[Closed] Torridon Route advice, path west of Maol Chean dearg.. Annat- Coulags option

Do. It.

This is the view you get of An Ruadh-stac from the bealach(although you'll likely get less snow this weekend)
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5008/5259308486_42d319088e_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5008/5259308486_42d319088e_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/5259308486/ ]2003-02-09 123357[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]druidh_dubh[/url], on Flickr

Thanks, looking good for a drive up Friday, do this Saturday as the forecast is pretty good, beer and medals in Shieldaig, back Sunday am..

A plan is forming me thinks...

I'd be up for it other than my dicky shoulder....

It's not really a rideable climb - (45 min carry/push) but the descent is good.

The path to where druidh's photo is taken is maybe 50% rideable. From that point down it's all rideable.

A good option is to do this then when you hit the normal route at Loch an Eion head back up to the Bealach na Lice, turn left and over the Bealach Ban into Coire Grannda and then down into Coire Lair from there.

Spectacular views of Liathach and Beinn Eighe from the approach to Coire Grannda.

Thanks folks, so a good circuit could be Coulags - B Choire Gharbh-Loch Eion - B na Lice - B Ban-Choire Grannda-Achnashellach

Beer/medals Ledgowan...

You WILL love it.

Yes that's the first loop we done of the area on bikes back in 2003. It's always the one I choose to do as my favourite although the descent into Annat is a topper. Fit a good pair of tyres if you want to rag down towards Achnashellach on the return! Its fairly rough compared to the Annat descent in a different way (the rocks just after the wee loch at the top would no doubt shred some tyres compared to the Annat descent unless you take it easy)

From Bealach Ban towards Coire Grannda it will look like the track vanishes into nothing. Stop and have a close look up to your right and you will see the Mountain Druid has just posted a pic of over the top of the hairpins.If you look closely you will see the track winding up in the foreground.

Once past the small loch at the top,after 15 mins or so you can hang a left down Drochaid coire lair towards the waterfall if you want to extend it a bit,then head right to finish off on the coulin pass towards Acnashellach. It extends the loop but its not as technical as the descent straight down into Achnashellach.

From Bealach Ban towards Coire Grannda it will look like the track vanishes into nothing. Stop and have a close look up to your right and you will see the Mountain Druid has just posted a pic of over the top of the hairpins.

I'd be really surprised if you could see that from there as the picture is of An Ruadh-Stac which is several km away behind the shoulder of Sgorr Ruadh.

The route into Coire Grannda is pretty obvious even if the path peters out a little at the corrie lip.

Finish off the last part without going down to the waterfall/extended route. Do the moaby rocky stuff straight down into Achnashellach as your first intro to Coulags! Aim to feed and hydrate for 6 hours.

Spin, sorry you are right! I was thinking the pic was from the top of coire lair. Rick,forget what I said about the view in druids pic.

If you head around to Grannda you will hike the bike up to see this:

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6401769003_0a56ef7e2a_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6401769003_0a56ef7e2a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/65460103@N08/6401769003/ ]coulags zesty top of achnashellach descent pic 9[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/65460103@N08/ ]martinxyz[/url], on Flickr

Sorry for the confusion!

Martin, thanks for this. so Coulags - B Choire Gharbh-Loch Eion - B na Lice - B Ban-Choire Grannda-Achnashellach is the way to go leaving out the descent to Annat...

I have climbed from Coulin into Drochaid Coire Lair (need a good bh technique for the descent of this), and descended to Achnashellach, cleaning it all except for one RH tun with a rock bulge on the left, you will probably know the one... great day out.

Martin, tell me about Deathtrack 3...

RH tun with a rock bulge on the left, you will probably know the one

Everyone who has done that loop will remember that exact rock!

Rick - you have PM on FB

What I'd do is go from Coulags to Bealach Ban to Achnashellach, back to Coulags and then down to Annat. Providing you have two motors so you can leave one at Annat.

Steve, thats a big car shuttle...

Mark, call tomorrow.. Need a UST Nobby Nic as well...

Check it out Rick......remember we've got a trip up there planned for October. Good to get some advance knowledge, though I'm very keen to do that Annat descent again.

I got back yesterday from the Torridon area and it's drying out nicely.

Sorry Rick,I never returned to this thread in time! Deathtrack is the coastal path from Elgol to Camasunary on Skye. Do it alone so you don't have to witness yer mate/mates falling to their death. If you do it alone,nobody can witness your fall either so its the best option ;O)

If you do decide to push/ride the bike along it,beware of the cliff drop you come to. You won't ride or walk over the edge as someone has now put a rope between the trees! The path veers to the right a little to get around it.

Hopefully in the next few weeks going to do what I reckon is the perfect combo which is starting from Annat, up to Bealach na Lice, Coire Grannda, Achneshellach, Coulags, Bealach na Lice, Annat. It includes both the big descents without the two car logistics

That’s effectively the same route we did on Saturday but we parked at Achneshellach Station, a few minutes road biking the 5k down to Coulags, up and over to Annat, then back via the Coire Grannda / Coire Lair descent which finishes right next to where we park. ‘twas a cracking day out.

How long did that take you yetiman? Sounds like the majority of the route is rideable? Thinking of heading up there in early september to sample torridon riding and that sounds like a great route.

It took two of us 7.5 hours approx and it didn't feel like we were hanging about much. About 1200m of climbing altogether and about 45km.

If anyone's up there tomorrow I'll see you there 🙂

Don't discount the Bein Damh (Ben Damph) loop ,
http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNumber=27#TrailNumber200 good for a half day ride,easy to navigate ,with hardly any pushing and starts and finishes at the pub.I thought the Damh descent was as good if not better than the Annat one.The Coire Lair descent was the best of them all though.

Does the midgie epidemic start to settle in Torridon by early sept?

Take some Smidge, a midge net and don't stop and you'll be fine.

That's a no then. Loved your write up of this ride btw on the other thread.

Thanks. TBH although they were pretty good conditions for midgies that day, they weren't too bad even when we stopped to repair my rear mech. I wouldn't let it stop you, go when the weather is decent and the days still relatively long.

flyingmm - It took our group of 9 just over 7 3/4 hours but that included an hour or so for lunch at the Torridon Inn. The majority of the route is rideable... there's a wee bit of unavoidable hike a bike but the final descent back to Achneshellach Station is worth all the effort.

Anyone ridden (up or down) the Coire a' Cheud-Chnoic path? (the one running behind the Ling Hut) Just wondering if it'd make a better climb to Coire Grannda than the Annat path. I know that the path on the map dies out on the slope of Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine and so doesn't quite link up with the one from Bealach Ban but it looked like it would be easy enough to link them up when we were there last week.

Oh and would second the Ben Damph route - great loop!

planning to do some riding in torridon in september, this thread is perfect to help with my planning!