountaineer George Mallory, reputedly replied with the renowned retort “Because it is there”.

Perhaps it is better not to question the why and just enjoy the activity. 

A year in 20 photographs 9/20 – phone box in the Outer Hebrides

I often tell people that the Outer Hebrides are unlike anywhere else in the UK or even the world and that travelling along the Hebridean Way is a journey.

There are many similarities, such as a phone box, but these urban familiarities appear incongruous on these windswept, wild islands.

Cycling on the Hebridean Way is a journey through a landscape where humans have had a clear impact. 

For thousands of years, people have built dwellings, raised families, farmed, lived, and died on these islands.

The markers are there for all to see, from the hillside scarred by peat-cutting to abandoned and ruined crofts; from the standing stones at Callanish to the chambered burial cairn at Barpa Langais.

All these monuments to human survival on the edge of Europe tell a story of how people have interacted, travelled, and survived through the millennia on the chain of islands.

What makes the Outer Hebrides different from other places is that, even for the oldest of these marks that we have left on the landscape, they still seem fleeting. They convey the fragility of who we are. Nature is there, waiting patiently to claim it all back for herself.

In a world where it is almost impossible to switch off, the Outer Hebrides feel like one of the last bastions of wilderness. One where you are reminded of the true power and indifference of nature towards humanity.

Travelling along the Hebridean Way by bike is one of the best ways to experience this. Not just getting from point A to point B, but a passage through millennia of humankind and the force of our environment.

It is what I mean by a journey.

The Hebridean Way guided cycle tour.

A year in 20 photographs 5/20 – taking time for myself – dogs, dogs, dogs (and an Ibex)

Today is a slight cheat as I’ve posted two photographs.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love dogs. There is a running joke in my family that when I am away guiding I miss my dogs more than my wife and kids.

For eleven years I have sub-contracted to Marmot Tours as a freelance guide. Marmot Tours runs amazing cycling holidays across the mountain ranges of Europe. In 2024 I worked on six of these trips in the Dolomites and Stelvio; the Swiss Alps; the Massif Central; the Ardeche and Cevennes; and Mont Ventoux and the Verdon Gorge. During September that meant a five-week stint away from home. It sounds fantastic having the opportunity to visit and work in all these places, and it is. However, it is also hard work, with days often starting at 6 am and ending after dinner at 9 pm. So it is important to grab some moments for yourself when you can.

Many of the hotels that we visit are privately owned and the owners have dogs. This inevitably means that on arrival at the hotel I spend a large chunk of my evening playing with the dog.

The Hotel Cepina, south of Bormio in the Dolomites, is one such hotel. Their dog, a Border collie loves to play football. As soon as I pulled up in the van I would see the ball bounce down the steps with the collie in close pursuit. I would then spend half an hour with the dog, kicking the ball around the car park.

I managed to snap this shot of the dog in mid-air. The latest I have heard is that he has had a call from Luciano Spalletti for a try-out with the Italian team.

On these trips, I often get up around 4 am and cycle up to the summit of whatever col is closest to our hotel. It means ascending in the dark, but the deserted summit and sunrise always make it worthwhile. In 2024 there weren’t many opportunities to do this so, when possible, I would take 45 minutes or so out of my day to indulge in my other passion of hiking. 

This second photo was taken on a short hike to a small summit opposite the Steingletscher in Switzerland. All the cyclists in our group had passed through and were descending to the hotel. As my fellow guide was already at the hotel to greet them, I decided this was a good moment to climb up for a better view of the glacier. On my way, I was delighted to spot two Ibex and managed to photograph them with the glacier in the background.

Moments like these are rare but important to grab when you can. Being able to switch off, even for half an hour, and recharge my batteries means I can return to work feeling fresh and ready to get into guide mode again.

A year in 20 photographs 4/20 – causeway linking Benbecula to North Uist

The Hebridean Way is a fantastic cycling route of over 185 miles across ten islands in the Outer Hebrides. Each of these islands is linked by ferries and causeways and the unique route makes a cycling trip to remember. The causeway pictured is one of the longest on the islands and links Benbecula to North Uist.

