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As per the title really. As we aren't super fit we are thinking about doing this with an overnight at the bothy (a follow on from my plan me an adventure thread). Are we mad doing it with bike packing kit? Plan on taking the full sus and doing the big loop in McKanes Wild Scotland Trail book.
Leave kit at the start of the loop? Or is it a two day job? Through Coire Lair with kit was much less fun than without.
Was thinking of doing it as a two day job (though full loop is only 47 km, so not 2 full days!)
It would spoil the descents for me. Even relatively unfit it is easily doable in a day.
As above. The hike a bike section up from coulags is a grind even with just a day bag. I'd imagine it'd be soul destroying with kit.
Also, there are different versions of the loop. I'm not sure which one is in the book you mentioned but often it's described with a rather tame descent to achnashellach down a fire road. The other version involves a much more interesting descent but for some reason you don't seen it that often. [url= http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue_Map_TrailViewer.aspx?VenueNumber=27&TrailNumber=64&Unique=635959207987932381 ] This is (IMO) the better version. [/url]
That route that Opus shows is a good day out, but even at 59 yrs old I'd be struggling to do it over 2 days! (unless I took loads & loads of stuff, like beer)
Up there today with my son...I have done it fully loaded but its much better unloaded
Dump your kit at the bothy
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looks "moist"
Excellent wheelie for the camera.
Great pictures. If looking a little damp.
Hummm...you have all said what I was starting to think based on the reading I'd been doing this evening. We fancy doing this ride and also fancy a bikepacking bothy adventure, but maybe this isn't the route to combine the two.
To elaborate slightly, there's a long, flattish section between Torridon and (roughly) the tea house bothy you'll do in no time at all. It's about 12-15 miles - which is almost half the mileage (not the climb) of the full loop - but just on road and fire road so is really quick.
It's a brilliant ride though - the swoopy descent through to annat is just stunning. I've got to get up there again this year.
Great pics.
Coming up to Scotland later this month and the Torridon loop is one of the bigger days out we have planned. going to skip the Fire Road descent tyo the station for the more challenging and fun option though.
Hope it dries up a bit 😐
Carlos
I did the lollipop version of the route, Annat being the start and finish, and it works very well.
I was not keen to do that long road ride detour.
Don't try and bikepak this, it'll spoil a great day out. Do the loop as a one day ride from Annat, plan it carefully, get a moderately early start and take your time to really enjoy it as an all day ride that finishes at the Torridon Inn.
Then go and bikepak to a bothy elsewhere, eg the one halfway between Upper Diabaig & Redpoint.
Or if you really wanted to go back and stay at the Coulags/coire Fionnaraich bothy on that route, do it another day as a short out and back, bringing in some firewood to help make the best of the place.
Thanks very much all. You have made us reconsider. We will replan the route based on the advice above. So far still got no firm plans and will adapt with the weather.