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Hi.
First of all. Sorry that my english is not perfect.
We are 3 guys that are looking for tips for multiway mtb trip.
The best would be a route that take 7-12 days. We would like to go without a guide.
We have the needed equipment for doing with tent, but we can also go for a hut to hut trip.
The last years we have finished GR5, Tour Mont Blanc, Colorado trail and Haute route.
Can someone help us with tips or information for new adventures? The route have to be possible to do between late June and early August.
Best regards
Andreas form Norway
Something like the Highland 550 route in Scotland would be a good option if you're thinking about the UK? Might be worth sticking a post on the [url=bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=7&sid=487835a22ed63e902f1f63aec190dce1]Bearbones[/url] forum as well, lots of bikepacking knowledge on there!
Also check out the "routes" section of [url= http://www.bikepacking.com/bikepacking-routes/ ]Bikepacking.com[/url], there's tons of ones for different countries with info and GPX files.
Hi,
Thank you. I will check it out.
I does not matter witch country. We can basically go anywhere.
To add to the above, Scotland is pretty much ideal for bikepacking.The country is relatively small and easy to get around but yet has a diverse range of landscapes, access by bike is good (relative to rest of UK the access laws are more in line with Scandinavian ethics – i.e. be responsible and you can go where you like) and there are a crazy amount of interesting diversions (history, castles, tower houses, battles, wildlife, birdlife, beaches, couple of fantastic cities, distilleries etc....) wherever you end up. So there are hundreds of options.
A few of my mates have come over from Norway/Sweden for more “technical” single day riding and road trips - I'd shown/recommended them riding in the Central Highlands around Dunkeld and into the Cairngorms, west to Kinlochleven and Fort William, and north of that in Torridon and around the north west. When they have come over in autumn/spring (or with terrible weather forecast) then we've headed south of Edinburgh and Glasgow where there is world-class biking on smaller hills (<700m, generally forested) pretty much year round. I'd say that the areas around Innerleithen and Peebles lend themselves best to shorter breaks (even weekend breaks) rather than extended bikepacking trips though.
For a first-time visit and the time of year and number of days you have in mind however I'd also recommend the now established Highland Trail route - particularly if you're after biking a single route encompassing a range of riding that shows some of the best the UK has to offer. It is a reasonably tough mountainous option in places, fairly easy valley riding in others, and there are opportunities for both using bothies (more on them later) and camping. The riding around Torridon in particular is really outstanding, and it would be possible to detour from the standard route to take in some more routes in this area if you are interested, especially given the time you have available.
The one area that I think you would miss by sticking purely to the Highland Trail route is something in the Cairngorms, which are well suited to trips of 2-4 days, with a number of mountain (i.e. over 1000m – it's all relative) tops reasonably accessible by bikes, even with lightweight bikepacking kit. There are also several useful bothies in this area, and the weather can be totally different from areas further West which are generally favoured by the Highland Trail route. Depending on the miles you are covering per day it could be possible to divert from the standard Highland Trail route near Laggan to access the Cairngorms close to towns of Kingussie or Aviemore. Aviemore is a big ski town historically, and while there is little to recommend the town itself, there is lots of stuff that tourists need, a great bike shop (or two), loads of accommodation and, most importantly, brilliant access to the hills. I would recommend looking into this as an option & asking for advice on here if it's of interest as there are plenty of possibilities.
On bothies – basically these are usually old buildings, maybe former shepherd's accommodation or similar that typically have a room or two and are free to use for anyone. There is no need (or possibility to) book in advance, and so although you need no permission you may find some of the popular ones busy. The best ones will have a fire and firewood, bunks and so on and be pretty idyllic. The worst ones may lack these things, a roof, or even a floor. The recently published [url= http://www.wildthingspublishing.com/product/scottish-bothy-bible/ ]Scottish Bothy Bible[/url] and mountainbothies.org.uk will keep you right. It's a different culture and approach to huts you are familiar with at home or elsewhere in Europe, but it has its benefits.
Other useful things –[url= http://nationalrail.co.uk ]trains[/url] take bikes with some planning advisable, [url= https://www.syha.org.uk/ ]youth hostels[/url] and [url= https://www.hostel-scotland.co.uk/ ]other hostels[/url] (there are some usefully located ones that might be handy), [url= http://www.mwis.org.uk/ ]weather[/url] (but yr.no is usually the best), maps (if you're buying) look for ordnance survey for general use or Harveys maps for mountainous areas in addition to gps ideally (the National Library of Scotland has some excellent ones free online but I can't find a useful direct link now).
Hope that helps, and enjoy wherever you end up.
That’s a great post. Super helpful and in the spirit of this place. Great.
Yes great post. Bookmarked.