HT550 (the bottom loop bit?)

[restlessshawn]

Just looking for advice on how much hike a bike* there is on the bottom of the 3 loops?

Looking for something for spring (knee recovery dependent) but not the biggest fan of endless pushing...could maybe tack on an easy loop of Loch Ness using the Great Glen Way and South Loch Ness trail too?

*Rigid 69er, not much talent

[whitestone]

A rigid 69er? (ooh! Err missus )

I've done some of it including the bits that get talked about, namely Ben Alder and the Devil's Staircase. The last Km before Ben Alder cottage is probably the most frustrating as the track ends and you are traversing a peat bog. Depending how wet things have been then it could be fairly easy or a lot of skirting around the very damp bits. The singletrack from Ben Alder Cottage to Culra bothy makes up for it though. I've done the Devil's Staircase in the opposite direction and there'll be some pushing coming up from Kinlochleven.

[restlessshawn]

Thanks, that doesn't sound terrible. I'm just looking at a map and thinking the bottom loop is probably more rideable than the middle loop...though this is pure conjecture on my part based on how knarly the map looks

(69er is just my old 26" Inbred with rigid forks and a 29" front wheel as I was/am too attached to it/tight to get rid and buy a 29er...don't image search this at work)

[touch]

These are the hike-a-bike sections I can think of:
-boggy bits before Ben Alder cottage
-probably some pushing up Corrieyairack unless you're very fit
-a few short bits on the climb out of Fort William - including a climb up some wooden steps
-push up devil's staircase.

The bottom loop is definitely the least pushy bit to do.

[ianfitz]

MJE and I did exactly that as a recce last Easter. We started at Kinlochewe, rode (pushed) over the devils staircase, went along to Tyndrum, had lunch in the RFC then backtracked and stayed in Ben Alder Cottage, Its mostly rideable, some sections of a couple of climbs may be pushes if you are well loaded. As WS says, the lochside 'trail' is muddy for a couple of km, but nothing too bad.

We then rode over the (very, very good) singletrack past Culra and over corriack to Fort Aug. there was a little snow sitting in the top zig zags, and its a long clomb so somw of that may be a push. We carried on along the route from FA and stayed in Corrimony bothy, which is on the route. Then had breakfast down in Cannich the next day before joining up the return route at Tommich then rode back to KLL via the route, We had an extra night so stopped at Fort Bill YHA. It was a lovely 3 (and a bit) days ride. It would be a much shorter route if you came back direct from FA, but we wanted to look at the bothy and the two climbs to get back to FA.

[ScotRoutes]

FWIW I can recommend the SLNT. The climb out of Fort Augustus is still on the tarmac but there's a foot/cycle path that's currently being built. From Loch Tarff you're on a combination of purpose-built path, forest tracks and quiet roads. I've a notion to do a Loch Ness 360 this year using this and the GGW.

The High-Level version of the GGW will require a bit of pushing but the views are worth it.

[restlessshawn]

Don't suppose you have a gpx for the high level GGW please? Little bit concerned the GGW will be busy (by Highland standards)

a 360 of the Loch tacked on is sounding good

[ScotRoutes]

Sure. I'll upload and post a link when at my PC later.

[restlessshawn]

cheers :)

[ScotRoutes]

http://www.scotroutes.com/Routes/MTB/GGW_HL.gpx

(Right click....save as or Download link, whichever gets it to download for you)

[Mariner]

Do they still do the race MTB one side and road bikes the other up LN?
Think it was a BHF sponsored biathlon.
Haven't seen it advertised for a few years.

[ScotRoutes]

Do they still do the race MTB one side and road bikes the other up LN?
Think it was a BHF sponsored biathlon.
Haven't seen it advertised for a few years.

I've not seen that one. There's a Rat Race C2C that runs from the Moray coast down to Fort William that involves paddling, cycling and running. We usually supply a few bikes for that.

[restlessshawn]

http://www.scotroutes.com/Routes/MTB/GGW_HL.gpx

(Right click....save as or Download link, whichever gets it to download for you)

thanks

[touch]

Do they still do the race MTB one side and road bikes the other up LN?
Think it was a BHF sponsored biathlon.
Haven't seen it advertised for a few years.

Nope, I dont think so.
Last time I heard it was called the "First Monster duathlon" (sponsored by FirstGroup transport). It was teams of 4 with each doing a running + cycling section.
That was probably around 2013-2014. I think it was aimed mainly at corporate teams and was hugely expensive - several hundred per team.