An ambition of mine for a couple of years now is to ride the Torridon and Glen Sligachan routes that have been featured in various magazines and listed in Mountain Bike Scotland (Wilson) & Scotland Mountain Biking (McKane) guide books.

I’ll be in the North West Highlands near Torridon and then on Skye during the Easter break (23/04/11 – onwards) and wondered if anybody else was considering riding these routes and if they’d like to join me? Or indeed for me to join you?

Cheers

Thought I’d bump this as no one was interested or saw it last time 🙁

Anyone?

Ah! What a shame. I’ll be in Skye from 24 April until 29 April for a break with my girlfriend, but will be unable to ride due to broken bones.

Hope you (we) get good weather! 😆

Bugger. That’s no good Peter (both the broken bones, inability to ride and not being in Skye at the same time).

Fingers crossed for the weather.

Anyone else around?

Both places I’d like to go back to, but I don’t have an MTB at the moment so I’ll be night-hiking across Rannoch Moor instead, sorry!

We are on Skye / Harris 27th – May 3.. as wedding dodgers…. you still there then?

maybe doing torridon sat23/sun24 if there is alot of rain then its not worth doing as to boggy this time of year. i will know more next week 🙂

rickmeister – the 27th is our final day on Skye so I was hoping to ride Tue 26th but can adjust to accommodate. Weather dependent of course 🙂 Will you be there on the Wed and ready to ride? Arranging to meet a mate staying on Skye at the same time so there will be two of us riding hopefully.

ahsf – sounds promising. I’ll keep an eye on the weather reports. I take it that you’ve ridden Torridon before? Would be good to ride this area with someone else as it looks/reads like a big remote ride. Also means I don’t have to keep reaching for the guide book and map 🙂 Let me know.

Any other takers this lunchtime?

KoB, to be honest the 27th is a travel day for us so its not likely that we will be biking on that day unfortunately. Its always good to meet forum people….

fyi, the Achnashellach-Annat ride is pretty good in most weathers except snow.. the track is simple to follow too as its the main one through some big hills… and its mostly on a firm granite base.

No worries rick, maybe next time. Enjoy.

Thanks for the Torridon advice. Really excited about riding both routes 🙂

K.o.B. – a few pictures of the Achnashellach – Annat section from last May here, so you’ve an idea what to expect (the last 4 are different bits a little further north / west).

Thanks rob. Looks immense 🙂

rob – how long did that route take you? Quite by chance I’d been looking at the same route via Kernsey the other day.

Indeed, how long does the Torridon route take? V Publishing Scotland Mountain Biking – Wild Trails seem to indicate 6-8 hours for 48km.

My photos are a little off the ‘usual’ Torridon circuit – we did it as part of 13thFloorMonks epic odyssey last year, & the last 4 pics are different routes from Diabaig to Red Point (near my original home) and Poolewe to Fionn Loch.

ir-bandito; when you say Kernsary (?), where are you going to / from?

But I’d guess doing the circuit if you parked on the Torridon – Kinlochewe road & went in at Coulin estate, it would take around 6 hrs at moderate pace, maybe 3 – 4 at race pace. I didn’t do the Drochaid Coire Lair decent to Achnashellach though, which apparently is an absolute scream. Hoping to get to it again before the summer’s out!

Just re-read your route, not quite the same, but similar in parts.

I’m thinking:
Acnashellach – Annat – Torridon – Diabaig -Craig – Redpoint – Loch Maree – Tollie Path – Loch Kernsary – Letterewe – Kinlochewe – Loch Coulin – Coire Lair – Acnashellach

ir – over how many days??!! 😯

That is an immense route. Your first section (Achnashellach – Redpoint) took us approx. 10 hrs (Craig – Redpoint being mainly hike-a-bike for 5 miles). I did Kinlochewe – Kernsary last year too (covered here 😉 ) & that took around 8 hrs. And you’re adding on 10 road miles to Loch Maree, then back to Achnashellach… Hats off indeed if you do that in one go.

(Be aware that the bracken along the Letterewe paths will likely be covering them by July)

😯 Honestly, I’m truly staggered that anyone would contemplate that route as a circuit… even when I had a modicum of fitness… no ‘kin way…! Are you in training for the next Cape Epic? 😯

Ha! Not as a single day ride!
I’m thinking 3-4 days, need to figure out overnight stops.
And find a free week and adequate brownie points!

Apologies ir.. just my reactions getting the better of me. No-one noticed anyway… 😳

Could be a glorious trip that, or purgatory, depending on a few things. The bothies at Craig (NG 774 638) and Carnmore (NG 977 769) would appear tailor made!? 2 words, midge repellent. 2 more words, hip flask.

Apologies for slight hi-jack, K.o.B.

No worries. Now back to business…..

Anymore takers for Torridon (Sat 23rd or Sun 24th) and/or Skye (Tue 26th or Wed 27th)?

BTW, would it be foolish to ride Torridon on my own ( if no one is to join me)?

