North Coast 500, do...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] North Coast 500, done.

7 Posts
6 Users
0 Reactions
40 Views
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Completed the NC500 Friday night, finishing in Inverness at Midnight! Bike packed and wild camped (with the exception of two campsites) the whole route. It was challenging and the weather was almost certainly against me! Well worth doing but if ever I took the route again I would miss out most of Durness to John O Groats and John O Groats down to about Dunbeath, probably take the road down to Altnaharra instead, after Durness. Found it very bleak and uninteresting along the top and down the East Coast, until back into the scenery. It's all about the West Coast. It was cold all week, never really above 6/7 degrees and only 3 or 4 in the rain and rain it did, last Tuesday was a write off weather wise, I have never seen so much water coming off the land but got a 78 mile stint in regardless. Managed 120 miles on the last day. I'm told February would have been much drier, if a little colder. No doubt about it though, some of the scenery up the West side is stunning, but the weather on that Tuesday...... If you are thinking of doing it and have any questions feel free to ask. Managed to raise £1300 for Cancer Research by completing it as well. Trevor.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 9:27 am
Posts: 677
Free Member
 

Well done, glad you could still enjoy the scenery despite weather. Typical it's now quite nice up in the highlands.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 10:49 am
Posts: 43345
Full Member
 

I've just done a drop-off in Thurso. 1C and snow at Halkirk.

There's some amazing scenery (beaches, cliffs, rock stacks etc) down the East Coast but I know what you mean. Heading to Alltnaharra from Tongue is my preferred route.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 11:03 am
Posts: 17366
Full Member
 

Well done and in unpleasant weather too.

I live in the Highlands near the route, and for the last few days I've been looking out my window at the weather, and then my bike and thinking "Nup.".

I'd sooner go out in a blizzard than this just above zero rain. I'll have to MTFU it appears.

Yes, really well done. 🙂


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 11:53 am
Posts: 65
Free Member
 

Well done.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 11:55 am
Posts: 43345
Full Member
 

Are you doing a write-up/photo album?


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 11:58 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

I may do a write up, day by day and all. I actually found it quite difficult finding somewhere to wild camp over each night over the course of the week, if not for the deer fencing for the completely saturated and boggy ground. Link to photo album,

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0u532ODWSb5NJ

Trevor.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 1:58 pm
Posts: 5012
Free Member
 

Well done mate.
Great job.


 
Posted : 17/04/2017 3:08 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!