scotroutes – Member

Getting lost in the Torridon traverse – how? Unless it’s changed a lot since I was last there you have to specifically make the wrong turn rather than just carry on up the glen and it’s immediately obvious as the terrain is just too steep to be the north-bound trail.

Traverse? There’s no traverse. Hannah went North from Coulags, and took the right instead of the left at the junction (OS NG 937 508) above the loch. That section of trail is a 2ft or so deep trench, easy to miss the junction if you’re carrying a bike with your head down, as it’s on an already tight bend in the main trail.

From where they ended up, I reckoned there was no “off piste” required. Just carry on until the paths meet up again.

They appear to off-piste around the south side of Meall Dearg, following the contour lines to save dropping back. If you carry on the paths never meet, and you end up 6km East of Torridon village on the road. Plus the descent is rubbish* that way.

Agree on your other points though, Kenny.

* For some value of rubbish in Torridon.

I’d disagree Dougal, it looked to me the way they were pointing at the map that they’d took a wrong left up the bealach a choire ghairbh.

And saying there is no ‘traverse’ makes you sound quite ersit.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/traverse

n. trav·erse (trvrs, tr-vûrs)
1. A passing across, over, or through.
2. A route or path across or over.
3. Something that lies across, especially:
a. An intersecting line; a transversal.
b. Architecture A structural crosspiece; a transom.
c. A gallery, deck, or loft crossing from one side of a building to the other.
d. A railing, curtain, screen, or similar barrier.
e. A defensive barrier across a rampart or trench, as a bank of earth thrown up to protect against enfilade fire.
4. Something that obstructs and thwarts; an obstacle.
5. Nautical The zigzag route of a vessel forced by contrary winds to sail on different courses.
6. A zigzag or diagonal course on a steep slope, as in skiing.
7.
a. A lateral movement, as of a lathe tool across a piece of wood.
b. A part of a mechanism that moves in this manner.
c. The lateral swivel of a mounted gun.
8. A line established by sighting in surveying a tract of land.
9. Law A formal denial of the opposing party’s allegation of fact in a suit.

For those who’ve not been, the pass at the rough coire (Bealach na Garbh Coire)has a short bouldery section of off-piste as you leave the saddle and begin to drop towards the lochans of Ruahd Stac. The path fades out at the highest point then re-forms lower down and to riders’ left. Scotroutes is spot on, the girls mistakenly took the more obvious walkers’ path up towards Maol Chean Dearg then sensibly/correctly re-routed west, then north to re-join the traditional descent at Loch an Eoin. The girls realised that soemthing wasn’t right, got out a paper map and corrected their route. And again, for those who haven’t been down this other trail, it’s just as good as the traditional Bealach na Lice route, only with another 150m of vertical added in. Plus less bike erosion too.. So far!

“Traverse” is a word open to interpretation, as anyone who’s ever gone for a professionally guided ride knows.

Aye, the traverse interpretation is up there with ‘undulating’ in guidespeak!.

I was thinking the same as kcr. They chose to make a film of Hannah’s journey, not of the trails with her as focal point on them. If the former then they would have spent a lot of time setting up shots after having done location scouting and would have had to work to light and weather constraints (of course they did anyway). I don’t know but I’m guessing you could wait a long time for the wind to drop enough to fly a quadcopter in the mountains. I also know that I want to try filming with one myself.

It was interesting where the focus was at times. They showed the end of Loch Torridon but not Liathach which in the same view on that descent was certainly what grabbed my attention when I was there (other than the point of trail up ahead).

I liked it a lot. It made me think of the wonderful feeling of just being there.

My best adventures in life have all been in highlands. It has a magic no picture or film truly captures. Part of my heart will always be there.

Riding like this transcends everything you think you know about bikes and riding. Mountain biking, hiking and climbing stop being sports you do and becomes life itself. Everything else you do is just waiting to get back to that place.

Wonderfully put.

Oh, and if they were headed around the west side of Maol Chean Dearg, they should have continued. It’s more rewarding in the views it offers and the trail you ride.

Thought it was a good video, for one, burds on bikes are always welcome, but more importantly thought it showed the highlands well. It’s not all a picknick but you do get rewarded!

Nobeerinthefridge – Member

And saying there is no ‘traverse’ makes you sound quite ersit.

It makes me sound what? No need to make this thread personal.

As with Northwind, I’d argue that none of that counts as traverse. Semantics.

Scotroutes – Ah, I see now. Missed the bit where they poked at the map.

Traverse? There’s no traverse. Hannah went North from Coulags, and took the right instead of the left at the junction (OS NG 937 508) above the loch. That section of trail is a 2ft or so deep trench, easy to miss the junction if you’re carrying a bike with your head down, as it’s on an already tight bend in the main trail.

I think they took the climb after the bothy they visited and carried the bikes up Coire Ghairbh.

Personally, I don’t think the descent from the Bealach a Choire Gairbh is worth the carry.

I enjoyed the film. It made me want to ride my bike, and some day, to ride it in Scotland.

For the Scottish tourist board, I’d say that’s job done.

I am also going to show the film to my 8 year old daughter, in the hope that Hannah Barnes will inspire her to ride her bike more. Out of my 2 kids, my daughter likes riding more, but I think she considers mountain biking a sport for “boys”.

Well, finally had a chance to sit down and watch the film.

My take on it is of a pretty honest account of a group of people enjoying all the experiences of their first ‘out there’ road trip. It’s not just about the riding, it’s about the complete experience and the impression I get is that she seemed to be enjoying that experience, warts and all.
She got out there, she did it and I’d be surprised if it isn’t the first of many similar trips that she’ll be doing; such experiences have that effect on some of us 8)

loving the civilised arguing about the route on here. I’m picturing brusk scottish men with ginger stubble and a 1000yd stare politely arguing in a pub with a whisky.

I enjoyed that film, it’s about being out on your bike with mates, roiling the dice a little and seeing what turns up. Obviously having a camper van follow along doesn’t hurt, but they were up front about it.

More please Hannah.

We’ve all made them but that wrong turn was a proper schoolboy (girl?) error!

I was wondering what route they’d take north of Gairloch so was a bit disappointed to see them jump in the van.

Very easy on the eye, I mean the scenery! superb, captures the trials and tribulations experienced on a long journey through the Highlands very well, the Torridon segment had me pining for the fjords, I luckily rode their in the summer, where they took the wrong trail, would be quite easy to do, If you were following your nose, I had to double check the map at that very point.

where they took the wrong trail, would be quite easy to do

Nah, going the wrong way there in good vis is a total howler. Unless they’d been given duff info and thought it actually went that way. But like I said, we’ve all made them.

Spin I think the thing is, at that point the proper bealach looks a long way away, it is hard to judge the scale, certainly you would check the map, to be sure.

Sure you’d check the map but I think there are plenty of cues to show you it’s on up the valley.

I thought it looked great. I have spent hardly any time in Torridon, and none with the bike. Will have to give it a go one time. The backup support of a campervan is a luxury. Video reminds me how much fun bothies are.

Will have to give it a go one time

The Fionnaraich/Lair loop is the best route in Britain. Fact.

Nice one Hannah et al – a lovely and inspiring vid. Spent all my summer hols in Kishorn, Torridon, Applecross area as a kid and I’ve been saying I’ll do a riding/climbing trip up that way for years. 2014 is going to be the year it happens.

Really enjoyed the video, inspires you to get out riding! top marks! 🙂

Shame so many here just focus on her looks – great little film of inspiring trails.
And her mate Rachel is well fit