2016 Highland Trail route.

[ianfitz]

Leaving Fisherfield on the Postman's Path via Letterewe to Kinlochewe it is going to take at least three hours from where you turn left up the Strathan Buidhe. It was less than an hour to Poolewe from here via the old route. You will need to leave Ullapool with plenty of food since this is the most demanding section of the route with no resupply except for the Hotel off route at Dundonnell. In very wet weather it is also entirely possible you will need to wait at the Shenavall Bothy for the river lever to fall so you can cross safely.
The Postman's Path is not an easier alternative to the Tollie Path, there is still plenty of hike-a-bike! It's all rideable over to Letterewe and through the estate grounds but after that you will probably be pushing nearly as much as riding. In places the trail is a beautiful ribbon of singletrack but in others an overgrown rocky mess. By the end of June I would imagine parts of the trail will have disappeared under thick bracken. Some background information here:

http://www.heritagepaths.co.uk/pathdetails.php?path=150

I find myself smiling knowing how much of a "Alan" trail the Postmans path is :)

My favourite bit of that webpage is this - " It is, however, not to be undertaken lightly, for not only is it long, but the going in places is very rough and there are no hostelries on the way."

What! No Hostelries! I'm starting to reconsider my race plan. May need a larger hip flask!

[fatbikephil]

But the pub in Kinlochewe usually has three ales on - cue 'Ice Cold in Alex' moment.

I'm thinking - post path = fatbike

[padonbike]

On a closely related topic ... has anyone heard if they have been selected to ride Cairngorms Loop next year?

[Justchris]

On a closely related topic ... has anyone heard if they have been selected to ride Cairngorms Loop next year?

Nope. But don't expect to for a bit yet.

[trail717]

Post Offices are often a service provided by 'convenience stores' in rural areas.
The Wolftrax cafe at Laggan will provide food for late afternoon. They track racers and stay open.
Contin stores are the best bet for Sunday, then Oykel Bridge Hotel. The hotel will make up take away sandwiches and stuff too - they are very accommodating.

Thanks -- this is the invaluable type info that a local or prior racer has at their fingertips--thank you and all the others for for sharing

Marshal

[trail717]

Trail717 you need to keep in mind that the route is being changed by Alan for this year so getting to Fort Augustus may take a different amount of time (not sure if it well be longer or shorter - just take note it is different).

Fort Augustus petrol station is open until 9pm in the summer I think but you can get food at the moorings until 10pm.

You could drop into cannich but would have to climb up the road again, not too bad but always better to have somewhere directly on route.

Contin stores is a good place for resupply.

saw Cannich was off route but had no idea a climb would be involved....& thanks for tip on Contin--missed it in my initial google searching --at 150 miles this seems ideal location for a quick stop to resupply for the middle and end of day 2 and the start of day 3.

Marshal

[trail717]

Marshall: Yes there can be a Post Office inside a Spar or other shop/convenience store, it's quite common in the UK, in the village where I grew up it was in the pub

If I were doing the route then I'd be thinking of carrying a day to 2 days' worth of food as it's quite possible to get completely out of sync with the opening hours of resupply points but there'll always be a big gap on the Northern Loop between Oykel Bridge and Kylesku/Drumbeg/Lochinver.

I will have enough unfilled carry space to adjust my 'carry food' up to 2 days--but the plan is rather than always have 2 days worth to know enough about the route to effectively adjust my carry amount up or down as needed between resupply. There is always a first time and its been close a time or two, but since 2007 I have never been caught short on food. humm, now that I think about it I this way I am probably caring to much most of the time....

[trail717]

Being a nerd I spent ages looking at peoples spot timings on trackleaders after the event (both from this year and last) just to see how fast people were doing the various hard bits (and whether my fat bike was actually a benefit in the boggy bits) but this will give the best guide to timings.

with trackleaders multi day racing has really changed--the historic Spot dots now give all levels of racers, not just the fastest, reasonable time checks to plan and shoot for. I will definitely be studying all the historic HT dots....

marshal

[trail717]

Leaving Fisherfield on the Postman's Path via Letterewe to Kinlochewe it is going to take at least three hours from where you turn left up the Strathan Buidhe. It was less than an hour to Poolewe from here via the old route. You will need to leave Ullapool with plenty of food since this is the most demanding section of the route with no resupply except for the Hotel off route at Dundonnell. In very wet weather it is also entirely possible you will need to wait at the Shenavall Bothy for the river lever to fall so you can cross safely.
The Postman's Path is not an easier alternative to the Tollie Path, there is still plenty of hike-a-bike! It's all rideable over to Letterewe and through the estate grounds but after that you will probably be pushing nearly as much as riding. In places the trail is a beautiful ribbon of singletrack but in others an overgrown rocky mess. By the end of June I would imagine parts of the trail will have disappeared under thick bracken. Some background infomation here:

http://www.heritagepaths.co.uk/pathdetails.php?path=150

thanks for all the route work--Its a big deal to manage a multi day route and event, my hats off to you

Letterewe, Kinlochewe, Strathan Buidhe, Poolewe, Ullapool, Dundonnell, Shenavall, Bothy,Postman's Path, Tollie--ha, you have no idea how interesting these names sound to American ears...humm what is a Strathan Buidhe?

