Affric & Torridon

Glen Affric & Torridon

The autumnal forecast wasn't looking too great as the date approached for our trip north, we decided to ditch the tents and booked in to a bunkhouse for a couple of nights.
Four of us set out from Leeds in two separate vans, meeting up at the Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe for around 6pm.
The winds were howling down the Glen as we stretched our muscles in the pub car park, before being lured inside by the wood burning stove, beer and single malt.

After a couple of beers and a bite to eat, we took to the pool table and realised it had more of a gradient than the hills we were planning on riding over the next few days.
A couple of whiskies later, we bedded down for the night in the back of the vans.

The next morning we made our way further north, stopping off at Fort William for breakfast and supplies for our two nights in the bunkhouse. We didn't hold back, filling the trolly with steaks and beer.
Leaving Fort William behind, we were soon parked up at the small Kintail visitor centre in Morvich, preparing our bikes and packs for the ride in to Camban bothy.
Finally we were on the bikes and riding down Glean Lichd on a good Landrover track. The ridge line of the Five Sisters dominated our view as we climbed higher.

Photo Credit: Aston Reardon

Photo Credit: Aston Reardon

After 6km the track turned to singletrack and started to steepen, making us push and carry our bikes pretty much all the way up.
After gaining around 300 metres the trail was ride-able once again and in no time we found ourselves at the bothy.
Once inside with our water bottles filled, the clouds started to descend and signs of rain were in the air.
We each carried a little bothy treat in our packs to share, but it appeared we all pretty much decided on cheese, spicy sausage and port. With no fire, we lit a couple of candles and passed around our treats.

An early night, saw an early start and no rain banging on the windows. After a quick breakfast we headed out on the small descent down to the hostel at Alltbeithe.
Over night the trail had become a river, so staying dry wasn't much of an option as the spray soaked us through.
The rivers and burns seemed to be carrying a lot of water down from the hills, but luckily there was a bridge to get us across for our climb up Glean Gniomhaidh. We pushed our way up a boggy trail, until we found the proper established track allowing us to ride and gain the height up to Bealach an Sgairne.
After the Loch a Bealach the trail started to steepen and once again the bikes were shouldered. It was only a short climb, but at the top, the wind was so strong it nearly blew us back down.
On the other side the trail was just as steep, with tight switchbacks to negotiate. The switchbacks weren't the only feature slowing us down, the small burn we had to cross had turned in to dangerous torrent.
Trekking up and down, we all tried to find the safest place to cross, each agreeing to brave the so called ford. We took the bikes over in two's, placing the bike in the middle for support against the current. The water came up to our waists and filled my waterproof socks, making it look like my ankles had swollen up, it did manage to get some laughs when I emptied out the contents like a water filled welly.

From here the trail mellowed a touch, and took us down the glen quickly on some nice flowing singletrack. Only the deer and goats slowed us down as they crossed our path.
The refuge of the van came in to view and more importantly, warm dry clothes.

It was only a short drive to our bunkhouse and we were there for 4pm, giving us plenty of time to sort out our gear, lube up the bikes and get the wet clothes in the dry room.
The steaks went down a treat and after a couple of beers, we had another early night.

Next morning we discussed the days plans over breakfast. A loop was planned in to the Torridon hills, starting from Achnashellach so we made the short drive there.
Once parked up it was back down the road towards Coulags where we took the trail north towards Coire Fionnariach bothy. We made good time to the bothy and finding it locked, carried on up towards Bealach Ban.

Photo Credit: Martin Paine

Photo Credit: Martin Paine

After a short push/carry and a few picture stops, we were at the Bealach and greeted with amazing views over to Liathach. The trail contoured round then began to climb again to our high point of the day according to the map, one last push was all that stood in our way to our final descent.
With the prospect of 7km of descending to do, we all seemed to hurry to the top and didn't hang around in the wind once there.
Martin lead us down the first steep rocky chutes, with me following behind. His wheel skipped and danced over the loose rocks as we dropped height fast. The rocks continued till we got to Loch Coire Lair, where the trail subsided for a while, allowing us to get some feeling back in to our arms.
The father and son team of Aston and Stuart caught us up and pressed on, while Martin and I took in the view.
Aston and his dad began to disappear out of view, so we mounted the bikes and pedalled after them.

