[Closed] one for DruidH/TJ - Rannoch Moor to WHW then Glen Orchy

Glencoe to Bridge of Orchy on a touring bike along the WHW would be hard on the bike. The road surface is is made up of railway ballast sized stone. Although well compacted some sections are well worn. I'd say the same was true to Tyndrum too. Moutainbikes with rackswould be fine, I've ridden it couple of times fully laden.

thanks

How about from Rannoch over to Glen Lyon then into Bridge of Orchy from the south, although the track along Loch Lyon stops on the OS map it is clearly visible as a double track on google earth

I wouldn't have thought Rannoch Station to Corrour would be any fun on a tourer, I know cutting across from Rannoch to The Kings House is a complete nightmare of bog though I don't know what the ground is like heading north. Judging by the map it isn't landrover track the whole way, but I could be wrong... which would put me off the idea of using a touring bike.

yeah it's the boggy section to the kings house that i'm worried about.

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On your first question no on both counts - not if you want to enjoy it.

On your second question easy as far as the West end of Loch Lyon (take the North shore then there's a steep climb to the Bealach before the descent down the Allt Kinglas. Thats a lot rougher - more CX territory tbh - but it is a metalled surface and would be doable if you are determined enough and take your time**

**Caveat: unless its been really dry I'd skip it - skinny tyres will make this a real effort as the estate road is softish at the West end - also there are literally dozens of river crossings on the Kinglass descent( some axle deep) as the LR track straight lines all the meanders in the river

thanks, we'll be on biggish tyres but obviously want to avoid anything too rocky. Is there a better way to cross over from a station on the Edinburgh to Inverness line? We've got tickets to Pitlochry but could extend them or get off earlier.

Aberfeldy, Killin, Glen Dochart, Crianlarich and Tyndrum obviously but how fast / slow do you want to be? Personally I'd just ride out to Rannoch and get the train to B of O - 20 mins. Make sure you book the bikes on in advance tho.

it's got to be a 2 day job as we've booked our train tickets and the timings for the Colonsay and Ulva ferries are critical. I think Kinglass looks worth a go as it's towards the end of the day and not far from a beer!

Your call but there's a good reason why they built a reservoir up there. Just looked at the pics again and some of these river crossings are wide / deep - 400/500mm in benign conditions. Your panniers might be off and on every 10 mins after sustained rain

Loch Lyon is a pretty bleak place - the Rannoch option otoh is beautiful so I'd take the short train journey unless you have a point to prove 😉

hmm that's a bit more than axle deep!

might have to do the train thing but it pains me to do so as it seems like you miss the best bit and it cut's the day down to next to no miles.

oh and bleak is good, i like bleak.

Another option would be to take the train to Dalwhinnie and do the Bealach Dubh by Ben Alder. If I remember from a walk the year before last, after coming over the bealach you could leave the path at about 727473 and cross to the north side of the Uisge Labhair to pick up the path down to Corrour Lodge. Quick spin along Loch Ossian to pick up the train to Bridge of Orchy or wherever.

That would be a pretty big day. Health warning - I have not done it, and I reckon it would be about 1.5 hours of hike a bike from the Bealach Dubh path to where the Uisge Labhair path becomes rideable, but at least its downhill and if I remember correctly not too boggy. If you do try it, do not be tempted to stay on the BD path to where it turns SE. The ground between there and the top of the UL path is very rough

The best bit of what - you are on road bikes with panniers - correct? Take a longer way round then rather than drag your bikes over miles of unrideable terrain. Dunkeld to B of O cant be much more than 60 miles for example

Absolutely not to CW suggestion with a road bike and panniers

tourers with 35mm tyres, not road bikes. there's a big difference. I agree that the captains suggestion is out but am trying to get as much off road as possible into the route.

looking at geograph it seems the river has been diverted in places to remove some of the fords. I think it's worth a go with a wet weather get out of jail option on the train.

thanks for your help.

I have a slightly more optimistic view of what is possible on laden tourers, I used to do offroad touring on cyclocross tubs. However some of the boggy stuff will be very hard.

I rode Kingshouse to rannoch years ago - the section marked as singletrack was a boggy mess of a quad track -impassable virtually on an MTB then. It may have been improved but I wouldn't like to bet on it.

Last year we rode kinlochleven / Loch trig / loch ossian / then north up strathossian towards the A 86 and alongside Lochan na earba to laggan. That is all good estate road bar the single track stretch along the Abhain rath between loch treig and Loch eilde mor which would be a drag your bike thru a bog You could certainly get from Dalwhinnie to corrour via this route without too much hassle

I wouldn't attempt the ben alder route - the bealach is very steep and rough on the east side -

I think Dalwhinnie to Corrour via Lochan na earba would be your best bet and probably the only feasable way of crossing between the rail lines offroad

>tourers with 35mm tyres, not road bikes. there's a big difference<

okay - if you say so;-)

In which case you'll be fine on the Loch Lyon route providing you dont mind getting your feet wet

wet feet aren't a problem, we shall be carrying sandals for beach roaming/pub trips/avoiding the crap in campsite toilets 🙂