Thought I’d throw up a few pictures of a 2 day bikepacking trip me and a mate did this summer. Although looking at the snow you wouldn’t think it!

Parked at Dalwhinnie train station, followed Loch Ericht, through the saddle between Carn Dearg and Sgor Lutharn before heading down to lochan na h-Earba where we had an overnight camp.

Second day went round Ardvekie Estate (Glenbogle house in monarch of the glen), then to Culra bothy, circumnavigated Ben Alder to Ben Alder Cottage, then had a serious hike-a-bike (again) before following Loch Ericht back out to Dalwhinnie.

Was a great trip and would highly recommend, although be prepared to do some walking, and river crossings!. Definitely going to do it again and knock off the munros in the area.

Day One.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Ahu5Gv]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ARWQbs]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/zWfknK]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/AT8PNi]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/zW7ej9]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

Day Two.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Ahu5rk]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/AfaDPk]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/AU7Wjg]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/zWfjs8]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Ahu4sX]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ARWRw3]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/zW77Ty]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/AAwiEd]Dalwhinnie[/url] by matt kelly, on Flickr

Like!

Brilliant !

Really like!

That looks tremendous!

Looks great!! Any midges?

Like!!!! my kind of riding!

Did virtually the same in 2012. Parked at Dalwhinnie, along Loch Ericht past BEn Alder Lodge (owned by some Swiss zillionaire apparently) called at Culra bothy (then open) over Bealach Dubh to Ben Alder cottage. Then we went up that bastid climb over Bealach Breabag back to Culra & Dalwhinnie.
Ardverikie loop next day.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bsVoQy]Newtonmore 2012 015[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bsVttA]Newtonmore 2012 025[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bsVttE]Newtonmore 2012 047[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bsVttU]Newtonmore 2012 051[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

I’m the little fat one!

Fantastic! Congrats on what looks like an amazing wee trip, and great piccies too. Nice.

Nice! Its a great trip, Ben Alder lodge is some place huh!

Nice! Its a great trip, Ben Alder lodge is some place huh!

Well I wish it was mine! Helo landing pad just along the shore as well!

Liking this.

Aye the heli pad was pretty sweet. Looked like there was a decent gatehouse/guardhouse too. We detoured slightly into the grounds but very loud scary sounding dogs sent us out again 😕

Nice

Last time we were up that way

nice trip.

and eek!

Some weather you had drew!!! What month was that?

It could well have been April fools day this year! We were staying in Glen Nevis for the week and my memory is a bit hazy on what we did on each particular day. This photo is taken rounding the shoulder on the east ridge of Beinn a Clachair on the Ardverikie loop before dropping down to Lochan na h-Earba. Apparently the views from this point are spectacular!

That looks ace. I have chased dofe groups round there a few times – always on foot, bar one the length of Erict – I don’t remember too much hike a bike…. But maybe memory is more rosy than reality..

Nice pics. Looks like a good trip and probably before the midge?

Ah – the streets in which I spent my formative years…..

Am I reading your description correctly in that you went up between Carn Dearg and Geal Carn? The pass is a stunning spot but there are no paths that way for miles.

I can double check map but fairly certain that’s the route. Once crossed the bridge pictured, took the track which heads round to the right* rather than heading left toward Culra and Ben Alder. River crossing, then through the saddle before dropping back down at end of the lochan, camped halfway along it then continued heading back towards Ardveckie.
*apologies for the rights and lefts, would also need to confirm with map which direction that was on a compass 😐

I will need to double check though, memory may be getting bits of the two days jumbled together.

That would be between Beinn a Chachair and Geal Charn via the Bealach Leamhain then.

Mountains. By bike.

Most excellent! 🙂

Ben Alder lodge is some place huh

We had a look inside when it was being built. The fireplace in the main hall was designed to be big enough to put a band in!

I’d happily live in the gatehouse; the main Lodge would take too much hoovering

Thanks for posting, nice area for a ride – have had a few great nights in Culra bothy too. Feel free to post more pics, I love seeing them!

Great trip and nice pics but those bikes look vulnerable on top of the bakkie. Why not get a van or an estate car and keep them safely inside, out of sight of thieves? We can fit two bikes fully assembled inside the Passat estate and completely hidden in the boot if we remove the wheels. This is safer and far more comfortable and fuel-economical for long trips.

Looks lovely and shot on a gopro, impressed.

Great trip and nice pics but those bikes look vulnerable on top of the bakkie. Why not get a van or an estate car and keep them safely inside, out of sight of thieves? We can fit two bikes fully assembled inside the Passat estate and completely hidden in the boot if we remove the wheels. This is safer and far more comfortable and fuel-economical for long trips.

Not when you have 4 people + luggage in a car for a week in the Lakes.

Good work – looks awesome. Really good pics for a GoPro too – they don’t look quite as wide/slightly fisheyed as mine somehow 😕

Is that bothy really closed due to asbestos?

Good work – looks awesome. Really good pics for a GoPro too – they don’t look quite as wide/slightly fisheyed as mine somehow

Is that bothy really closed due to asbestos?

Oh yes. Mind, in Carrbridge there are paths closed due to asbestos. All panic now!

Looks amazing. Fantastic pictures.
Jealous that living in Kent I don’t have any mountains/ scenery like that to explore.

Oh yes. Mind, in Carrbridge there are paths closed due to asbestos. All panic now!/quote]

I thought it was only really an issue if you had prolonged exposure to it, not the odd night in a bothy.

Awesome!

Nice one. Thanks for posting.

I did Culra to Ben Alder Cottage this year, over Bealach Dubh and Bealach Cumhann, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was mostly all rideable.

I take it you went back to Ben Alder Lodge from the Cottage on the track alongside the Loch!! I did think about it but looking at the O/S map and then google maps satellite images put me off. Is that a joy best left unsampled?

looks like an awesome trip 😀

Mrs T-r doesnt know it yet but has just recieved her birthday present of her first bivvy bag…… so she can accompany me on similar trips :d

Nice one. What was the path like over Bealach Leamhain and which way did you head down to Lochan na Earbha? I’ve yet to visit the three munros around there and had presumed that any path would be little used and rather boggy. The main track that follows the River Pattack was a swampy mess at the end of September.

The last bit of the track before you get to the loch has been a boggy mess for sometime. It all changes when you get south of those incongruous gate posts tho

I reckon the only way you can better that is to arrive by sleeper train! Did it a few years’ ago with a mate who for some reason needed to bring his suit with him – ended up stashing it just outside the station and picking it up on the return journey!

Thanks for all the comments. Great memories from the trip, nice to see other people like the pictures too!

Yeah they came out not bad for the gopro, I find it pretty good for trips like these, great size for keepinghandy and snapping away.

Culra – yep officially closed for asbestos, but not locked. We nipped in for 30 mins to shelter from wind and had lunch.

The truck is ideal for the bikes I think, although I have got rid of mine now. Niceto drive than a van, and better (for me) than an estate. Will likly be replaced by a Discovery and probably a towbar/spare wheel mounted bike rack.