Like, pedalled it? MTB or road bike. Might give it a try while I’m up there. 😕

Aye. Did it on the tourer, with panniers, earlier this summer. Great views from the top. If you’re going to head back via the coast road to the North, bear in mind that has more ascent than the Bealach!

P1020052 by druidh_dubh, on Flickr

it’s not so bad if it’s the first thing you do, if it’s at the end of a big ride it’s a bit of a stinker. either way you will be cursing the **** as you reach the top.

Done it touring and on the Bealach Beag sportive.

An absolutely superb ride, about as stunning as it gets. As druiddhhhhddh says, you’ll need to keep something in the tank for the somewhat undulating coast road north (which you should do as it’s definitely worth it).

View along north road:

It’s great. DO it on a nice day – the scenery is amazing, especially the views form the top. It’s a pretty steady climb really aside from a long straight bit before the hairpins at the top which doesn’t look steep at all but always stings my legs.

done it a few times now. its relentless, and gets steeper the higher you get on it.

doing it from tornapress the end is the challenge and arguably the more scenic … nothing beats coming round the corner and looking up to see the road go round the valley.

last time i tried I couldn’t quite do it all on a 39×27 geared road bike … was just a tad too steep in that gear and I wasn’t 100% when doing it. I would just manage it if i was 100%, but would still prefer a slightly easier gearing.

If you do the loop clockwise, the hills in towards sheildaig are relentless too.

Very rewarding cycle. A must do.

Druidh, just looked at your photo’s. The one with the castle ruins & boats, where’s that? Is it Strome Castle? (we’ll be staying at Ardaneaskan.) The bike I’m taking is the (dreaded) Orange 5 as I have the intention of doing the Coulags/Anatt/Coulin Pass loop. Weather & Mrs permitting!

Do it again – oh yes please,just like the last time.Now that would be the wife taking me to the top so I could blast down to Applecross for tea and cake (A bit slow in parts and even the horror – some pedalling).Then a lift back up to the top,and yes children close your eyes now,off we go.
It starts of simple like,a bit of a slope,some hairpins, then there had better be no cars in your way cos you WILL overtake them.Not sure how fast you can go,but I bet you will s@#t yourself before you get to the bottom.It is, short of watching ping pong in a thailand brothel, the most fun you can have with your clothes on – enjoy.

That’s Castle Moil at Kyleakin (just over the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh). I’m quite pleased with the photo – just one of those chance moments when the light was “right”.

I’m supposed to be writing up our whole NW Scotland tour, but ain’t got around to it yet… 😳

Here’s my account

Damn. I was hoping that was your bank account details…

Not sure how fast you can go,but I bet you will s@#t yourself before you get to the bottom

I managed 54.7mph on the descent down to applecross from the top one day.
I manged 48.6mph the other weekend on the same descent … the wind was against me that time.

I’ve not descended down to tornapress … I think I would want to know nothing was coming.

Done it on my single speed Pompino.

It was a nice walk 🙂

It’s very otherworldly if it’s misty.

I know what I’d be doing if I was up there with an Orange 5 and it wouldnt be the Bealach Na Ba.

Nice road ride though 😉

I’ve done it on a hardtail loaded with camping kit and it was no bother….. just goes on ….and on…just a mindset thing.

Anyone attempting it on a road double (53/39) is bonkers, on drugs or has thunder thighs and excessive lung capacity.

I reckon I’d have to stand on the pedals for a lot of it on an ordinary road triple system.

When descending just remember how far away the nearest A & E Dept is!!!!! Personally I was glad to accept a slower ascent for the pay back of larger tyres and disc brakes on the way down. If I’d have been on a road bike I think I would have gotten cramp in my fingers from the braking effort. Yes, I am a coward when it comes to big descents on skinny rock hard tyres and twitchy skinny bikes.

If you are there it Has to be done though…I carried on up the LR track to the mast.

The best mtb tracks out of Applecross that I’ve tried are the longer one to Kenmore on Loch Torridon or the short track over to Sands.

Fantiastic climb, bottom bit and hairpins at the top are reasonably easy the 2 mile straight in the middle is the hard bit.

Did it two weeks back in the rain and the mist on the Bealach Mor sportive. Excellent road, as everyone else says, it starts pretty tame, but the ramp up to the hairpins starts to drag. I’ve suffered more on smaller climbs in and around Perthshire/Killin to be honest.

The descent looked a belter but the combined effect of the rain, mist, particularly narrow road, fogged glasses and three downed riders in front of me made me sit up and take it steady…

Sheildaig road is excellent, perhaps only because I fare better on short punchy climbs, of which there were MANY. Attack them all enjoy the assorted steep twisty descents.

