Devil’s Staircase and Ciaran Path conditions

Rode the Devil’s Staircase both ways and the Ciaran path down from the dam yesterday.

It was pretty rough and very loose rock, quite good fun but a lot looser than I thought it would be.

I was wondering if it had deteriorated over the last few years, or was it always this rough and loose?

I did most of the CP last month and it didn’t seem much different to eight years ago.

My current bike probably made it a bit easier, if anything.

I’ve done it twice over the last 4 years and both times was as you describe.

There’s a good diversion if you take the singletrack up to Loch Eilde Mor (hard work) and then the single track  off the LRT to Kinlochmore. Steep but should be rideable for you Ian.

Cheers Stu, I’ll check it out, once my memory of push up the Devil’s Staircase (both ways) has subsided.

We rode the Ciaran path in June. I was shocked how technically difficult it was. I think we are fairly handy riders, but there were many sections we had to walk. And there was so much pedalling on the mid/lower section. I have to say that it wasn’t exactly as I imagined it.

it was damp the day we rode it, which may have made things more tricky.

We did the full WHW at the weekend and huge amounts of it were much more difficult than previously.  Much looser and many more rocks and boulders. Made it much more fun than earlier trips, on which a CX would almost have worked.

DS included.

Ciaran path is a completely different kettle of fish of course, since it is orders of magnitude harder than WHW.  Only did it once, years ago, and it was amazing. But deeply tech.

Was loose and rough 12-16 years ago.

Rode the Ciaran Path about 18 years ago and loved it – I only recall 3 bits that I didn’t ride and 1 was due to the path needing a repair. I’m in no way a technical rider, so I’m now thinking I’ve not ridden it (I was also on a hardtail). I suspect it has changed a lot since then, but I did really enjoy it.

Wow, the Insta embedding is finally fixed… anyway, I recall this being the most techy bit:

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Most of the rest would have been fine in the dry, but some of the rocks were well slippy – making it a real test of nerve and balance (which I didn’t fully pass).

Ciaran Path has always been loose. I ran the DS a year ago, didn’t seem too bad

I’m in awe of just how much easier that photo makes that section look compared to reality…..

I did an enduro race that used the Ciaran path once and we weren’t allowed to ride that bit 🙂 I mean, not including it in the timed stage was probably a good idea, but they literally stationed a marshall there who told you to get off and push and you’d be dq’d if you didn’t.

Love it. It is a tricky bit and the only place I have e ridden in the UK with netting.