Glencoe has long been famous for its mountaineering heritage. And it`s easy to see why, as the peaks loam up on either side on the drive through.
As I set off from the campsite down the Oban cycle track from Ballachulish there wasn't a cloud in sight. The morning sun glistened over the sea loch as seals bobbed up and down, keeping me company along the 16km of tarmac. The mountains around me had an alpine feel to them as the snow capped peaks were illuminated by the morning sun.
Once at the caravan park at Achadh nan Darach, I headed east into Apping forest and up Glen Duror.The forest roads gain height quickly as they rise steeply from sea level to over 300 metres.
Fallen down trees blocked the trail at the highest point and with the prospect of a long diversion I opted to enter the thick pines. Carving a route while dragging a bike through thick vegetarian was not the highlight of the day, but it did add a bit of adventure to what had been a steady morning.
After 7km of forest road climbing, a gem of a trail appeared on my left.
With no sign post it could have been easy to miss as the forest road descended steeply back down. I checked the map hoping it was the trail I wanted to take me back to Ballachuish.
Thankfully it was, so I headed into the trees.
It wasn't long before the track exited the forest, dipping in and out of a few burns along the way.
The climb up to the summit cairn was technical with some flowy sections inbetween, making the riding interesting in lots of ways.
After crossing the burns coming from the slopes of Sgorr Dhearg the track started to drop steadily down Gleann an Fhiodh and back to Ballachulish, where I retraced my tyre tracks back to camp.
The following day I headed to the woodland on the shoulder of the Pap of Glencoe.In the woods are a number of walking trails, which were littered with features for mountain bikers.
Both of the signposted walks were only about 4km in length but provided plenty of gradient with drops, roots and rocks.
Eyes must be peeled as I found plenty of hidden trails heading into the dark pines and judging by the tyre tracks, I wasn`t the only one using these for mountain biking pleasure.
As these are popular with walkers and disabled users, visiting during peak times isn`t recommended. At 5pm I had the woods to myself.
With such good weather and some amazing riding, I am looking forward to another trip to the area at the end of May.
A group of friends and myself have a two day, overnight route planned. Starting from the Devils Staircase and taking in some iconic technical trails.
