Plan us a 3-4 day adventure

We have a weeks leave next week, but due to life being somewhat manic of late we haven’t planned anything. We don’t think we can escape for the whole week (life stuff to sort!) so are looking for a mini adventure for 3-4 days which may get us away from telephones and day-to-day life!

We have to our disposal 2 touring kayaks, bikes ranging from cx, hardtails and full sus, walking boots (+ axes, crampons etc – probably not needed now), bike packing stuff, base camp tent, 2-man mountain tent, bivy kit and a raft of general kit (rucksacks, waterproofs, stoves etc)….

We are Newcastle based and can probably manage 4 days out and about, depending on the driving to get there. Prefer to be Peak District up to Scotland way – i.e. North ‘half’ of the UK.

Few notes: cash is a bit tight, so flash hotels or buying lots more kit isn’t a option; due to a back issue I cant really manage a long hike-a-bike or 4 long days paddling in a row; due to life getting in the way, neither of us are that fit at the moment so epic miles won’t really work.

I am normally a planner, but spending too much time planning other things at the moment, I am quite happy for someone else to come up with a general plan for us!

Many thanks 🙂

Bump for the lunchtime crew…

Not very exotic but Sandstone Way if you havent done is worth a look. Train to Berwick, then 4 days Berwick – Wooler – West Woodburn – Hexham – Newcastle.

Pub accommodation or Bivi.

Knoydart?

Always fancied it since reading an article in TGO years ago.

Not so sure how much is rideable though, think it appeals more to walkers/paddlers.

Cycle from Crianlarach (avoiding the hike a bike section) to Fort William on the WTW?

Cycle the great glen way?

Paddle the Great Glen?

Cycle the trans Pennine Trail?

Cycle the way of the Roses?

Cycle tour around Mull?

Cycle the Coasts and Castles route to Edinburgh?

Lake District. Not so busy yet, could do a bit of water based, walking and biking ?

Tour de Cairngorms. Various ways to string it together, but some pointers- pick your day lengths from this:

Blair Atholl- Gaick pass to Rothiemurchus (Drake’s bothy), Ryvoan (bothy), Tomintoul, Glen Avon, Cullardoch, Braemar (YHA) Linn of Dee to Geldie & Glen Tilt, return to Blair Atholl.
Or you can use a B&B at the likes of Newtonmore, Kincraig, Feshie Bridge.
There’s also a very good bothy at Ruidh Etchachan in Glen Feshie if you drove to Braemar to start, then head west past the Geldie to Feshie and continue clockwise that way.
Shops at villages and at Loch Morlich at the east end of Rothiemurchus.
Snow line has largely retreated to about 700m, so won’t trouble you.
More technical variations to the route are also available, let me know if you want more info. Plenty of folk have bashed round in two days. Three is still a bit of a challenge, especially if the weather is against you. Four days is quite relaxed, giving plenty of down time or bothy time.
Enjoy.

Lakeland 200

See http://www.selfsupporteduk.net/routes/Lakeland200.html

Excellent few days out. Do in 4 days if not feeling superfit.

Hi,

Not sure about South Scotland but lots of places to wild camp in GlenEtive/Kinglass etc.if want to do WHWish and around that area.

I like the idea of doing Loch Nevis and wild camping on the beach in Knoydart (done the wild camp but didnt paddle over). There is also the bothy at Camusrory (top of loch nevis). Loch Nevis is a reasonably sheltered loch and good for paddling but Im no expert and it is April.

Up above Inverness, you can wild camp just about anywhere if you know the spots and look after your site (of course). And so many hills, bike routes and lochs to paddle 🙂

Hoof some head of state in the slats and see where the week takes you.

Not very exotic but Sandstone Way if you havent done is worth a look.

This is on our to-do list. Might be an idea as we can then keep it flexible. I guess my unfit body would get round it in enough days. It would be a good way to get fit anyway!

Paddle the Great Glen?

Thanks Scruffy, a good list to look over tonight. Great Glen paddle is also on our to do list, but not sure my back will cope with multi day paddles at the moment. We need to do some single full days and see how it goes first.

Lake District. Not so busy yet, could do a bit of water based, walking and biking ?

Aye, we were there doing that for 4 days at the end of Feb for my birthday, so think I am looking for a variation, thanks though.

I like the idea of doing Loch Nevis and wild camping on the beach in Knoydart

Knoydart?

