Hi all, I’m going up to Skye for a week in May and would like to ride something nice and high. I’ve ridden the quirang before and buggered about in the sligachan area a bit too, but I’d like to get up something properly high, like a nice ridge in the Cuillins. I’m no Danny McAskill, but I’m not afraid to carry the bike to the top of stuff (& down a bIt if really necessary too). Has anyone tried that before? Any links to gpx would be appreciated

have look here http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_main_page.aspx

Bruach na Frithe is probably your best bet.

Paging Scotroutes/Druidh/Colin/Cuillin Expert

Depends how much riding vs carrying you actually want to do.

I can’t think of anywhere on the ridge I would really want to take a bike. Even the easy route to Bruach na Frithe has a steep climb out of the corrie. Check this out from about 5 minutes in…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSLBlQgBIpo[/video]

The normal descent route off Sgurr na Banachdich (Coir’ an Eich) might just about work I guess. http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurrnabanachdich.shtml

You’d also get a fair way up Blaven but it would be on the opposite side from the main ridge so views would be compromised.

I can’t think of anywhere on the ridge I would really want to take a bike

+1

Very little would be rideable. Much better as a walk / scramble.

Not for a mortal and certainly not at this time of year for anyone.

So which Munro was your favourite?

Sorry – was that aimed at me? I’ll have to give it some thought….

Sgur nan Gillean.

Perhaps a descent of the Dubh Ridge – nice and slabby 😉

Heh. I assumed this thread was going to be about walking/scrambling. I don’t think any sane person would consider carrying a bike up and down as normal 🙂

scotroutes – Member
Sorry – was that aimed at me? I’ll have to give it some thought….

Yes scotroutes, do tell……

Some Munros are doable and worthwhile by bike. IMO, none of them are on Skye 🙂

Heh. I assumed this thread was going to be about walking/scrambling. I don’t think any sane person would consider carrying a bike up and down as normal

I bet Sanny has considered some routes.

Cuillin are wonderful for scrambling. A good thrill without the bike.

I can’t think of anywhere on the ridge I would really want to take a bike
+1

+another 1

Yes scotroutes, do tell……[/quote]
Well, damn you sir! That, seemingly innocuous, request started a whole train of thought that is still storming through my brain and hasn’t quite reached the buffers. I mean, how does one decide? I started to think through various trips I’d been on and soon had all sorts of wonderful, scary, funny, awesome moments to consider. I used to say that I could always recall at least one part of all the hill walks I’d done. I guess the memories are now starting to fade a little but not completely. With that in mind, I reckon I’m going to summarise some of better ones and do a few blog posts about them. I doubt they’ll be in any particular order – that would be too difficult – and I’ll have to re-start my slide/photo scanning project to come up with some relevant images.

In the meantime, and not to test your patience any longer, I reckon I’ve a very, very good candidate.

It was summer 2001 and I’d hooked up with a couple of guys I used to work with. We knew each other vaguely in the office and they hadn’t long started Munro bagging. I was the “old hand”. Paul would call me his Mountain Mentor. They hadn’t done any backpacking so, after an exploratory night near Braemar in the spring, we had set off for Fisherfield. This was an area that had fascinated me for some time. Reading the SMC Munro guide it was painted as The Great Wilderness and the clutch of Munros at it’s centre were regarded as some of the hardest to reach. Having studied the map for some time, I’d noticed this curious little feature – a narrow causeway separating two remote lochs. This had me even more enthralled.

The drive to Poolewe was simple enough and we set off up the river on what started as a road, became a forest track and then, as it gained eight, struck off through a forest onto a marvellous stalkers path heading straight into the wilds. It’s a fair old walk right enough and we were carrying all our camping gear so were happy to be reaching our intended campsite just in time for dinner. But first, there was the causeway. It’s difficult to explain just how strangely emotional I was at actually being there in person after having studied it on a map for so long. The other two were wondering why I was dawdling going across it but I had this really euphoric feeling and was in no hurry for it to end.

