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Me and a mate have arranged to go up to Torridon for a week next year, having talked about it for years, but never done it...
Are there any guide books worth getting?
I found that a combination of Komoot and OS map worked just fine - it is a large area, but the trails are not that many and tend to follow obvious routes through the hills.
If you are into your hillwalking, can I suggest a daunder up a couple of peaks while you are there as well. IMO, the constantly rough and worn out trails while excellent were not as utterly brilliant as some make out (heretic, I know), but the hillwalking was every bit as wonderful as suggested.
Are you biking or walking would be the first question?
To be fair to Matt, the area has become a victim of its success, in mountain biking terms. Perhaps the worst affected route is the Beinn Damph circuit; while the climb around the south side of the hill has become much more rideable in the last ten years or so, the main descent to the north and heading back to the Torridon Inn has really suffered a lot of erosion, some of which has undoubtedly come from bike tyres. The trails, especially the Annat descent for example, were built a long time ago and long before the wear and tear of bike tyres could have been imagined. It isn't just us causing the obvious erosion, I've seen an estate quad bike trying to negotiate its way down that same trail with a stag on the back and another across the front; I'm sure that combination doesn't help... But we do have an impact.
I agree that planning a hill walk day (search out Fuselage Gully on Ben Eighe, for example perhaps?) is a great idea, as would be a day in a Canadian canoe on Loch Maree.
Mainly biking, but might do a day or two walking if we feel like it.
Yeah, sure I could find plenty of routes on the internet and looking at a map, but I'd rather spend an evening looking at book than scouring old forum posts and random routes on Komoot with no description.
I think and perhaps others can confirm kenny Wilson’s book(s) cover Torridon.
Mountainbike Scotland The Highlands (v. 1) https://amzn.eu/d/88Z0gWL
The 3 routes I’ve done in the area are
Lollipop or variation of it.
Being Dampf loop
The Coire Mac nobaill (sp!) loop round back of liathach.
All good and other than the latter id class as near full days.
The tollaidh path loop decent too not done in years tho. Start and finish at Loch Maree.
We did the Tollaidh path this August. I would say unless it's particularly dry don't bother, there's a lot of erosion and water running down the trail. We did enjoy the coffin road though between Applecross and Kenmore despite the atrocious weather we did it in.
Tollaidh an acquired taste for sure, not much flow other than top.
Just do the 4 main routes and perhaps a quick evening spin to Coire mich ****er
Damh:
https://strava.app.link/EUBPRxvINvb
Watch out for the dawgs
Applecross:
< edited>: https://strava.app.link/Zd1XQRRJNvb
They're both in the Vertibrate guide.
Main torridon loop is pretty obvious, but don't make the mistake of following the route in The Vertibrate book exactly. Instead ensure you do the Achnaschellach descent further west than the dull fire road in the book.
That route is in the other Vertibrate Book, rather annoyingly for you.
Then the lollipop route, which I've not yet done but is essentially a p shaped route that you'd get if you drag and drop the top right hand corner of the classic loop until it fell into upper Coire lair. Shit description but you can Google it. Torridon Hotel, Annat, col, Coire lair, achnashellach, coulags, the bothy, col, Annat, torridon
Some pictures here:
https://gbmtb.com/en/west-scotland/
@thegeneralist Thanks for those. Your Applecross link is the same as the the Beinn Damh one, have you got another link for it please?
Soz, fixed it now 🙂
https://www.adventurebooks.com/en-us/products/scotland_mountain_biking
https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/scotland_mountain_biking_vol_2?_pos=1&_sid=7ca4935dd&_ss=r
One book has Applecross and Damh. The other has [ slightly wrong,] Torridon loop
And since I'm in Google....
https://www.trailforks.com/route/torridon-lollipop/#:~:text=Torridon%20Lollipop%20is%20a%2024,ft%20then%20descends%20%2D4%2C247%20ft.
Have a nice day.
PS, stop in Dunkeld for a ride on the way up, then Bein Vrackie on the way down ( statistical assumption that you live in the southern 2/3 of the nation)
Cheers 🙂
Your assumption is just about correct (north east England) but planning to get the train up to Achnashellach and ride in
I really enjoyed the Torridon lollipop, the only issue was the trail seemed to disappear briefly at Achnashellach but it didn't really matter. I also added the loop round the back of Maol Chean Dearg, you turn left up the mountain shortly after the bothy that is out of Coulags.
If you do go walking then Beinn Eighe nature trail is beautiful and not too difficult.
I have a spare copy of Kenny Wilson's book...