BTW, would it be foolish to ride Torridon on my own ( if no one is to join me)?

Depends entirely on you. I’ve ridden worse in more remote situations, but someone always knew roughly where I was, what my route was and when to expect me to call in (to the nearest day…). On top of that I was carrying enough survival gear that should I crash and be immobilised, I could stay relatively warm and dry (and well fed!) until I was missed.

Just don’t be stupid, you’re by yourself, so nobody will know if you chickened out of that steep bit anyway! 8)

BTW, would it be foolish to ride Torridon on my own ( if no one is to join me)?

Exactly what 13FM said. I did it on my own no problems. There were one or possibly two bits on the descent to Achneshellach that I walked as they were at the limits of my skill and were a bit wet. Price of failure could have been buggered body or bike – not good in such a remote place with no-pne to help out.

Cool. Thanks for the advice folks. Happy to ride it on my own or with company. Actually Im secretly looking forward to the remote wilderness ride experience although the missus is not keen on me doing this. I do often ride solitary in The Peaks, both day and night, so I’m usually quite careful. Although Scotland is on a greater scale. The missus is travelling with me to Scotland so she will know my route and expected finish time. So she can call in the cavalry if required.

I emailed your profile address when you originally posted and got no response

yes i have ridden there before its a top ride i will keep you posted on my plans to ride there.

There is a clever thing I use with clients who have a gps capable phone. Have a google for instamapper… it may put your mind at rest doing solo stuff and you want/choose to be located by someone who has an internet.

Its free and password protected…

HTH

nick1962 – sorry but I must have missed this although I’ve had limited internet access since moving house. I’ll drop you an e-mail.

ahsf – cheers, let me know

rickmeister – thanks, just signing up for an instamapper account

riding torridon mon 25th feel free to join us an i will give you some times an places to meet

Thanks ahsf. Unfortunately I won’t be joining you as we’ll be heading for Skye on that day. Enjoy the ride.

Hi there,
apologies for the thread highjack – I will be in Torridon between 30/04-7/05. While I have figured out a couple of loops I don’t fancy riding alone, so does anybody care to join me? Planning to do at least one long ride (ca 6h or so).
Cheers

KoB, late to the party I know but….

I am have done the 11 day Easter break and am heading north. Very loose plan is Dalbeattie on the 23rd. Fort Bill 24th/25th. Skye 26th/27th/28th. My only real definite is that I must be in Manchester on the 30th for a birthday party. Other than that I am pretty flexible.

grimtech (and anyone else!), I’m doing pretty much the same thing. Working in Dumfries Sat – Mon, riding Kirroughtree on Tuesday 26th then heading north up the west coast of Scotland. No real plans except to ride my bike and avoid the royal wedding!

Sweet baby Jesus. Torridon was a tough ride today. Well when I say ride I mean the stop/start riding to Loch Coire Fionnraich and then carrying my bike to Bealach na Lice summit. The descent after this really made up for it though. Loved the remote wilderness feel of the ride too. The sun even made an appearance when I dropped into Annat to dry me out after a wet ride.

BTW, if anyone discovers some Endura glasses at the stone bridge over the River Coulin before the long climb to Coulin Pass then they’re mine. Give them a good home 🙂

Really looking forward to Glen Sligachan now. Grimtech & crazy-legs I’ll be more than likely riding Tue 26th or Wed 27th. There are 3 of us so far. Just drop me an e-mail If you’re interested.

Just checked into my hotel in Ardvaser and been told that the rest of the hotel is shortly to be filled with a group of cyclists….don’t suppose that’s any of you lot?!

Hope it’s not a bunch of waxed roadies, who steal all the bananas at breakfast 😉

KingofBiscuits: more or less first time I’ve logged on here in a while, sorry I missed you. I’m currently in the middle of nowhere (although with enough reception to send this!) camping in the gorgeous Scottish Highlands. I rode Devils Staircase over Glencoe today. Incredible views, it’s absolutely stunning weather. Another couple of days like this then I’ll be heading home via another day in the Lakes.

Assuming the bike holds together that is, it was making some awful creaking noises today. Sat by the side of a loch in some stunning scenery and I’m stripping and rebuilding a bloody MTB. 🙄 And checking STW…

Wow. Three amazing rides in one week, in incredible surroundings and mostly in glorious weather.

The Torridon loop was the first and potentially my favourite. Then the Quiraing loop with Grimtech & Faye (cheers fella, good to meet you and the missus, I’ll drop you an e-mail with some photos over the weekend) and then finally the Glen Sligachan loop with two mates.

I’m now back home, battered, bruised, a left foot and ankle like elephant man, unable to walk on it, strange tan lines, probably some form of damage and cost to the bike but with a massive grin on my face. Superb!

Glad you had a good time of it K.o.B. I’ll be on Skye again in July for 3 or 4 days, hoping to get round Sligachan too. (if you had clear views west from Quiraing, you’d be looking at me home, btw…)

A wee bit I forgot to mention, in case you’re up there again – Kyleakin Trail Centre