Once again the track started to steepen and bed rock rose out of the ground like circling shark fins. Grip was in abundance as we used the rock to descend. Martin was in front, whooping and hollowing at every drop and turn all the way in to the woods.
At a small diversion, we met back up with Stu and Aston and were greeted with fist bumps and high fives all round.
Again we changed in to clean clothes for the short drive back to the digs for a good meal and a couple of beers around the log burner.
Rain was banging on the bunkhouse windows when we woke, but we were still slightly disappointed we were heading back to Leeds.

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Skye & Torridon

Skye & Torridon

Our Scottish trip in spring has become a regular thing, so this year we decided to branch a little bit further north.

Torridon has a reputation on being a mountain biking hot spot, with lots of routes to choose from, so we agreed upon the towering sandstone hills as our destination.
With it being so far north from Yorkshire, we planned to set off on a Wednesday night to get some of the driving out of the way.
After the Tour du Mont Blanc the year before, Stuart and I were both eager for another hut based trip. This means keeping weight down by not carrying sleeping bags, stoves or food so we can concentrate and enjoy the descents that little bit more.
The youth hostel in Torridon, looked perfectly placed for an over night stop and with lots of tracks surrounding it we set about researching the maps, books and internet.
Thanks to Vertebrate's Scottish mountain biking books, The Wild Trails we plotted a route cutting and pasting two routes from volumes 1 and 2.
Starting from Coulags south of Torridon, the plan was to take the trail over the Bealach na Lice and drop down in to Annat, then head South West along the road to meet up with the Ben Damph circuit before heading to the hostel for our overnight stop. The next morning we would head east, picking up from where we left off and taking the Coulin pass back to our starting point. With a little bit of research on the internet, the Drochaid Coire Làir looked like a good alternative for descending down to Achnashellach.The hostel was booked for Friday night, meaning we had enough time for a ride on the way up.Stuart suggested heading to Skye and taking in Glen Sligachan, with a possible night at Camasunary, a bothy on the coast at the end of the glen. I was sold on the idea, having walked amongst the mighty Cuillin and heard much about the trail down the glen, I knew it wasn't going to disappoint.
The time soon came, so with a weather forecast suited to kite flying ducks, we headed north.

For Wednesday night we stopped over at the Strath Fillan wigwams. They are basic, heated, wooden shelters that were perfectly placed for us to throw our sleeping bags in. Rising early the next morning, we were back in the van for the remaining 4 hours to Skye.

Passing the Nevis Range, we felt rude not heading in to the Leanachan forest and sampling the world cup XC course. Offering up two short red loops, we chose on the Witches Trail first, followed by the 10 under Ben trail. The Witches Trail was the better of the two in both of our opinions, with the 10 under the Ben having more of an XC feel to it. Both of them however, offered up amazing views of the snow capped Ben Nevis.

Fueling up on Morrisons pasties back at the van, we were soon packed up and heading to Skye for our next overnight stop.

On the way up, the sun shone relentlessly, highlighting the majesty of the Highlands and filling us with optimism for the ride ahead.

In no time at all, the Cuillin were in sight and we found a parking spot near the Sligachan hotel.

We transferred our usual tools and spares in to larger packs to accommodate sleeping bags, a small meths stove and food and headed down the glen.

Our tyres rolled along a rocky trail, with only the occasional water bar in our path to cause us problems. After a couple of mile, the water bars started to dissipate but the rocks seemed to get bigger. Challenging up steps, drop offs and loose rocks kept us entertained for the 8 mile to the coast. Most of it was ride-able even with our extra burden and the views of the Cuillin pushed us on.

The bothy had a few groups in, including a work party who were helping to dig channels for the replacement shelter, but we managed to find a spot to lay our mats down for the night. The usual stories were exchanged and the odd nip of whisky passed around the fire, as we watched the sun set behind the hills before settling down for the resident mice to take over the night shift.

Rising early, we were packed up and on the bikes for 7am, leaving the other inhabitants still snoring in their comfy sleeping bags. Clouds were in the sky as Camasunary soon disappeared from view.

The way back seemed a lot easier with our packs now missing the food and drink we carried in. Now we could appreciate the trail more and give it the ride it deserves. Different obstacles arise around every corner, from short, steep, rocky chutes to flowing single-track.