A family affair

This photograph is of my wife, Kirsteen, who joined us on a Hebridean Way cycling tour in July 2024. Just after we first met she introduced me to the Outer Hebrides. She had spent a large number of family summer holidays on North Uist as she was growing up, and the islands hold a special place in her heart. 

Despite her familiarity with the islands she had never cycled the full route. She had also never been on a Skinny Tyres cycling tour over our 15-year history. Actually, she had never been on a cycling holiday before, let alone a multi-day tour. So, needless to say, she was a little bit nervous that she would be able to manage the route.

Although I was excited that she would join us on the tour I was also quite reticent. It would be like a bring your partner to work week. I tend to be very focussed when I am working and I wasn’t sure if the dynamics would work.

Neither of us need have worried. The week went smoothly and Kirsteen enjoyed riding the full route and making new friends along the way.

Join us on a tour in 2025.

The love Scot has for what he does and for Scotland showed through the whole trip – M Johnson – The Hebridean Way 2024

Find out more about the Hebridean Way.

A year in 20 photographs 3/20 – Sir Chris Hoy

One of the great perks of my job is some of the amazing charity events I get to work on. Over the last 12 years, I have ridden across the UK and even cycled through the Channel Tunnel as part of televised events for BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief. Over these events as a chaperone rider, I have also had the pleasure of cycling with many celebrities including Zoe Ball, Matt Baker, Greg James, and Tom Daley.

However, the greatest moment of my cycling career came this November as part of the Paddy McGuinness Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge. Paddy was cycling from Wales to Scotland on a Raleigh Chopper and in the process raised an incredible £10 million for BBC Children in Need.

On Day 4 of this five-day ride, we had a special guest join us. Sir Chris Hoy is friends with Paddy McGuinness and he surprised Paddy by joining us to ride 20 miles of that day’s stage through the Scottish Borders.

Sir Chris Hoy is as humble and incredibly kind and generous as you would expect. I don’t have heroes, but Sir Chris is an inspiration to me as a cyclist and even more so as a role model with his amazing outlook on life. Having an opportunity to chat and ride with him on this day is a memory I am incredibly proud to have. This photo was taken by Dave Rollins who was working with the Behind the Scenes crew that week. Thank you Dave as it is one of my favourite images of this year.

Read about the time Scot rode with Amanda Holden, Rebecca Romero, Mollie King, Zoe Ball and Greg James.

A year in 20 photographs 2/20 – the Golden Road, Harris

I took this photo of a Canadian couple on our Hebridean Way trip as they cycled along the Golden Road on Harris in the Outer Hebrides.

It was one of those occasions when you try to get the same image with several riders beforehand. As always, there are factors that prevent it from being the photo that you want – a car passing; poor light; the cyclist in the wrong place on the road. However, it seems that I always manage to get the best shot on my last chance when the rear riders come by. These guys were perfectly positioned and everything just seemed to fall into place.

Where does the Golden Road get its name?

It’s widely assumed that the Golden Road got its name because of the construction cost – if it cost that much then it must be made of gold! But, like much island folklore, this is disputed.  

Local Harris historian, Bill Lawson says the name officially relates to the first sealed road in Harris This was built in the years after WWII as a safety measure to prevent accidents arising from people wading across rivers to get home.  

Whatever the origins of its name, we think it is a stunning road to cycle. It officially starts at Meabhag nam Bhaigh and runs for ten winding miles before re-joining the main road, just before Tarbert. To get the full experience of this part of the island we cycle the 11 miles before that section from Roghadal to Geocrab. Totalling 21 miles, this is one of the best roads you can cycle anywhere in the world and a highlight of our trip. As you turn the corner at the church at Roghadal, the views open up and you are confronted with a roller coaster-like road that hugs the coastline. This drops into wild, natural harbours where otters and seals can be seen on the rocks. It then climbs up to high plateaus that resemble a rock-strewn moonscape. It is wild and unspoilt and, most importantly, virtually traffic-free.

Find out more about the Golden Road here