This looks worth looking up. Happy to do the paddle/walk route.

Tour de Cairngorms

Oh, had thought of that in the past. How much hike-a-bike/pushing is involved? That is where my back suffers. Done some riding round there before. Our bike packing kit is more suited to our HT’s than FS – or would that kill the bottom!?

Don’t overlook Dumfries and Galloway. I’m in Newcastle too – Galloway Forest is reachable in about 2 and half hours. Massive, beautiful and quiet. Me and my other half did a great 2 day walk there last year with a bivvy in between. A few bothies around too.

Would love to do a paddle up the Northumbrian coast at some point too, camping on beaches. Did a two day walk/bivvy similar to the above last year and bivvied at Budle Point, but plenty of beautiful, almost empty spots.

I’m excited for you now! 😀 Wish I had 4 days off work.

I’ve got a Cicerone guide of backpacking routes in northern England (mostly two day walks with a bivvy spot/campsite/hostel in between). Not exactly what you’re looking for, but I use it for inspiration – you can extend routes, tack two together, etc. You’re welcome to borrow it.

Cairngorms:
I’ve done it on a steel hardtail several times/versions, once towing a trailer. Very little in the way of hike, a couple of landslides in upper Feshie if you go that way but apart from these and a handful of river crossings, it’s 100% rideable. And I’m old…

Going Gaick- Rothie- Tomintoul- Builg- Braemar- Tilt it is 100% rideable apart from rivers.

OP – your back … get some prescription strength Voltarene

If Lakes have been done you could easily find 3-4 days of rides in Peak district if you’ve not been before but otherwise it may feel a bit second best after Lakes in Feb ?

Found some interesting looking walking and kayaking routes – more the ‘freshwater’ ones as we aren’t experienced in dealing with tides etc (I deal with them for my work as an academic, but very different in a kayak!). We could then possibly also do a half day ride in the area.

Right, lots of things to spend this evening looking at. Thanks all for the inspiration – like northwind I am getting excited now too 😀

Long range forecast is a bit naff, but few ideas in different areas we could maybe adapt.

Great link, bookmarked for later reading. I’ve been itching to have a go at kayaking of some description at some point. Did a bit of sit-on-top sea kayking at Cullercoats last year. Also come very close to buying a packraft. Actually the reason I didn’t is because I wasn’t sure I’d ever do enough to make it worthwhile buying over hiring from the packrafting store in Holland. Might be worth considering for your trip? Pretty reasonable hire rates compared with cost of buying, though admittedly not cheap.

Please don’t have all my adventures for me 😀

I’m an academic as well (sort of: RA) – electrical engineering at Newcastle. What do you do that involves tides?

Torridon, a couple of days biking and a couple of days boating. Both are really good.

We have looked at packrafts in the past, but having recently spent money on touring kayaks and the likihood of my back never been good enough to carry super heavy weights long distances, think we’ll just keep playing with them for now.

I’m an academic as well (sort of: RA) – electrical engineering at Newcastle. What do you do that involves tides?

I’m an RA and part time lecturer in sea level science at Durham….you need to know surprisingly little about tides that are actually of any use to boating!

Torridon, a couple of days biking and a couple of days boating. Both are really good.

Ah yes, we bought the maps for that area a while back – will add it to my list. Thanks MrHoppy.

Or Skye/plockton and bike beinn faddha (SP) and boat around plockton and another day into the cullins.

We have a couple of plans, but Highlandman I was wondering do you have a .gpx file of:

Going Gaick- Rothie- Tomintoul- Builg- Braemar- Tilt it is 100% rideable apart from rivers.

Gives us some options on the east and west depending on the weather.

We have binned off the ‘life’ requirements, so we now have most of next week from Monday 🙂

Drive to Aviemore, camp at Glenmore and do what takes your fancy so you actually have a break.

…and do what takes your fancy so you actually have a break

NZCol…are you my boss in disguise….? 😛

Hop on the boat to Amsterdam, pootle between youth hostels. I’m staying in this one in a couple of weeks for £20 including breakfast.

