It seems that everywhere is permanently snow covered, so my original plan to ride the Cairngorms Loop this weekend is out the window.
I need another three day ride, it can be linear or a loop, with about 60 miles a day or so. I'll be camping or bothying so accommodation isn't a problem. It needs to start and finish within reach of a train station.
I had thought of Tyndrum to Corrour, then Laggan and the Corrieyairack to Fort William, and back to Tyndrum, but the river crossing near the Eilde lochs beyond Kinlochleven probably eliminates that.
Any suggestions?
Skiing... I don't think they're will be much mud/single track....
Fort William - Fort Augustus - Corrieyairack - Laggan - Feshiebridge - Aviemore - Speyside Way to the coast. 254Km / 158Miles
That's a good shout there Colin - might consider it. Do you reckon I'm mad to attempt Kinlochleven to Corrour?
The other option I suppose is to ride Tyndrum to Fort William, train to Corrour and then continue to the Corrieyairack from there.
That's a fairly long stretch of uninhabited and potentially exposed countryside for this time of year and the amount of snow we've had. I don't know if the route past Loch Chiarian would be any better but at least there's a bothy 🙂 But hey - that's what adventures are made from.
TBH - the Corrieyairack might be problematic. The Mrs and I were up there a couple of weeks back and the zig-zags were impossible to spot under the snow even then.
The route past Loch Chiaran is even worse. I dragged a bike through it a month after the six day trials went through and it was a quagmire. Kinlochleven to Corrour has two bothies en route.
I'm swaying towards Tyndrum to Fort William on the WHW, the Great Glen Way, then back towards Aviemore if my legs are still working. If all else fails, there's a Sustrans I used on my LeJog...
I think you're stuffed for that neck of the woods:
Click on the webcam for Altnafeadh (the one below Fort William on the map)
http://trafficscotland.org/map/?x=270000&y=755000&scale=5348388&itemtypeids=26
Doesn't look too much at the side of the road but that will be 6 - 12" settled with 2 and 3ft + drifts higher up. Corrour is +100m higher still so you'd have great difficulty walking in never mind taking the bike.
I've heard there's little snow below 400m in the East (Gorms) See this pic for conditions above that - the snow blower pic was taken @ c.450m:
http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?2,149183,page=36
Well that's that ****ed then eh? 😉
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AND
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What could possibly go wrong ? 🙂
theblackmount - Member
I think you're stuffed for that neck of the woods:Click on the webcam for Altnafeadh (the one below Fort William on the map)
http://trafficscotland.org/map/?x=270000&y=755000&scale=5348388&itemtypeids=26
Doesn't look too much at the side of the road but that will be 6 - 12" settled with 2 and 3ft + drifts higher up. Corrour is +100m higher still so you'd have great difficulty walking in never mind taking the bike.
Great link - thanks for that.
It's looking a lot nicer now though. I'll probably head up to Tyndrum and make a call there as to which way to go.
Here's another for the future - similar elevation:
http://kingy.viewnetcam.com/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0
You might be ok. However, given the winds that snow came in on you you could find it driven on to the very paths you want to use, whilst being remarkably absent elsewhere...
Find any snow free trails Alasdiar?
Supposed to be heading over Corrieyairack in a couple of weeks so interested to hear if you headed that way.
Nah, I rode the WHW to the foot of the Devil's Staircase, then didn't go over it but took the road down to Loch Linnhe. There was still a fair bit of snow in places, and I hear the Devil's Staircase was a lot snowy over the other side.