Would now be a good time to ask about Bothy etiquette and also guidelines for open country camping if one is between Bothys?

[trail717]

If you miss Fort Augustus for resupply, there is a shop at Invermoriston that opens either 6 or 7am.

However, I think you're perhaps overthinking things. If you aim to carry enough food to see you to Ullapool you won't need to worry about resupply times. There is such a big window of supply being open that you can just hit it between 7am and 10pm, get enough food for the return and not worry about running out.

Any hot meals and shops therefore become a bonus, and are simply opportunities to eat less of your first choice food you bought for the outward leg.

For sure I will overthink things, just part of my winter time 'fun'. But its way to soon to commit to my actual race strategy, I haven't even looked at the Ullapool section of the route yet.

Once a multi-day race has actually begun my overall approach might be summed up with--I am best at being a turtle till the last 24 hr push when I often mistakenly think I could be a rabbit.....

[boxelder]

Not much etiquette needed in bothies - especially the glorified cow shed that is Carnmore.

Camp anywhere away from enclosed land - windy is good to avoid the midges

haven't even looked at the Ullapool section of the route yet.

You've spotted the need to do this though haven't you?

[whitestone]

Check out the MBA site for info about bothies including etiquette - http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/

Camping: there's a few areas where wild or ad-hoc camping isn't permitted but in general if you are away from habitation and cultivated land it's not a problem. Arrive late, leave early and leave no trace and you won't have a problem nor cause one for others who follow you.

[ianfitz]

Letterewe, Kinlochewe, Strathan Buidhe, Poolewe, Ullapool, Dundonnell, Shenavall, Bothy,Postman's Path, Tollie--ha, you have no idea how interesting these names sound to American ears...humm what is a Strathan Buidhe?

Would now be a good time to ask about Bothy etiquette and also guidelines for open country camping if one is between Bothys?

Strathan = Valley/riverside area.

Buidhe = yellow

Most of the Gaelic place names are descriptive. So Stob Ban, Stob = point, Ban = pale/white. There is a very detailed explanation about the gaelic origions of place names on the Ordinance Survey (OS) - the UK mapping agency - website. http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/docs/eb ... -names.pdf it has some background and a glossary.

Its also interesting that many of the inland places have Gaelic names but in the far north a lot of the land features which are obvious from the sea have Scandinavian/norse names. E.g. Ness a point or headland

This is not an absolute rule as many of the pointy Scottish mountains are named Pap, a norse word for breast!

Bothies are unlocked building available for all to use. They are basic, usually stone, buildings, usually with a fire place (although you'll need to provide fuel) there is no mains facilities. so water and toilets are your responsibility. there's no rubbish (trash) collection so you need to pack out what you take in.

Some, but by no means all of them, are maintained by volunteers coordinated by the MBA - http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/index.asp

In terms of Wild camping, the rules are very light touch compared to US national parks.There's no permits/official camp grounds/limit on numbers etc. Scotland has different rules compared to the rest of the UK. So long as you are responsible, leave no trace and aren't camping in people gardens you'll be fine.

[Mariner]

Marshall

If you haven't already done so might be worth drawing up a list of the sort of food you will be shopping for but listed generically not by brand.
Then have a look at a UK supermarket online to familiarise yourself with brands and descriptions.
That way you may know exactly what you want rather than spending a long time trying to work it out.

[Ian]

If you do stop at Contin for resupply, I can confirm they don't do warm pies (or cold ones, for that matter). And don't have the tuna sandwich

[Dave Barter]

If you do stop at Contin for resupply, I can confirm they don't do warm pies (or cold ones, for that matter). And don't have the tuna sandwich

But if you look round the side of the shop, the 1KG of abandoned fruit and nuts may still be there from last year. Not sure who it was, but you know who you are ;-)

[padonbike]

Not sure anyone's mentioned the Struy Inn North East of Cannich. A quite posh pub that does food. (Fondly remembered from a more luxurious previous holiday )

By the way Marshall, thanks for your questions - a lot of the answers are interesting to other people too! Pity this forum doesn't have a LIKE button, so much good stuff.

Frame bags - I don't use them anyway, but can't see how you could contemplate them with needing to shoulder the bike to cross rivers.

Water filtration - generally any fast running streams in remote highland area are fine to drink but you always need to be a little careful near bothies in case someone has dumped near to the water supply and contaminated it. Don't assume everyone who visits a bothy is a responsible, considerate, experienced outdoor person!

[padonbike]

Actually scrap that - The Struy seems to have gone even more upmarket and is now calling itself a Restaurant. It doesn't welcome kids, so it's unlikely the welcome the bigger, dirtier version known as the Mountain Biker!

