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Looking for a bit of advice on doing the WHW over 2 days. I know its not very rad or particularly hard as Ive done big chunks of it before. My mate wants to do a wee trip in October down the lakes on the road bikes but Im not feeling it. So was thinking of doing the WHW as the midges will be long dead by then and hes not that gifted on the mtb so the route should be fine for seeing some great scenery and feeling like yer some sort of biking Bear Grhylls.
Any advice wher to stay half way along. I'll probably by pass the first shitty hike a bike bit.
I'd aim for tyndrum, or Crianlarich at the very least tbh. Start early in the morning, ie 6am, and don't skip the shite bit, it's still fun!.
Enjoy.
If south to north stay in tyndrum. If you finish in crainlarich you have a big climb straight away. Oh and lots of the route is quite technical...
I know its not very rad or particularly hard
That contradicts your plan to miss a bit out. Not that I am particularly suggesting that bit is worth it - but the WHW has some very good biking interspersed with some long easy sections. It’s not necessarily the best mountain views you can spend your time on, but if you want to do it in two days you won’t be soaking up the views too much anyway. Even in October (especially if you go when kids are off) it is unlikely to be quiet and so you may disappoint yourself if you think it’s Bear Gryllz territory.
the devils staircase probably rides better heading North but the general advice to do it heading south so you meet the majority of the foot traffic head on is logical to me. In that case head to FW and then just go south. If you are trying to squeeze it all in to two days then I think you are looking at either the Glencoe Ski Centre (the have wooden pod things - I think the nearby Kingshouse hotel is closed for refurb) or Bridge of Orchy (bunk house or hotel). Either way you will both need to be fit and travel light.
Whilst I’d be happy taking the cycle friendly alternative route at the top of LL - to me if you are going to ride the WHW you need to go FW to GLA otherwise the significance of the named route is irrelevant and you’d be better planning a few days that have better riding/views etc to suit your taste and your friend’s ability. Be under no illusions that whilst it’s not downhill rad enough for many on here there are bits where some bike skills make the difference between riding and pushing for quite long ways and a few big climbs where only the fittest and technically able riders will not resort to foot.
2 days is a good timescale. Any longer would be dull. Have kit transported to Bridge of Orchy and ride fast and light. Loads of quick food and water options on way as you would know from having done a lot of it previously.
I wouldn’t do it north to south. The scenery gets better when you do it south to north.
I would even argue doing it over 3 days. This means you can stop at some of the pubs on route and fully enjoy the scenery. Tyndrum isn’t a nice place!
We did it in May, 4 years ago. Was 3 days of stunning sunshine, mid 20’s temps 🙂
We stopped at Beinglas Farm, and Glencoe Mountain Resort and Glen Nevis YH
Depends what you want out of it I guess but personally it’s a beautiful part of the world and why rush through it
Two days is perfect, stay at Strathfillan or Tyndrum.
I'm a firm believer in South to North, just seems 'right' starting in the city and finishing in Fort William, rather than other way round.
Lots of opportunity for extra radness descending off Devil's Staircase into Kinlochleven, just turn right when you hit the landrover track, ride up to dam on the concrete conduit, cross dam, turn left, descend : )
The shitty bit is still good if you go equipped for it, e.g. shoes that are easy to walk in!
the cycle friendly alternative route at the top of LL
What the alternate you are thinking of there?
but the general advice to do it heading south so you meet the majority of the foot traffic head on is logical to me.
Sorry. This is not general advice. As per the other posters I'd say south to north is the way to go. This is Scotland we're talking about not Oxford Road. There might be a few people about but they don't cause any major hardship and to do the route the wrong way simply due to this delusion that it'll be rammed is just bonkers. In October....
Overthink things much.?
PS. Have a look on my WHW thread from last summer. Some good info and options on there.
Theres a good alternative to the north end of LL in here
😎 https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/wet-highland-way-duathlon-with-the-wean/
Thats a brilliant write up of your trip @thegeneralist. Thanks very much .
What the alternate you are thinking of there?
Hopping on on the ferry and then following the cycle path up the side of the (A82?) until the drovers to miss the section north of inverarnan
I would personally miss that loch side section. It's a ****ing misery. Not worth it, dont listen to the Bear Grills fanboys about how 'youve not really done it unless you wreck your bike scrambling over boulders for 5 miles of absolute drudgery' bail at Inversnaid and get the ferry across,resume at Bienglass.
