(Not that Motley Crue before anyone starts)

Well 8 of us got to Bearnock Hostel 6 miles from Cannich on Thursday evening to be met by Donald (where’s ya troosers) who may or not, be the owner. The rooms & facilities were pretty decent as far as hostels go, 2 en suite rooms between 8 of us with a good communal cooking/eating/lounging area & at £20 a night we thought it was ok.
Friday morning we set off for the Bog Cotton Cafe in Cannich for brekkie (which had good reports on Trip Advisor), but about 2 miles down the road we hit our 1st hiccup. Liam.
He’d had some time off earlier this year with a trapped nerve in his back & due to some ‘tomfoolery’ the night before & a giant rucksack, his back ‘went’ again & he decided it would be risky to venture very far into the hills, so he went back to the hostel where Donald sorted him out with a room in the big house, 4 poster bed & everything 😆
Us 7 carried on to the caff & sat outside for a fry up.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p3Du8y]Camban trip, Sept 2014 006[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

The weather was kind & we ambled on up Glen Affric at a very steady pace, Dave & Ben were the most inexperienced as far as this kind of biking goes but are both pretty fit, Richie’s done a bothy trip before so knew what to expect. We took photo’s of each other taking photo’s…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pjSkuv]Camban trip, Sept 2014 010[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

& cracked on. We had a good laugh at Dave on his hybrid with skinnyish tyres but to be fair he did ok, baling out a few times to everyone’s amusement! [url=https://flic.kr/p/pkaDQ5]Camban trip, Sept 2014 019[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

We didn’t see any other bikers & only a few walkers, 3 of which were waiting outside Alltbeithe hostel waiting for the key holder. (I did fancy a bash on the Argo parked outside mind)

Before the trip I had mentioned that the bothy may well be occupied by the time we got there but it wasn’t & Ben looked happy..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pi7HrL]Camban trip, Sept 2014 024[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Richie was happier (the smiling Dutchman!)…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/piaJzG]Camban trip, Sept 2014 025[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

But Dave had his war face on!..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pi7Ny9]Camban trip, Sept 2014 026[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

& I was just happy about the weather!…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pk9Yxv]Camban trip, Sept 2014 027[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

We got sorted & set up for an evening of merriment, the lounge…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p3EVmV]Camban trip, Sept 2014 028[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Where we all got as merry as newts…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pjSTa4]Camban trip, Sept 2014 029[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

The stags were roaring throughout the night but we (mainly) had a good nights kip. Next morning the hard lads (Dave, Ben, Richie & Stu) went for a skinny dip in the pool which was too far for me to photograph but they came back & after being suitably refreshed & fed on copious quantities of coffee, bacon, sausages & rolls we set off from Hotel Camban…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pkafja]Camban trip, Sept 2014 032[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

After realising how sore my ass was (FROM CARRYING A RUCKSACK FOR 44KM THE DAY BEFORE) we set off back down the glen, stopping for a photo at the YH…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pk8sZG]Camban trip, Sept 2014 035[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

(yes that is a Marin Quake that Gareth dragged up there)

On the way back I may, or may not have spotted my 1st Golden Eagle at the West end of Loch Affrich. Whatever it was was distant & massive, lots bigger than a Buzzard & darker, but I can’t be certain.
Last photo I took was of Steve & Stu looking back up the glen..
[url=https://flic.kr/p/p3Fgxg]Camban trip, Sept 2014 041[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

We buzzed back to Cannich, my backside was tender & Old Trusty Rusty making some odd transmission noises. We’d been drinking lovely spring (ahem, river,) water on the way back but the 2 bottles of orange Fanta went down a treat at the Spar!
The sting in the tail was the road climb out of Cannich back to the hostel. my arse was giving me some proper ‘ouchiness’ & my gears were crunchy to say the least but we plodded on to the end & the shower I has was the best in a long long time.

Everyone shook my hand & thanked me for organising it all & told me to get another sorted for next year, which was gratifying. 🙂

Meol Bhuide is on the cards for next August!

A good trip report. I like that bothy – I arrived there in the dark and there was only one other person in so we had a room each (I took the one on the left as you go in).

Loving the clothing in the penultimate photo. 😯

Loving the clothing in the penultimate photo.

That’s Gareth & his Quake, fitter than the average butchers dog, doesn’t take advice (he wasn’t even going to take a headtorch, just a torch)
He could’ve taken his 5 but didn’t want to get it dirty. Also questioned where we were gonna leave the bikes ‘in case they got nicked’, Didn’t have brekkie today cos he wanted a Mc FeckinDonalds later on.
Know what I mean?

that looks spinky spanky