29er and 35mm touring tyres – as everyone else has said; the road out is much harder, but the food at the Applecross in is worth it!

[edit] screw it I can never get images to link from picasa properly!

P.s. 13fm – I was over taking cars on the descent 😈

Did it at the end of my 600 mile Glasgow to Durness. On the way home…. Drove to Applecross and did loop from there, north first. That coastal road is pretty gorgeous, with some lovely climbing. For me it was into strong wind with some heavy rainshowers.

Once at Sheildaig, had the wind (and rain) behind me to Tornapress, but when the climb started, the wind coming down from the Bealach was horrific. Just grinded away up it.

The decent was awful as it was so wet and windy, on the brakes all the way down. Plus it is not a very good road with a lot of cracks, potholes and drops at the side.

Brilliant climb, stunning scenery on a nice day but its hard to concentrate on it near the top! As has been said before it starts easily enough for the first few miles then ramps up very steeply towards the end. The hairpins are great cause it eases off a bit there. The decent down is great too but has a few nasty corners so be a little cautious. I hit 53mph coming off the top and that was scary fast on such a narrow road! I did it on 34-25 and that was plenty low enough imo. 42 mins from the bottom to the top.

The hills after it on the road to Shieldaig are very short and steep and you need to keep something back for them assuming your going that way.

I’ve done it as part of the first sportif. I was on a borrowed cross bike with a triple up front and didn’t think it was so hard at all. We were fairly fresh arriving at it because we were out for a cycle on closed roads rather than racing. The descent was amazing, I’d never been on drops before and the speed was incredible, I remember someone saying they were doing 50mph and I flew past them. When I got to the bottom the tyres had started delaminating from the heat / speed 😯

Second the bit about the road along the coast heading north, it’s stunning although very draining. Rompe Piernas is the term here, like Leg Breaker.

I remember someone saying they were doing 50mph and I flew past them.

How could you catch what they said?

Errr… it was one of our group in the bar afterwards… is that what you meant?!?

Edit: Just to add, we stopped in the Applecross Inn after the descent and that’s hugely recommended. Pint of beer and pint of prawns.

it’s a cracking climb

not great views when we did it:

Enjoying the descent by mrmichaelwright, on Flickr

Fin by mrmichaelwright, on Flickr

and the road out is amazing but a lot harder than the pass itself

Brutal by mrmichaelwright, on Flickr

Oh right I thought you had a chat as you whizzed past.

Oh, we did Gary, we talked about politics, religion and the nature of death. It was just that they never mentioned the speed until we reached the pub. They probably didn’t want to scare me 😉

Talking maximum speeds, I’ve been all over scotland with the road bike riding as many big hills as possible and my max speed is still only 47mph (and that was a local road near edinburgh, and not even a big one at that!) 🙁

Need to revisit either the Lechdt (without the mad crosswind) or the Bealach, without the wind, rain, fogged glasses etc etc.

Snow Roads Audax next year? That should sort out some interesting max speeds!

I’ve only burst the 50 mark once, and that was on the bealach with no wind against me. You’d defintely burst 50 going down to tornapress.

The only other place I’ve come close is a short sharp descent to the west of dunoon.

Did it on my double ring audax bike many years ago and was first to the top solely due to having to go faster than my pals due to gearing. I’m older now so would need lower gears.

Funnily enough I came across the photos in an envelope last weekend. Weather forecast had been horrendous but not bad as we rode from Shieldaig though the mist was blowing about at the top so no views. Just after starting the descent we came out the cloud and the rest of the run back was in sun as per stevious’ photo, as was Skye the next day – so much for weather forecasts.

Did it on the motorbike a few times, fantastic… I’m sure it’d be ace by pushiron too, bit more time to enjoy the views.

Wonder if I’ll be the 1st bloke over 54 yrs old & 2 stone overweight to do it on a 5 then??
If, after the 15th October, you don’t hear from me again, I’ve probably died on either the Bealach or the Annatt/Achnashellach ride!! 😆

esselgruntfuttock, only the “5” will differentiate you given that a sportive has been over there

Oh aye, never thought of that! 😳

Might still be a 1st though!

DSC_8890 by lawrencewalton, on Flickr

DSC_8907 by lawrencewalton, on Flickr

DSC_8899 by lawrencewalton, on Flickr

steep going up from the south east, hits 15% for several ramps. Great fun though but hard after 70 miles and in the heat of April…

Anybody taken an MTB up the track to the radio tower which must be the highest point although not on the tarmac road?

Closest thing to an alpine pass in Britain but still a country mile off!

Whatever way you do it it will be memorable. Enjoy.

Going to do it next year, so will no doubt be asking whats the best way to do it and other advice nearer the time. Mind you i have to loose 2 stone before i will tackle it!!