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Just day-dreaming about summer plans and really fancy taking two days over the Ullapool - Alness coast-to-coast.
I'm just a bit confused about what bike to take. I've taken the gravel bike through a lot of relatively rocky terrain, so have perhaps gotten a bit arrogant, but can't understand the chat I'm hearing about the north bank on Loch an Daimh, it looks like a good landrover track in any pictures I've seen, but APPARENTLY the surface got washed away in one of the big storms several years ago. Even then, I'm not sure how bad a washed out landy track can be?
The Strava segment for that section is just called 'Hideous' which doesn't bode well 😁
As an aside, I was thinking on the westward leg to cut up Corrie Mulzie and take in the wee singletrack descent down Allt Nan Caorach, before returning via the Loch an Daimh section, any reason to do it the other way around?
Ta
You'll be fine on a gravel bike.
There are a couple of washed out sections where it is crossed by burns coming off Cnoc Damh. They just add to the fun.
The Allt nan Caorach section was part of the HT550 until last year. Can't say I'm a fan. Probably best heading north though. Remember to look out for the red arrow.
As an aside, I was thinking on the westward leg to cut up Corrie Mulzie and take in the wee singletrack descent down Allt Nan Caorach, before returning via the Loch an Daimh section, any reason to do it the other way around?
That's narrow in places in the glen and boggy at the north end but fairly rideable otherwise. I'm not sure if it's the sort of thing many people would love on a gravel bike but it's not far if you need to push.
It's a lovely wee glen though, the loch that's shown on the 1:25,000 is a cool feature and a little spooky.
Should just have PM'd you in the first place Scotroutes 😎
Since you're here, if you were doing a Maol Bhuidhe loop from Attadale and via Pait Lodge (and ignoring the horrors inherent in making a loop out of it via Pait Lodge) would you climb out of Glen Elchaig to the bothy at the start of the loop, or descend in to Glen Elchaig at the end?
I'm of a mind to climb out of the glen but I'm sure one of your photos made it look like death by steep grubble (which frankly is equally unappealing as a descent...). Climbing it at the start means a more prolonged 'average' descent back to Attadale via Bendronaig which would probably be better on a gravel bike anyway...
That’s narrow in places in the glen and boggy at the north end but fairly rideable otherwise. I’m not sure if it’s the sort of thing many people would love on a gravel bike but it’s not far if you need to push.
That's good intel.
To explain the 'arrogance' I mentioned earlier, I passed through the Gaick Pass on the gravel bike, and also down Glen Tilt and along the banks of Loch Builg. In every instance I loved it and made it through in one piece, so I'm not afraid of narrow trails on the gravel bike, just steep or fast ones! Shouldn't be too painful if I have to push bits at least.
For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no track from Attadale to Pait Lodge. Once past Loch Calavie you'll be heather bashing across peat bog to the bothy.
The loop is probably best counter-clockwise. I reckon it's better riding that way round, and looking down from the bothy you might be able to determine a decent route across to Loch Calavie (not that you'll be riding that bit).
I should just add a reminder not to rely on frame-mounted water bottles on the Ullapool C2C route. It's sheep country and everything will get covered in shit.
For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no track from Attadale to Pait Lodge. Once past Loch Calavie you’ll be heather bashing across peat bog to the bothy.
Yep, have been doing my research, currently looks like 3-5km of heather bashing from the end of a relatively rideable track from Loch Calavie, to Pait Lodge.
Thanks for confirming my preferred direction of travel though!
I've just been able to sit down to look at a map. We crossed from the Attadale track to the bothy track just west of Loch an Tachdaidh
That makes sense, on Bing aerial maps the 'good' track appears to stop at a ruin beside Allt a'Ghraigh-fhear* which feeds down to the west end of Loch an Tachdaidh. There appears to be an argocat track for another 1.5km to Allt Coir'a Charra which feeds the east end of Loch an Tachdaidh, and then virtually nothing until Pait Lodge. Strava also shows the track as far as the second stream although lord knows where they get that info from, there's virtually no heat track.
Someone has blogged an impressive run they did in the area, seems to confirm 3-5km heather bashing from the lodge to the Argocat track.
*Strava spellings...
Just a wee clarification on the C2C route. At Loch an Daimh, I seem to remember I took the northernmost path rather than hugging the Loch shore. Is my memory right or should you stick to the shore of the Loch. This is definitely on the cards to do it again this year.
I had certainly got the impression that you headed away from the loch on the northmost path