Winter is fast approaching and I managed to squeeze in another bike pack before the weather probably puts an end to such antics. I've been intrigued by the Highland Trail 550 for some time. After a little research it looked like it could be fun to do the Northern Loop in it's own right and mapping it out gave a mileage of 125.
I decided to do it over 3 days, easy I thought! But with rain on the first morning I then thought well I'll start after lunch and I mean 2.5 days will be fine, surely. Won't it? (Did I learn nothing from the Cairngorm Loop!).
I now "swear to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me..". I thought I needed this 'clause' in as I'm still not sure whilst writing these words the day after finishing whether I would recommend it to people I like or not! So I need to be honest and work through it!
An enjoyable start from Rosehall saw we nervously cycling up the scenic Glen Cassley. It felt very different heading off on my own with no idea about this particular route and the trails. The rain had mainly stopped but there was a cold NE breeze. Luckily my slightly worried internal monologue was soon broken when I saw a band of 4 musketeers lounging by the river and having cup a soups!
I was surprised to see other cyclists and we had a nice chat. They had taken a month off and were cycling the Great North Trail (800 miles) which goes mainly off road from the Peak District to John o' Groats. I headed off wondering if I would see them again. At the end of the glen I hit the interesting old hydro works trails which took me over a hill to the top end of Loch Shin. I could see the '4', miles in the distance behind me as I dropped into the next valley.
At the loch and a road I got slightly grumbled at by a game keeper who said I had probably scared off the stags he was heading up to shoot. The weather was cold, breezy and bleak and not long after heading North on the road I noticed an old overgrown field and native woodland by the river on my left. After checking the map it looked like this was the last shelter for ages and the route became more exposed after this point....
Decisions, decisions... I decided it was sensible to camp even though I had only done 26 miles! It was a grand spot and I set up camp under the tree's near the river. Someone had been there before and left neat piles of kindling, sticks and dead wood. Just as I wondered if I would see the musketeers cycle past (I could just see the top of the road through the tree's) they did, stopping themselves to survey the spot, before seeing me, waving and heading in!
I was momentarily annoyed (just being honest remember the clause), thinking the mystery of my solo adventure had been slightly broken, but pretty much immediately it was great fun and I was glad of this chance encounter! They all spread out and set up their individual tents before we all met in the middle and they cooked and lit a fire. It was a lovely chance evening and they were most generous sharing tales, whisky and chocolate!
They were just starting to get up and breakfast as I was leaving around 9am. They had told me the night before that they have settled into a nice rhythm of 30-40 miles a day usually and generally not starting before 10 - 11am each day.
Up the road I went in the morning sunshine full of optimism. The track from the A838 at West Markland was where Abi, Kev and I had walked up Ben Hee months ago. The track got better and better with dramatic views of Ben Hope to the North. Near the fancy Gobernuisgach Lodge I presumed the Musketeers route would head NE, as I turned West.
Glen Golly was lovely, but unexpectedly my legs went somewhere and I quickly started to struggle! On and on went this (bastard) scenic track! Initially rideable, then too steep for me to pedal on my laden bike. At a high point (Creag Dubh) the track split and I continued on a scenic but torturous boggy track ever westwards.
I had a really difficult time on this section both emotionally and physically. I've just measured it and it's only 8km of basically pushing but I really struggled. Lowering the bike off peat haggs then having to jump down before lifting up over the next quickly lost its appeal. I felt a failure, acutely aware of my slow snail like speed. It was here I started to really think I had bitten off more than I could chew!
Many hours later I got to the Bealach Horn and was treated to a brilliant, loose, steep at times descent down to Lone and the road below Arkle. I sure did feel lonely at lone! Looking at the maps I had another hill crossing to get to Kylesku. I had to do 45 miles or more today if I wanted to finish on time but by the time I had desperately pushed up this next hill (the track was good but steep, my legs were still MIA) and seen I had only gone about 28 miles fear crept in again!
Good loose track shot me down past Loch an Leathiad Bhuain towards Kylesku. I could see it below, I was close but I knew again I had to camp early as I was cold and knackered. I found a nice spot by a hydro scheme with views across the water and hills to the west.
It was a good camp and watching the sunset cheered me before a fitful nights sleep listening to stags bellow, the hydro water outlet discharge loudly and worrying how I would fit in 66 miles on my last day!
With a new day brought a better frame of mind! I let go of the fact that my phone was nearly dead and I had forgotten the charge lead (I had an external battery pack), I fixed my gears after realising the back wheel skewer was loose (idiot for not checking this)! I looked at the map and had a plan and new sense of optimism!
My original route took the coastal road to Lochinver (scenic but lots of small hills), but I worked out that I could save 10 miles by using the main road, going over the big hill and then West along Loch Assynt!
I felt slightly like I was cheating or giving in, but knew I needed to save some time and it worked as I surprised myself by rolling into Lochinver around 12:30pm as the legs had come back to me. I had calculated that if I left Lochinver after 3-4pm I would need to spend another night out so it was really cool to be leaving the amazing pie shop around 1.30pm after knock out pie, mash, peas and gravy - delicious!!
The pie meal literally fuelled me for about 4 hours. I took spare for later but never needed them, after a while I didn't notice the extra kg of pie on my back :-) . I felt great, although it was difficult to move given how full I was! I've been on some of the track that passes Suilven before and it was nice to be there again. Suilven is such an iconic shaped mountain. I'd thought beforehand that I would have plenty of time to nip up Suilven on this trip! Somehow these things seem so plausible before hand.
At the SE end of loch na Gainimh (would be a great place to camp) the track deteriorated greatly and I started walking with the bike. I could ride the odd short section, but when it's like that I just prefer to push. I really enjoyed this section even though I wasn't riding. I felt very chilled at last, even taking the odd selfie. It was so scenic, so quiet, all I could hear were the stags bellowing. I stopped and made a cup of tea above Lochan Fada thinking well there's only about 3 miles to go on this section so I may even get back to the van in daylight.
Clearly I had no sense of time, or maybe the pie, or pastry sent me into another slower dimension space because quite quickly after this I noticed a red glow to the West indicating the sun was setting. Oops, where had the last ?5 hrs gone! I really wanted to get to the road before dark so had to really hustle to do this on spicy rocky tracks. Pretty horrible end to this section pushing on horrible narrow, muddy cattle paths, through bogs, around beaches etc (just for info I think this section of pushing is around 14km - with some riding in it, but not loads for me at least!).
I was elated at popping out at the road just as the Highland landscape crept into dusk. I dug out the head torch and enjoyed the 20 mile road ride back to the van. I admit I was hallucinating a little from tiredness by the end but really felt pleased with myself for completing this loop. It's definitely harder and less rideable than the Cairngorm Outer Loop, but as a journey it's pretty special passing through some spectacular Northern Landscapes...
Will I do it again and include the coast road that I missed out this time...? well that's the real question isn't it...