[trail717]

Not much etiquette needed in bothies - especially the glorified cow shed that is Carnmore.

Camp anywhere away from enclosed land - windy is good to avoid the midges

haven't even looked at the Ullapool section of the route yet.

You've spotted the need to do this though haven't you?

I read about it in the HT website--hope I can hit that crossing early in the day vs at dark

edit--and maybe some nice hikers dressed like shown in the pic will be there to inspire this old man across........

2nd edit---can someone tell me the actual name of this river crossing? Abhainn Srath na Sealga? You know--The more I study this route the scarier it gets

[trail717]

Marshall

If you haven't already done so might be worth drawing up a list of the sort of food you will be shopping for but listed generically not by brand.
Then have a look at a UK supermarket online to familiarise yourself with brands and descriptions.
That way you may know exactly what you want rather than spending a long time trying to work it out.

Excellent suggestion - I have seen numerous racers, unfamiliar with US packaging, wasting a bit of precious time hunting for just the right item.

[trail717]

If you do stop at Contin for resupply, I can confirm they don't do warm pies (or cold ones, for that matter). And don't have the tuna sandwich

humm, a warm (or cold) 'pie' in this context is?

[trail717]

Not sure anyone's mentioned the Struy Inn North East of Cannich. A quite posh pub that does food. (Fondly remembered from a more luxurious previous holiday )

By the way Marshall, thanks for your questions - a lot of the answers are interesting to other people too! Pity this forum doesn't have a LIKE button, so much good stuff.

Frame bags - I don't use them anyway, but can't see how you could contemplate them with needing to shoulder the bike to cross rivers.

Water filtration - generally any fast running streams in remote highland area are fine to drink but you always need to be a little careful near bothies in case someone has dumped near to the water supply and contaminated it. Don't assume everyone who visits a bothy is a responsible, considerate, experienced outdoor person!

Thanks, I know exactly which questions I want to ask but more times I learn invaluable bits of bikepaking/multi-day racing info from the questions I never thought to ask but someone else does.

Note on frame bags--I may or may not run one for this event, to soon to know yet, but in the past the frame bag for me is a non issue in hike-a-bike or carry-a-bike. From my perspective only a bike with a relatively flat top tube in conjunction with a large open space for your arm to fit through lends it self to the classic X cross carry. The key as always is to work out a efficient technique on practice runs. now my longest carry-a-bike was across the Grand Canyon......ahh but that is not this race....

Water Filtration or purification--I would like to ask the community here if the consensus is its ok to go unfiltered assuming you have chosen a safe/good location? This would be a nice change of pace but is counter to my experience (with perhaps the exception being at a actual ground source location)
Is the Giardia parasite uncommon in northern Scotland? Are there no large animals or birds, other than human, in Scotland that could have unknown to you contaminated a source from upstream?

[Ian]

If you do stop at Contin for resupply, I can confirm they don't do warm pies (or cold ones, for that matter). And don't have the tuna sandwich

humm, a warm (or cold) 'pie' in this context is?

You know, pastry casing filled with meat and vegetables in gravy. Steak and onion, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom - that sort of thing. Not to be confused with a pastie though - pasties are different

--

In case you've not come across it, there's a fairly detailed write up on my blog: www.ianbarrington.com

I also shot some video of my 2014 attempt which will give you a clue as to what some of the course is like: www.vimeo.com/ianbarrington

--

The Strath na Selga is known generally as the Fisherfield (River) Crossing. The whole Fisherfield section from Dundonnel to Kinlochewe is considered the crux of the route, not just for the river crossing, but just general remoteness and "severity" of riding. It is a wonderful place though - not scary if properly equipped.

[whitestone]

Water Filtration or purification--I would like to ask the community here if the consensus is its ok to go unfiltered assuming you have chosen a safe/good location? This would be a nice change of pace but is counter to my experience (with perhaps the exception being at a actual ground source location)
Is the Giardia parasite uncommon in northern Scotland? Are there no large animals or birds, other than human, in Scotland that could have unknown to you contaminated a source from upstream?

Giardia is uncommon in the UK there doesn't seem to be a reservoir of infected wildlife to spread it, I can't recall an instance of a UK sourced infection. (I've had Giardia - I contracted it in Pakistan, not a nice condition either for yourself or others around you). In the UK I've never worried about drinking directly unfiltered or purified from upland streams/becks/burns (all synonyms for what you'd call a creek) but do use a bit of common sense - not drinking downstream of popular wild camping spots or from stagnant water for example. I grew up on a farm with an unfiltered water supply and currently live in a similarly supplied property so may have a biased opinion

[GregMay]

Giardia is uncommon in the UK there doesn't seem to be a reservoir of infected wildlife to spread it, I can't recall an instance of a UK sourced infection.

Still doesn't mean you won't get the s**ts for several days from groundwater. Personal experience from Wales, the Peak, and Scotland over the years. It is a nice way to lose weight rapidly though.

Take a Traveltap or tablets. It takes less time than you will lose by crapping yourself every 10 minutes.