The bit of land we’d planned to camp on was beautiful flat, green grass. Right beside it was a sign that read “No Camping” (this was pre-LR(S)A). We tootled round the lochside for another 1/2 mile or so to find another, almost equally suitable, area. I was on dinner duty so fired up the pasta in one pan and the sauce in another (pretty standard fare for us). After draining it a little, I spooned out 1/3rd of the pasta for Paul, another 1/3rd for David and then set about draining the rest for myself. Bugger me – did I not slip and manage to drop almost all of my portion on the ground. I was absolutely incandescent, literally jumping up and down in a strop before pulling my hat off and throwing it on the ground. Paul and David were caught between holding their sides at my rage and trying to eat all of their rations before I could get my act together and ask them to share it. After finally calming down I managed to boil up a wee bit more pasta and ate mine while the other pair made fun of me.

After a few whiskies and whatnot, we had a decent sleep, got up, had porridge and then made for the ridge rising up behind us. A’ Mhaighdean was the main target of the day and we climbed up in low cloud, cursing at the weather. Just as we reached the summit, the wind whipped back the clouds and we were hit with what must be the best view from any summit in the UK. Although stunning in any direction the outlook to the North West almost defies description. The Dubh Loch and the Fionn Loch are at your feet, the sea loch of Loch Ewe and the Isle of Ewe are further out, beyond which are the Minch and the Outer Hebrides. We weren’t in any hurry to leave, though we’d still Ruadh Stac Mor to do. To give it its due, it an almost equally impressive view with Fuar Loch Mor and Fuar Loch Beag giving the impression of some gargantuan-sized water feature dropping into the Dubh Loch.

What makes a great Munro then? The view, the challenge, the company you’re in and the moments you share. This wee exercise had brought back many shining memories. I can’t wait to relive a few more 😀

Ha ha, that’s a fab wee write-up.
I haven’t been out in the hills properly for eight years or so, since my eldest was born, but that has got me digging out my Munro map / book!

^ scotroutes *like*

Look forward to some more of your musings. I’ve not visited the causeway yet but Fisherfield is on the ccards this year though, March or May most likely. I need to resist the call of the Torridon routes first.

It was a post of yours six odd years ago that led to me crossing a very shonky bridge to go for a pint at the Tomdoun inn 🙂 Cracking afternoon out!

It was this picture in a friends coffee table book which started my love of the mountains, Lakes then Scotland, winter in Scotland, France, Switzerland, Italy.

Ooops didnt work

scotroutes – great story. Agree about it being the whole experience which makes the mountain memorable.

+1 for not taking a bike up the cuillin. Without the incentive of getting to make an awesome video you’re likley to find the carrying/riding ratio a bit too high to have much fun.

Contrary to many, I didn’t really like Liathach (photo above). It mostly reminded me of walking on a giant slag heap (quarry spoilings).

Really? Liathiach is one of my favourite mountains. I guess I’ve spent more time on it in winter though so haven’t had the slag heap experience.

Back to the op, I would stick to boots in the cuillin. I’ve done all manner of daftness on a bike, s sheil ridge being the last, but the cuillin is a step too far. Some of the approach paths may be worth a push up I guess..

Plus, of course it’s a great ride out to Scotroutes/Druidh’s/Onion’s causeway and back from poolewe; 3 hours round trip then hit the cakes at the Bridge Café….lovely couple; you just know they go home and do Yoga together….. 😀

An Teallach can also be a bit of a slag heap grind but once up there it’s amazing

😆

And, as luck would have it, I’ve a wee write-up of that too!
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/west-highland-escape-with-lot-of.html

Ride the approach, walk the mountains would be my recommendation (a trailer if you feel the need to carry lots of gear – personally I tend to travel light in the mountains, so no need for that).

Watch the Macaskill video carefully and you’ll see that it’s a collection of very short sequences in completely un-connected places stitched together for visual effect. Okay, climbing the long side of the Inaccessible Pinnacle with a bike on his shoulder took some baws but you can be sure there was a support team just out of sight with all kinds of safety gear. I’ve used mountain bikes with varied success in Scotland over the last 21 years and realised that unless you’re a trials God, they are best used for covering big distances on relatively easy ground and soon become a hindrance when you get onto the rocky or really boggy and heathery stuff.