Just done a lap around NW Scotland it was class despite the intermittent showers
Day 1 Drove to Aveimore cheeky camp outside Bridge Inn(closed quick spin on the bike around the Rothy Estate
Day 2 Drove to Loch Maree cheeky camp walk on route and at the Loch would have been perfect for the Kayak gutted i did not take mine!
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Day 3 Biked to Kinlochewe Forest and did a loop (there was no forest) drove to Torridon used the YHA for a shower £3 and left biking gear in the drying room to dry picked up following morning cheeky camp steak and ales at the Torridon Inn cheeky camped!
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Day 4 rode to Applecross from Kenmore chilled and paid to stay on a Campsite £15 for 2 persons child was free watched a great sunset
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Day 5 Drove to Laggan Locks cheeky camp and did a family orientated ride
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Views like this all week 🙂
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

Postierich…when I initially saw your post my thought was ‘god I cant keep up with any adventure you did as you are a machine!’…however, that has some overlap with our current rough idea which includes the Torridon circuit with a bivy (know it can be done in a day, but we are unfit and adds a dimension) and kayaking and wild camp on Loch Maree. Breaking the drive up with a stop in Aviemore isn’t a bad idea as we cant leave till latish Monday.

Cheers for the inspiration and photos.

We were travelling in the blue van 🙂
Torridon circuit is a good call very doable in a day bike packing and there is a great bothy(hunting lodge)
Loch Maree was great very quiet and there were clean toilets to 🙂 we left late on day one as I was at work !
Took it in turns to drive the van as i rode all the off road bits and my other half rode the road bits worked quiet well.
There is a campsite next to the Torridon YHA with shorwers but it was swampy

Thanks for the info re the Torridon campsite. We had been considering it. Our van isnt good for camping, just full of kit so need somewhere to pitch the tent.

So after so much useful advice, it only seems fair to report back. We ended up on a road trip with 1-day adventures – totally made it up as we went along dependant on the weather!

Day 1 – Drove to Aviemore once finishing work allowed. Camped at Rothiemurchus. Nice and quiet with decent facilities.
IMAG1063_1 by Tasha[/url], on Flickr

Day 2 – Singletrack ride round Rothiemurchus including Lairig Ghru and some of the off piste stuff. Our lack of bike time of late did show, but still much fun with mid ride coffee and cake 🙂
FB_IMG_1460923910267 by Tasha[/url], on Flickr

Day 3 – wedding anniversary paddle on the Spey. Self shuttled with the train between Kinguisse and Aviemore. Didnt quite go to plan – a strong headwind (the 1% of the year it blew from the NE) resulted in 1-foot high waves on the river in places (not in the photo!)! Bailed at Kincraig once my elbows started to complain. However, a great experience in our so far limited kayaking careers.
FB_IMG_1460923901264 by Tasha[/url], on Flickr

Anniversary dinner fishcakes and chips (so hungry!) and drove to Torridon. Camped at the donation campsite Postierich mentioned above – a bit boggy in places but not bad. Amazing sunset.
IMAG1074 by Tasha[/url], on Flickr

Day 4 – Ben Damph circuit. Wonderful weather. Climb was a bit of a slog but conditions weren’t bad and we just took our time over it. It was a good job we didn’t do the big loop – we enjoyed what we did, rather than it being a mission, but we will be back. Pint (or two!) at the Torridon in the not so warm sun! Treated ourselves to a night in a bed and proper showers at the YHA.
Untitled by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

Day 5 – Beinn Eighe walk. Yes it might be waymarked, but a small mountain that packs a punch and was ideal in rapidly deteriorating weather! Break in the horizontal hail/snow/rain at the top for the view. Drove to Applecross and enjoyed an evening at the Applecross Inn.
Untitled by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

Day 6 – the forecast heavy snow closed the Applecross pass, so took a slow drive round the north road – wonderful views to Skye.
IMAG1118 by Tasha[/url], on Flickr

Drove to Achnashellach with the intention of doing the singletrack via a short loop, but the weather was naff and we were starting to feel tired too fight with snow etc. Started drive south and ended up camping at Glentress Lodges with a winning take away curry supper! Randomness of people turning at 1 am, lighting a fire and blowing up air beds at 3 am – some mtb’ers are odd!

Day 7 – enjoyable blast round the red, with tired legs. Started to rediscover my riding. Drive home, fill the house with wet, smelly kit and smiles!

Excellent pics sounds like a grand trip shame you did not get over the pass @ Applecross

Nice. Tagged for future ref

Thank you all for the advice in helping to plan our adventure. A fantastic week and Torridon has definitely left a mark on me, a truly magical place.
A couple of panoramas:

Untitled_Panorama1 by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

Torridon by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr