Just having a nosey on the map and although some walking website states that it’s a bit boggy and tiring in places,I thought I’d give it a go.

Anyone care to stop me in my tracks to save me a waste of a day? (or late afternoon as it’s turning out!)

Thanks folks.

Not sure what exactly you mean by the “circuit”. Guessing what you might mean though (Corrie Hallie path for An Teallach, hang a right, bothy, back up the strath and out?) not a waste of a day (is it ever up there?). Possibly a bit frustrating in places. Elaborate with a good report though won’t you? And include exploring anything that looks good while you’re at it, there’s a good man. There are some other good tracks through spectacular areas there, but linking them successfully is an art I haven’t mastered.

Well the bonty mud x are still on the xc bike and I’m leaving now! If I get anywhere I’ll report back (with pics of course)

Yes,the circuit the walkers talk of sounds the same route.

I’ve walked some of it. Dundonell to the col above Shenavall and the descent to the glen should all be ridable.

The South end of Loch an Nid to Loch a’Bhraoin is narrow and can be boggy.

The track alongside Loch a’Bhraoin can often be under water which will involve a bit of peaty scrambling.

I did it from Poolewe – Carnmore – Shenavall – landrover track back to Dundonnel Hotel.

All surprisingly rideable apart from Strath na Sealga before the bothy, although that’ll probably be as dry as it’ll ever get right now!

Edit: Possibly not suitable for a late afternoon ride though…

13th – I take it that is from Kernsary via the causeway and then the obvious gap to the North East of Dubh Loch? Never attempted it but always appeared a goer from the hills and on paper. Done any other interesting rides in the area?

Yep, that was it Bajsyckel, great bit of rolling high level trail after the climb up from Dubh Loch, and the descent down to Strath na Sealga was a peach (have a search on Geograph.org.uk, there is one photo taken looking back on the descent which shows the geography, really cool hanging corrie that the path skirts).

Didn’t do any other riding in the area unfortunately, Robgarrioch and I had ridden from Torridon to Opinan the day previous then driven to Poolewe. After Dundonnel I headed north to Ullapool. Think Rob came back did an interesting looking loop around Slioch using the Kernesary path.

Well what a topper of a day. Scenery was amazing. I did a clockwise loop from Corrie Hallie and shouldered the bike at the shenevall bothy up over the side of the mountain. Luckily it has been very dry but the thought of doing the traverse around the hill would be a mare if it had been raining. It was dry and fairly spongy most of the way with hardly any bogs so I got off lightly.

Really nice techy climb to begin with that takes you to a bridge crossing half way up. The sight beyond this is a climb up a rough track that zigzags up the hill. Its a bit of a kick in the teeth as you weren’t expecting to see an extra climb being so steep. I nearly blew on the way to the summit as I was expecting to clean it all from where I parked the car. The final bit at the top had me off (not bad going with bonty mud x’s and a pike that decided to lose all of its rebound control as soon as I started the climb!)and a fast walk helped me recover instead of laying down and feeling my heart explode. One day..One day.

The scenery kicks in at the top of this climb as the track flattens out before gradually descending then getting fairly steep,rough and loose before meeting up with the winding river at strath na sealga. Passing the first bothy (Achneigie)brings you on to a nice bit of singletrack all the way to Shenevall (bothy) The hike a bike must be around 1000ft up through the pass but didn’t seem like too much hassle.

13th, did you find out if you can link up easily to Gruinard bay along the loch from Shenevall at all? The track seems to stop on the map but it looks like it would be a great place for camping/biking sometime soon.

I only have phone pics of this trip so I might post some over the next few days if any look decent enough.

edit: this was a great trip as I’ve never seen pics of the scenery from walkers or bikers so it was all new to me. Bit of a risk not knowing what it was like but It all worked out fine and I got back with the sunset to finish off just at the right time.. even if it was nearing 10pm!

Good stuff Martin – I had thought you’d do it in reverse, and as you say, not one to consider in wet conditions unless you are a masochist. As you say, stunning scenery.

RE the track in up the Gruinard. I’ve only ever done this up to the loch in summer (great to ride) or under deep snow cover so not sure what exactly the lochside is like. I’ve never heard of anyone taking bikes any further (and they are pretty common use for walkers and climbers going in that way) so I’m sceptical. Would love to discover otherwise though.

13th – thanks for extra info. Will mark that bit up as a goer rather than a maybe. Looks to open up some interesting things – or complete non-starters, but shall investigate.

That Gruinard track sounds like a prime candidate for packrafting….

>so I’m sceptical. Would love to discover otherwise though.<

I can enlighten you – DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

The black dotted line itself (approaching from the East)peters out rather sharpish & becomes unrideable long before it ends on the map. A tussock bash from hell…

That track up from the causeway has had a lot of work done on it since I last tramped that way.

The Packraft is flat bottomed right? Surely it must be hell to paddle into any kind of head / crosswind?

I think you need plans A, B, C and D to get any kind of sensible use out of them in Scotland. What’s the additional weight amount to?