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Was discussing a plan to ride coast to coast across Scotland last weekend (from Fort William) and I started wondering, hypothetically, would it be possible to cross Scotland by bike, foot and kayak? A sort of offroad triathlon.
What routes could allow us to ride, kayak along a loch or two and do some climbing on the way? We all have varying degrees of experience of climbing, kayaking and biking and obviously a support vehicle would be necessary but has anyone done anything like this?
Great Glen, Forth & Clyde / Union Canal, Hebridean Challenge?
Seriously though, anythings possible - the only limiting factor being access to drop off Kayaks
You need one of [url= http://www.alpackaraft.com ]these[/url]
See [url= http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=434649 ]here[/url] for inspiration
Me and a friend have been researching a similar trip using packrafts... the route is done... just need someone to make a cheaper version of a Alpaca raft then it can go ahead but unfortunately believe me when i say hat there is NOTHING similar to the packraft out there unfortunately..
Eric Parsons stuff is a great inspiration
Not sure about the climbing bit, but from Fort Bill you could go across Rannoch Moor (by boat or canoe or on foot) then to Dalwhinnie via Ben Alder (might be some climbing around here) then on to Aviemore / Grantown / Tomintoul sort of area by any one of several routes (Glen Tilt, Gaick Pass, Glen Feshie etc) than canoe down the Spey to the Moray coast.
Quite fancy doing something similar myself (I had my first taste of sea kayaking on Loch Hourn recently and loved it) but you'd have to find a very nice support driver and bribe them hugely.
There is a route across Rannoch Moor From Loch Ba and then on to Loch Rannoch and then you are into the River Tay system.
Me and a mate once spent two days biking round the cairngorms, starting in Braemar, then picked up a hired kayak in Aviemore and paddled down the Spey to the coast in two days.
We took a tent, camping every night, had a few crashes and three capsises - but a cracking time and would highly recommend it.
Thanks - all good food for thought. I think I'd anticipate convincing someone to drive too, although the packrafts look great. We'd be approaching the paddling from a sea kayaking angle too. But am certainly fired up enough to remind myself of biking routes around Aviemore now. Map time!