Back at the van we changed for the drive to Torridon and listened out for the weather forecast on the radio. The news wasn't good, with wind speeds reaching 60mph for the following day. Along with heavy hail showers we decided to drive to the hostel, this meant clean dry clothes would be waiting for us no matter what route we did.

We chose to push our bikes up to our planned descent from Annat to Bealach na Lice as the day was getting on and legs were tired from the day before.
From the size of the rocks and the gradient, it was clear the descent back down was going to be interesting. With waterproofs on we battered through the predicted showers until reaching the bealach. A brief snack stop behind a boulder and we prepared ourselves for the drop back down.

The drops and rocks seemed bigger going down than the walk up along the three and a half mile trail. A small climb in the middle gave our forearms a rest from the constant barrage. Exposed bedrock pops up here and there, like a whales back breaching the sea. But with large drop offs at the end, keeping your speed in order is a must for choosing the right line. For the 45 minute climb the 10 minute gravity fueled descent was well worth it. Once at the bottom we headed to the pub, purely for shelter from the driving rain of course. With a warm welcome from the staff, who were more than excepting of our muddy state, we sat at the bar and sampled a whisky or two before heading to the hostel to book in.
After showering and finding spots for our wet gear in the dry room, we gathered a weather forecast for the area. Nothing had changed, there was still heavy showers and strong winds were the order of the day. We left it till the next day to decide on our route.

After a good nights sleep on a proper bed, the sun woke us up streaming in to our room. Going on our forecast, gathered through the scientific means of looking out of the window, we planned on doing the loop around Ben Damph.
After breakfast we headed to the pub to park and set off up the road to Loch Damph, where our trail started. Along the way we rode straight in to a hail squall. This lasted about 10 minutes, but managed to soak us through.
Once on the trail, the going was good with the wind behind us. A landrover track took us South East, with views of the hills opening up behind us, the sun was even making brief appearances helping us dry out a little.
Around half way, the track turns to singletrack and although muddy, our tyres found enough grip to keep spinning.
After five mile the trail turned North East, climbing up towards the shoulder of Ben Damph. The climb was pretty easy going with only the odd bit of hike a bike.
Hail showers were the only problem, causing us to retreat in to the emergency shelter to keep dry as they past over head.

Two of us had loads of room under the shelter and with the hail battering down on us, kept us warm and dry. In an emergency situation, these pieces of kit are invaluable, even been able to change a puncture underneath if needs be.

Eventually reaching the top we could see Liathach towering over Loch Torridon, as it shimmered some far off sun light. Up in the cold and cloud, it seemed a long way off. Seats were dropped and suspension turned on as we set out on the descent.
The trail dropped gradually at first then began to steepen. Again rocks littered the path as we bounced over them, picking the best line to keep us going. Reaching about half way we crossed a stream and headed in to the woods. Three big drops offs greeted us, guarding the entrance to the forest like bouncers on a night club door. Once in the trees, the trail smoothed out and meandered its way down to the road. Although steep at times and with a few exposed roots, there is nothing to worry a biker. It turned out to be one of the best trails we have ever ridden and with the pub placed right at the finish, we headed indoors to dry off around the fire.
We planned on heading further south to lessen the driving on our last day. Calling at Fort William we grabbed a bite to eat and some supplies, then carried on. We made it to Victoria Bridge, just West of the Bridge of Orchy, where we pitched a tent for the night.
The next morning, the weather looked like more of the same, showers and wind. So we headed out for a quick blast up the West Highland Way to the Bridge of Orchy then back along the road. We set off early to avoid any collisions with walkers coming the opposite way and were glad for it. After a short sharp climb, the descent which took us down to the Bridge of Orchy was the cherry on the cake.
Once back at the van, we changed in to dry clothes and were back in Leeds for a Sunday dinner.

West Highlands (Part 2)

I headed up to Glencoe once again but this time with a few friends.
There was less snow on the tops from my last visit a month ago, but one thing hadn`t changed.... the weather.
Glorious clear skies greeted us as well as some of the locals, as we parked the van in the ski centre car park.

Our packs contained everything for two days worth of riding, including sleeping bags and cooking equipment for an overnight bothy stop. We tried to keep things as light as possible to maximise the riding fun, but we still managed to squeeze a few little treats in there to help pass the night.

