Well, five intrepid souls made the trip north last weekend to do what looks like becoming an annual event, 'a bothy trip'.
It all started in 2009 when two work colleagues (who aren't even cyclists really) mentioned that they 'wouldn't mind a bike ride to somewhere out of the way' & I was tasked with the job to sort it. Steve (my long term riding pal) & I had done a big day out while watching the Scottish Six Day Trial way back in 1997 which gave us a glimpse of Meannach bothy, since then I'd always hankered after a bothy trip but work & other constraints got in the way but I finally organised a 'Tour de Ben Nevis' of our own, with four of us staying overnight at Meannach in Sept 2009.
September last year saw me organise another one, this time to Camban & with a party of six riding from Cannich & back.
Because the idea is to get to somewhere remote I was advised by that bloke on here, 'Scotroutes' or something, that Maol Bhuide is the most remote bothy which is accessible by bike & he gave me some info on getting there, but for three guys who were on either borrowed bikes or bikes with no brakes/working gears & who don't do a lot of off road biking....I thought we'd do Camban again, but from the opposite direction. Shiel Bridge. (which was the 1st mistake!)
Anyway here's four of the five posing & trying to look as hard as the guys depicted on the famous memorial, which is never gonna happen!
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/20987269443_f8d8f15588_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/20987269443_f8d8f15588_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xYzf2a ]Camban, September 2015 001[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Richie Van Vogel crazy Dutchman on left, Thorpey in blue, Sutty keeping his nuts warm, & Steve, the only other actual biker along with me.
We stayed at Ratagan YH on Thursday night & were blown away by the views over Kintail but wished the wind would get up & blow the sodding midges away!
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5795/21140584614_88d4efd49f_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5795/21140584614_88d4efd49f_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yd82hb ]Camban, September 2015 003[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
We had a very decent meal at the Kintail Lodge Hotel & Friday morning which saw us up & ready for the off.
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/21597006902_e639933316_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/21597006902_e639933316_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yUsiHY ]Camban, September 2015 004[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Including Thorpey & his pink socks. His rucksack must've weighed 40lb due to the amount of lager he was carrying along with a bladder full of red wine & some cheese to go with it. It was so heavy he couldn't get it on his back without help. He didn't have any Smidge though, (but I did)
Memory Map said that from Ratagan to Camban via Glen Licht was 'only' twelve miles. Too easy! so I decided it would be a good idea, nay, a GREAT idea to detour to the Falls of Glomach (another mistake) via Strath Croe. We got to the wee bridge over Allt an Leoid Ghainoamhaich (???) & thought, 'ah haa', a bit of leg work then. Four of us ditched bikes & bags after about 1k while Steve kept up his mountain goat on an Orange 5 impression to great applause. Eventually at this point..
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/676/20985517974_733c476d29_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/676/20985517974_733c476d29_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xYqgnq ]Camban, September 2015 012[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Us four let Steve recce ahead to see if we were getting anywhere near the falls, only to have him return to tell us it could take about another 1 1/2 hours to get to see anything & get back to this point, so we backtracked with Steve taking off on his 5 ahead.
Until his pedal fell off. Spot it?
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/593/21420247250_4c2f7d7971_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/593/21420247250_4c2f7d7971_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yCQneL ]Camban, September 2015 014[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
If it had been me I would've begged/stolen/borrowed/purchased a cheapy flat pedal from someone on the way back, plenty of farms/houses that may have had something, but no, Steve carried on riding on the spindle, up & down everything on Spesh SPD shoes.
The ride up Glen Licht was lovely, steady away & easy. Until we got to Glen Licht House (which was being worked on by some guys from Liverpool Uni) After that it was virtually unrideable until the falls at Allt Grannda. I must've had a second wind as I passed Steve, eager to see the gable end of Camban!
The Crazy Dutchman iz crazy, he'd be smiling in front of of a firing squad.
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/633/21421290649_28d3d1cb91_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/633/21421290649_28d3d1cb91_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yCVHpp ]Camban, September 2015 019[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Sutty & Thorpey..
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5743/21617024941_9c858ad441_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5743/21617024941_9c858ad441_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yWdUoz ]Camban, September 2015 024[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Van Vogel looking cosy...
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/21581983336_9d84258442_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/21581983336_9d84258442_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yT8iJY ]Camban, September 2015 023[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Next morning saw Vogel & Thorpey together in the bath...
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/629/21420259888_c553f2e6b5_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/629/21420259888_c553f2e6b5_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yCQqZE ]Camban, September 2015 025[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
The only gays in the village..
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5699/21581889716_76fdd766ee_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5699/21581889716_76fdd766ee_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/yT7PUQ ]Camban, September 2015 027[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
But hey, who cares?
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/760/20985235474_ac69a70b53_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/760/20985235474_ac69a70b53_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xYoPoJ ]Camban, September 2015 031[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
So we set of towards Alltbeithe but hung a left up Gleann Gniomhaidh which was rideable for a fair bit but the boggy bits were boggy & the midges & pedals were still feeding..
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/671/21766728115_15f1a67902_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/671/21766728115_15f1a67902_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zasaVM ]Camban, September 2015 033[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
As we got past Loch Bhealich & on up the Bealach an Sgairne my arse was showing signs of the wear & tear a heavy rucksack brings & was happy to hike rather than bike, seeing as it was fairly steep & I couldn't get my backside very far back because of my rack that held my sleeping bag. Sutty gave it a go though..
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5793/20985192664_97eb5099f3_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5793/20985192664_97eb5099f3_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xYoAEC ]Camban, September 2015 037[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Well we got safely back to sea level without any mishaps & back to Ratagan to pick up the cars & a shower (which I certainly needed!)
We headed to Saddle Mountain hostel at Invergarry afterwards (Excellent) & a fab meal at the nearby hotel to finish off a great few days with some proper decent lads (whom I don't normally socialise with, apart from Steve)
I'll try & get more photo's next time if I'm not as ****ed.
Now that looks like an adventure and a giggle.
Thats a fair shove with all that gear.
I did it 2 weeks ago only i went to alltbeithe.
Lovely part of the world though 🙂
Nice place to take a bike for a walk then? 😆
Maol Buidhe next time - aye?
Thats a fair shove with all that gear.
They left 16 cans of lager in the bothy! Full ones!
Maol Buidhe next time - aye?
Oh aye Col, & your'e coming too, mark my words!
Now that looks like an adventure and a giggle.
It was funny Matt, Thorpey is the driest, most underestimatedestly funny bloke ever. ' i was the 1995 bog hopping champion but I got foot lag so had to pack it in cos I kept getting bog foot'
PMSL!
Hit it via Iron Lodge and it would mostly be a pedal.
Mostly.
Thank you Colin, I'll give you more warning next time!
The Philip Tranter mentioned on the plaque was the guy who did the first "Tranter Traverse". A hillwalk round Glen Nevis - 19 Munros, 36 miles, and over 20k ft of ascent.
https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/tranters-round-of-pain-the-lochaber-traverse/