West Highland Way - Crib Notes

A few weeks ago, two others and I pulled the trigger on a long-held idea to cycle the West Highland Way. We did it over 2 days (which we thought was a happy medium in the fun, but still challenging stakes) and what follows are my crib notes from the adventure.

I'm posting this as I know in preparing for the ride I looked up countless articles, videos etc for real world experiences (e.g. not smashing FKTs for breakfast), so my hope is that this can be filed in the internet hive mind under the ‘middle aged plodder’ category.

I’ve broken the days down with how we tackled them – your mileage may vary but it’ll give you an idea of what’s involved. It took us 17hrs in total, with plenty of breaks to enjoy the scenery, weather, lack of midges, and eat food (lots of food).

Would we do it again? Nah, probably not, but it’s an epic Scottish rite of passage that should be experienced at least once.

DAY 1

Milngavie – Balmaha (31km)

• An easy start to the day, with little notable elevation towards Drymen. Followed by fine weather, we treated this as an opportunity to get our legs spinning. We took the mantra of the ride not actually beginning until coffee at St Mocha in Balmaha.
• There are ‘oh so many’ gates on this stretch – freakin’ loads of them.
• The path up the shoulder of Conic Hill is rideable, but the descent on the other side is…interesting. Rideable up top, but the hundreds of newly installed steps quickly become very steep, and sizeable. It’s definitely do-able if you’re on the tech side of the fence, but watch your weight so your front wheel doesn’t get swallowed. You really don’t want to go over the bars here.
• Water wise there is a Top Up Tap in Balmaha (which are legendary pieces of infrastructure – go Scottish Water!)

Balmaha – Inversnaid (24km)

• This section is full of nice, flowy singletrack and path networks which lead you lochside in and out of the forest before you eventually hit the Loch Lomond high road (the lower road was closed for us due to works). There are plenty of opportunities to test your long jump skills off a drainage bar, or clear a few steps to liven up the ride between punchy up hills.
• Following the high road, this is just a plod along affair on variable terrain. The section gives you little snippets of what is in store for you north of Inversnaid, conveniently making you flex your hike a bike muscles in anticipation of what is to come.
• There is a Top Up Tap at Rowerdennan, and another tap at Inversnaid, so don’t be shy with hydrating or bottle filling – you will probably need it.

Inversnaid – Ardleish (7km)

• OK, super short section but oh my days, I am highlighting this for a reason. It is a solid, unforgiving hike a bike for the vast majority.
• There are multiple rocky pitches, tight squeezes (with a bike on your shoulders), root traverses, and all sorts which make this very challenging. If it’s wet, don’t be a hero, and take your time (or you’ll end up in the loch).
• Probably the best bet is to get your head down, figure out how to carry the bike comfortably, and just grind it out. We took just over 2hrs for this section with plenty of breaks.
• I’ll admit this was my lowest ebb – my fitness is pretty good, but my strength was not up to the task. I clearly needed more time on the weights rather than the spin bike!

Ardleish – Tyndrum (23km)

• Despite being north of the loch, we found this surprisingly stop – start in places until Bienglas, so forewarned is forearmed and all that. There are plenty of chunky drainage bars and boulder chicanes which sap any flow you think you’ve mustered.
• We found a temptation here to just make up the miles (post Loch Lomond), but I’d recommend stopping at Beinglas campsite and re-fueling. The next section is just up, up, up to Tyndrum and you’ll feel it if you don’t.
• North of Bienglas you are on open estate roads with pretty solid terrain. Nothing hugely challenging – just miles of steady incline, and the opportunity to crunch the miles out with a bit more pace should you want to.
• Once you top out just north of Crianlarich some of the descents are a hoot; you almost feel like you are doing regular trail riding for a bit, so enjoy the woods, the actual dirt under your tyres, and a bit of descending speed.

Tyndrum – Bridge of Orchy (11km)

• Re-fuel at the Good Food Cafe / Green Welly in Tyndrum, then it’s a short incline and descent into Bridge of Orchy. Nothing challenging of note here with variable terrain on estate roads, the odd boulder field to contend with, and the Auch Estate (of morbid interest to some!).

DAY 2

Bridge of Orchy – Glencoe Ski Resort (17km)

• If camping at Bride of Orchy you get a lovely pre-breakfast punch in the face straight up the contours of Mam Carraigh, before descending a loose, boulder strewn path to the Inverornan Hotel. Breakfast time!
• Following Inverornan it’s a more or less straightforward drag up the hill via Thomas Telford’s military road with good conditions, although a bit ‘sandy’ in places nearer to Glencoe. The scenery really opens up here, so although the temptation is to slam the miles out, looking up from the bars really is recommended.
• The descent into the Ski Centre is right on theme for the day – loose, rocky, plenty of opportunity for speed but you’ll need to pick your line carefully or risk pinch flats, or a close encounter with the baby head sized marbles.
• Also, look for the early ‘get out’ of the trail which takes you directly to the Ski Centre (if re-fueling). If you miss it, it’s a gut punch of a drag up the road to the car park!

Glencoe – Kinlochleven (18km)

• Why talk about anything other then the Devil’s Staircase. In reality, this isn’t too bad. It was a 25min hike a bike with fresh legs (the week before), and after a day and a bit of riding it was more like 45mins. It’s bark (the name) is worse than it’s bite (the hike a bike). Although, how someone has run up it, with a bike, in 16 minutes, I cannot comprehend. Truly bonkers (chapeau Gary McDonald).
• The descent is fantastic, and this is where your ‘Joe Barnes’ stylee drainage bar hops will come in clutch. Tech, fast and brilliant fun. Cleaning it is satisfying, a dab or two still commendable. Just remember, it’s better to commit to a hop rather than a half try – a flat here would suck.
• The last note here is that the Hydro Road to the village is wildly fast, but watch out for hikers round some of the corners. It’s also really easy to cook your brakes, but in a manner which leaves you grinning ear to ear as you fly down next to the hydro pipes, or divert via the odd off-piste enduro trail.

Kinlochleven – Fort William (25km)

• After a re-fuel at the Co-Op, the ascent out of Kinlochleven is pretty brutal. I found it much worse than the Devils Staircase. Another case of put your head down, and hope soon to reach the Old Military Road, way above the trees. The trade-off is that the views west to the Pap of Glencoe and beyond are just ridiculous, and well worth the struggle.
• Once finding the road, the trail winds its way north-west through stunning glens. The trail surface is pretty loose in places, and no one will complain if you walk now and again when your tyres sink into the beach like conditions on one of the many punchy ups.
• Almost done, but the sting in the tail is the approach to Glen Nevis. You hang right round Mullach Nan Coirean to find another section of trail, but with variable elevation. You are up, then down, then up again, and at this point with tired legs – Ben Nevis looms in the distance, but it doesn’t seem to get closer?
• 45mins later you reach the final fire road, look over Glen Nevis and you know it’s finish time. Descend the hill, try to avoid the oh so tempting doubles on the trail adjacent to the Way (what could go wrong with sending a loaded bike and tired legs off a few jumps?!) and on to the pub…sorry, finish line….which is next to the pub(s).

Additional context: The ride was completed by a group of generally pretty fit 40yr olds who trained specifically for the ride for 4 months prior. The bikes for the ride consisted of two Ragley hardtails, one HB130, all with very high PSI Maxxis XC tyres and rear inserts. No mechanicals to note, no punctures fixed, and it was very much run what you brung.