The Perfect Pit-Stop

A stone’s throw from the M74, this ride explores the overlooked hills of the Southern Uplands

- Alex Corlett

IT’S ironic that one of Durisdeer’s mostnotable features is its oversized church, because while parked outside it packing my rucksack for this month’s ride, a runner came over to confess a sin.

Together with a friend, he had spooked a mountain biker while out running torchless at night, by howling like wolves into the darkness behind the rider. The bike had stopped in its tracks, not daring to move, and when they caught up with the man, he was none too amused.

The runner was looking to unburden his conscience to a member of the cycling community. Well, it is not for me to absolve you, sir, but I’m sure the bottle of wine you left on the cyclist’s doorstep went a long way towards making up for it!

I guess if there’s one thing you have to pack on any trip into the hills, it’s your sense of humour. Dealing with runners pretending to be wolves might not be necessary, but at some point you’re guaranteed to need to be able to laugh.