South to North is the only way to do it, that's how it was designed from the populated area's onto the lowlands then into the highlands.
Incidentally I met three cyclists at Glengoyne on my way up who said whatever you do, don't do the section at the top of the Loch it's not worth it.
I was all William big nads, like nae bother to me. I'd rather hammer a rusty nail into my big toe than do that hauling my bike. No riding was done.
I'm having a crack at a sub 24hr next year.
The thing is, from a walking point of view it's one of the nicest bits of trail on the Way, feels more remote than any other section and is actually a beautiful bit of trail.
Anyway, who wants to say 'I rode the West Highland Way... except for the difficult bits'? :winkyface:
What the alternate you are thinking of there?
Hopping on on the ferry and then following the cycle path up the side of the (A82?) until the drovers to miss the section north of inverarnan
by cycle track do you mean road?
Just back from riding it North to South. We were about 21hrs in total on it, fatigued from riding the Great Glen Way immediately before it. I’d actually recommend the GGW over it, but only if you do the high level bits as the descents off the top are pretty fun.
I did the WHW South to North last year in 17hrs, and I’m not a rapid rider, so estimate that amount of moving and plan your days accordingly. Bear in mind it’ll be darker in October, so plan to ride the good bits during the day.
In my opinion the Devil’s Staircase has been ruined by the path ‘improvements’ currently being undertaken. Smooth surface and drainage ditches instead of the rocky fun that used to be there. For anyone who knows the route, heading North it’s fine until the footbridge, then it turns into drainage ditches too wide to ride and without an alternative option - unlike the paths in the Cairngorms and elsewhere.
That said, the route overall is good, the descent into Glencoe is a screamer. The LL carry really isn’t that bad, just a bit of lifting and lowering of the bike and a lot of pushing. Some ‘improvements’ to that trail wouldn’t go amiss though.
Kingshouse is a shell at the moment, but Glencoe Cafe is open 9 to 8 and they have glamping. Tyndrum or Strathfillan makes a great halfway point, or if you want to shorten your second day Bridge of Orchy would work.
In my opinion the Devil’s Staircase has been ruined by the path ‘improvements’ currently being undertaken. Smooth surface and drainage ditches instead of the rocky fun that used to be there.
Shame, I remember basically riding that whole section far too fast and completely out of my comfort/skill zone, only survived by a series of last minute/desperate/flukey bunny hops and general yanking off bars. Great fun.
Sounds all the more reason to detour back up to the Blackwater and make use of some of other descents into Kinlochleven, get your money's worth.
Sounds all the more reason to detour back up to the Blackwater and make use of some of other descents into Kinlochleven, get your money’s worth.
Totally - except there’s a massive hydro track going in across the valley, so all bets are off!
Hopping on on the ferry and then following the cycle path up the side of the (A82?) until the drovers to miss the section north of inverarnan
There is no cycle path, it's the A82 mate, as Seosamh rightly alludes to.
I've did both, the ballache bit and the ferry and road, if I was to do it again, I'd go ballache again, as my 13th friend up there says, it's a braw part of the route, and not really that bad if you're used to a bit of hike a bike. If you're a roadie-type MTBer, ie a total purist who only pedals, then you'll hate it. Each to their own.
I've always wondered if this is probably the "cycling" alternative to the noth whw that everyone is missing. Couple of road bits, but the bit down from the rest and be thankful is all downhill, so you can skoosh that in a few mins. I've cycled up glen kinglas but never went right over to invernan from there, so unsure if you can make it right over, pretty sure you could, there is a big fire road heading over, just dunno if it's gated at the other end, seems to exit at some kinda electricty sub station and passes under the railway. Then a wee bit of road up to the drovers.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/2122478626
ferry options are rowardennen to tarbet for that I think. Guess if you wanted to do more of the whw, you could cycle up to inversnaid and jump the ferry over to inverglas and come back down glen loin.
Makes it all longer and hillier mind. And you'd need to check that downhill section I've put in to head and cross over the a83 is doable, I've never done that. anytime I've done the ardgarten loop, usually just fired up the path at the side of the road.