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Thinking of heading up that way this weekend and there seems to be a couple of options for the descent down to Lochan Earba. Phil McKanes book suggests heading for the SW end of the loch and Kenny F Wilson suggests heading for the middle of the loch. Anybody tried both?
Nobody?
I could show you on a map but I don't/can't do all that GPX bollox!
EDIT.. I think I just answered your other question!
I've ridden from the col between Pitridh and Geal Charn (having pushed up on a Munro type expedition) to the the SW End of the Loch. The first part was good singletrack, once heading down the Allt Coire Pitridh the track soon widens out as it seems to be an old estate road. It is fast and the ground varies. I did have a look at the other way which is probably more singletrack and technical but didn't fancy it on my own on winters day.
The most Westerly descent is fast, on a fairly wide, sometimes rocky track. The more Easterly descent is patchy singletrack through heather and bracken.
You choose.
Cheers Onion. Now do I do Ardverikie or Carn Ban Mor? Decisions, decisions...
I have only ridden from the Laggan side around to Lochan Na h-Earba then rode/hiked the bike up through the 'pass' if you could call it that. I descended down the other side a bit and came back up the same way.. descended back down to the loch and rode back to the road.
Worth going there on a nice calm day just to look down that loch. It'll blow you away. Views up CBM are nice but not a patch on the Earba!
Thinking of doing this tomorrow... So Kenny's path heading to the middle of loch na Earba is definitely rideable? Every writeup I can see takes the other path to the South West of the loch, and you know it makes sense to check anything you see in Kenny's book!
WARNING!! I rode Kenny Wilson's route about 3 or 4 years ago while on a bikepacking trip.
The descent I found was barely just rideable, quite overgrown and at times difficult to distinguish from the bog surrounding it. I *did* enjoy it, sort of, but at times wondered if I'd actually found the right path. Had I known of a wider, more obvious route, I'd probably have preferred that.
Take his route if you prefer adventure over quality of riding, which could probably be said for most of his routes! 😆
Cheers for the warning! I had a look on geograph since posting and didn't see much sign of a path. I'll stick to the more popular route!
My comment of 10 months ago still stands. Persomally, I would head for the more Westerly path.
Start of Kenny's descent in photo below - and definitely rideable - thouigh it does get more vague and a bit of route finding is required - fun part of the ride IMHO. If Ian found it difficult then it is cos he was back packing. I think the Kilpatricks are your local tramping ground Ally - so you will be used to fighting through the heather
The alternative descent is a tedious surfaced estate track - your choice !
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3328/3606055135_2d1ba0a91f_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/26693195@N03/3606055135/ ]into Coire a Mhaigh[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/26693195@N03/ ]steverb_11[/url], on Flickr
rest of the photos are here
[url] http://www.flickriver.com/photos/26693195@N03/sets/72157619422288538/ [/url]
PS if following Kennys route watch for the river crossing after Pattack - it is easily missed and it is off a fast descent track - some I know have headed a long way in the wrong direction !
Arse. I seem to remember being on the other side of the stream, on a 6" sheep trail through heather, perhaps I never did find the trail!