To warm us up and get ourselves and bikes used to the extra load, we set off along the West Highland Way. Views don`t get much better with Stob Dearg overlooking the Kingshouse hotel as we headed down the Glen.

The West Highland way does not head down Glencoe, but cuts over the Devils Staircase down into Kinlochleven. This trail is steep and requires pushing/carrying all the way from the A82 to the summit cairn.

All our hard work was worth it just for the views alone, but to a bikers eye the trail laid out in front is the dominant feature.
There are steep technical sections from the top, dropping height fast before another short climb gains more height. This is mostly rideable and soon has you descending again.
Flowy patches are interrupted by the odd steep, rocky technical patch and in no time at all spits you out on the forest road.
The road drops quickly down into Kinlochleven, where we filled up in the Ice Factor cafe, watching the ice climbers on the indoor ice wall.

Once fuelled up we headed away from civilisation, peeling off the West Highland Way and climbing on the steep tracks up to Mamore Lodge.
After a relentless climb of 450m, we stopped at the view point over looking Loch Leven and the Pap of Glencoe.

From the view point there are a number of trails leading back down to Kinlochleven. These are fast becoming very popular with mountain bikers and the now annual Dudes of Hazzard Enduro uses these trails to separate the men from the boys.
Feeling pretty fresh, we decided on tackling the Grey Mares Trail. We dumped our sleeping bags and cooking equipment behind a rock, dropped our saddles and opened up the deer gate.
It turned out to be extremely challenging all the way down and seemed to get steeper and steeper the more we dropped. Loose rocks at the top, lead to rock slabs further on down the trail.
You are soon back in Kinlochleven with the prospect of the 450m climb to do again.
Half way up we began questioning the reasoning for loosing our height, with Simon and Stuart pointing the blame on me. Looking back it was certainly worth the challenge.
Back at our gear cache we loaded back up and headed towards Luibelt along the shores of the Loch Elides.

With heads down we soon powered our way along, untill our overnight accommodation came into view.
All that stood in our way was the Abhainn Rath, but with the recent dry weather, it looked possible to cross without getting wet feet, well almost....

Once in the bothy, we found a bed spot on the floor for the night and after a quick brew headed out in search for wood. Or as we say in Yorkshire, "Thas off art chumping".
We managed to find some dry dead wood, even in the sparse location and once lit back in Meannanachs fire place, settled
down for the night.
The treats we carried were worth the weight, as we passed around the port and cheese sharing stories with the other occupants.

The next morning again the sun shone down and filled us with optimism for the ride ahead.
Our packs were feeling that little bit lighter missing the food and drink, so we set off with spirits high.
There was alot of pushing as the path picked its way over peat bog and after a fair few miles started to take its toll on morale. Once at Loch Trieg we hit a landrover track where we tried to catch up on time.

The track was brief as we turned south down Gleann Iolairean, where once again we pushed over bog this time climbing towards Blackwater Reservoir.
Heads began to hang trudging up the so called path and not many words were spoken between us.
Once crossing the bealach a rideable trail did appear, which offered interest in keeping momentum over the rocky sections.
We lunched at the bothy on Loch Charain where we filled up on water and snacks.
The trail over to the Blackwater Reservoir was more of the same, mainly rideable but with the odd patch to catch you out.

After toiling through the peat bogs, time was getting late so we weighed up our options. It was either carry on as planned, getting back to the van late, cut over the dam and retrace our tracks over the Devils Staircase or ride the Ciaran path back into Kinlochleven and try and hitch a ride to where we parked.

With tired bodies and the promise of three pints waiting for us at the Clachaig Inn, we opted for the Ciaran path.
The path did not disappoint as it dropped 7km with only the odd uphill to spoil the flow.
It is however very steep and rocky in places but more forgiving than the Grey Mares trail we rode the previous day. As we were all tired we rode what we could and regrouped for safety every 500 metres or so.


Once back down in Kinlochleven, we phoned the local taxi and volunteered Stuart for van collection, as he was the cleanest.
Bikes were soon packed in the van and in no time at all, we were showered with tent pitched on the Red Squirrel campsite.
Three pints were indeed waiting for us in the Clachaig Inn, bought for us by Simon and Adrea who shared our cheese and port in the bothy. All that was left to do was soak up the Gaelic craic and sample some of the local whiskeys.