Nice write up Phil. Really enjoyed it, and recognising all the emotions you went through. Can't wait for part 2!

Looking forward to part two.

Part II, please. Coffee is ready

Javi wrote:Part II, please. Coffee is ready

I'm on it.....

Might have to be in the morning as I'm not sure I've even got the energy to eat the dinner that I've already cooked (BIG-ass road ride today wiped me out).

But I'm on it.

Part 2 now live!

Sorry for the delay but it's been a crazy week.

Enjoy.....

Enjoyed that. Cheers.

Infamous cow dung bog... I remember bragging how I hit that section full speed and only with some good body language managed not to crash...

Now I believe there's also a horse dung bog. Not sure if HT550 goes past that section. We rode it a couple of weeks ago just outside Ullapool. Riding out of Ully it's just after dropping down the hillpath single track right at the gate. After that you get back on the double track towards Loch Achall.

So now we have a cow dung bog, horse dung bog. Where's the sheep dung bog and worst of all, dog poor show bog?

Nice one.

I've walked in to Carnmore to go climbing and even in a dry spell cow dung bog was an obstacle waiting for the unwary

I seem to recall some comment about the Torridon climb from a couple of years ago in that the path up from Annat had been washed out in places. It's an old stalker's path and used to be in quite good repair (going back to the early 1990s here). As you say, there's not a lot of money around these days to keep these things in order: estates often put in vehicle tracks to get their clients in to the hills so don't have the inclination to keep the old paths going. I didn't realise that the Carnmore track had been improved by a trust as the Letterewe estate is one of the few that still keeps mainly to the old ways. The old path used to exit the forest lower down towards the burn which would avoid CDB.

Nice write up Phil.

Rumour has it that the cow dung bog and the tollie path are out for next year. Instead, the Postie path! http://www.heritagepaths.co.uk/pathdetails.php?path=150

Did that section a couple of years ago. It's no walk in the park

A bit late, well very late, but here's some photos I took at the start of the HTR550 this year

AJ and Rickie casually prepping before the off.

IMG_6606 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

Bikes, lots of bikes.

IMG_6609 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

Fresh legs!

IMG_6610 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

More fresh legs.

IMG_6611 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

Pedalling

IMG_6613 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

Camera crew.

IMG_6620 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

What were the camera's there for?

They were filming Iona

Shes looking a bit "manlike" in that picture though isn't she?