I'm up in Firbush in a few weeks - just up from Kilin on Loch Tay. Thinking I might bring the bike and try and get across Glen Coe way as I've never ridden round there.
I'll be a little pressed for time - I can probably get away from Firbush around 11am. How long do you reckon to drive to Glen Coe and do the Staircase loop via Glencoe and Kll. Or drive to Kll and do the Luibeilt / L Treig / Blackwater / Ciaran path classic?
The distances / elevation from KWilson's book look pretty reasonable for an afternoon's riding - famous last words and all, so I thought I'd ask on here.
There would be a fair amount of hike-a-bike in the Loch Treig route, if its at all soggy up there you could potentially be pushing loads from Lubeilt to Loch Treig, then pushing up lots of the climb from Loch Treig to Chiarain Bothy.
Also the shore of Blackwater Reservoir is a bit soft in places. 😕
If you're pushed for time I'd maybe do the other route, but remember the little roadside path through Glen Coe, and the old road above the new one which starts just after the Lost Valley car park.
Oh, but if you did the Devil's Staircase you could also do the lower half of the Ciaran path route.
In the autumn I did a loop from Glencoe village up the glen road, up Devil's staircase, round to Kinlochleven on the WHW, and back on the road to Glencoe. I walked a lot of the troll's ladder up (long fork with no travel adjust was my excuse) but most of the rest was rideable if a little scary in parts
I didn't go very fast, I stopped to eat and take quite a few piccies and I was back way before I expected. Now for the realy unhelpfull bit...I never time myself......... but I'm pretty sure it was around 3 to 4 hours.
I've not done it but two sets of walkers I spoke to reckoned the Ciaran Path wasn't realy rideable.
KENNY WILSON SAYS========================!!!!!!
I've ridden several Kenny Wilson routes and if he says IT IS RIDEABLE I think it would be sensible to assume that IT IS NOT RIDEABLE.
Although confusingly........ some of them are.
Thanks both - good to know.
Kenny's description of Luibeilt to Treig - [i]The faint path on the N side can be frustrating in the upper part but gives some good riding in the lower section.[/i]
So it's a bog, basically.
Haha! Yeah, you have to apply the 'real world' filter a bit, although there were some good sections on that path, I just rode it with a trailer so can't remember how much would be rideable sans luggage.