Hi folks

In the on going quest to ride the big mountains, has anyone ridden the Lairig Eilde (to the north of Buchaille Etive Beag) and Lairig Gartain? The geograph pics I have seen look promising but some first hand experience would be much appreciated!

Also, has anyone headed up onto Buchaille Etive Beag or Mor with a bike? Even if there is carrying up and down, I’m sorely tempted to give them a bash.

Cheers

Sanny

BEM would be feasible (if not particularly rewarding) going up the coire half way along the Lairig Gartain.

Last time I did BEB it was a hike up through heather from the Glencoe end. I think there might be more of a path at the Glen Etive end?

Lairig Gartain and Lairig Eilde are both very wet and muddy for long sections.

I have tried to do the Lairig Eilde/Gartain loop twice in winter. One time I turned round at the high point and returned the same way, the second time I continued down to Dalness in Glen Etive knowing I could get a lift back, good descent. The problem I had in winter was crossing the river about 1km from the road, the second time I went up there it was in spate so had a frustrating hike up the side of the river for about 1,5km before I found another crossing point. If you get across the river I don’t recall any dramas although no doubt bits were boggy and there was some pushing.

Both passes are mud central. BEM – you’d be pushing your bike up most of the way and a fair bit of the way back down. Traverse along the tops would be nice if unexciting. BEB – Dalness side would be a brutal push up and entertaining descent if you are good enough to ride something that steep. Again the traverse along the tops would be nice if not all that exciting.

How about a traverse of the Blackmount from Stob Ghabhar to the Ski Centre and descend via the DH track?

Cheers guys

The Stob Ghabhar route is a definite possibility. Having only ever been up there in the winter, what are the trails like?

Cheers

Sanny

Bit of a slog to get to the top, but once you’re up there it’s fairly easy going. Not many “trails” as such because not many people do the whole traverse.

>Both passes are mud central.<

No they aren’t actually – Lairig Eilde has been all but cleaned in it’s entirety. Gartain I’d certainly agree with you – avoid…

I’ve done Eilde several times and the path had been improved on the last visit – most recently as a train assist: Tyndrum> WHW > Eilde > Etive North shore > Connel Bridge > track beside the railway via Glen Cruitten > Oban.

If you hit a really dry period you can even ride the all but vanished section of the military road between Altnafeadh and The Study

That’s good to know.

A couple of weeks ago I rode the WHW from the chairlift to Fort Bill and return – not a lot of hike-a-bike, but I’m sure you could get across the Glen Coe north ridge from the top of the Devils Staircase, or the Mamore’s from the Kinlochleven side,

Aggie Ridge? Been done:

Not by me I hasten to add

Alright sanny, the descent down to glencoe off rannoch moor is pretty decent, me and the wolf boy quite enjoyed that bit when we done the whw – may be because it went down after a stinker of a climb on the military road from inveroran – certainly more fun than the new red at glencoe! also may have enjoyed it as my gouch was swollen by that point:( and i got to stand up

The good news keeps coming… they are both highly improved, with much investment having being ploughed into new paths and mud being but a memory…

The best way to do the loop is Lairig Eilde 1st into Lairig Gartain~ you can ride most of the way up Eilde, into a beauty of a descent towards Dalness, before hooking back and fording the top of a waterfall back up into Gartain… it’s mainly hike a bike back to the crest, then a sweet descent back to Alltnafeadh, albeit with some monstrous stepping stones, some of which require a dismount.

As mentioned, the military road needs a dry spell, else it is a quagmire, but there is some great technical riding on the rocks above the study!!

The Traverse of Buchaille Etive Mor more or less parallel to the road is a great descent, but more of a push up ride down affair.

Thats enough freebies for now 😆

Thanks Bigmountainscotland and everyone else for that matter.

One more question, which way do you come off the Buchaille?

Aonach Egach? No thanks but the Mamores is pretty decent though there is a lot of hikey bikey no matter which way you ascend.

Descent is from the col at 203531 to the Lairig Gartain