Saturday – Tour of Ben Damph

Weather: grey, rainy, windy, sunny

Miles: 14.1

Grumpiness aside we had one last day’s fun to have. Andrea, Julia and Dawn decided to go for a walk round Diabeg, Paul decided that the lost washer might have gone missing in his garage last year and it was worth seeing if his bike would last a ride without snapping in two (brave man). The rest of us drove down to Torridon Hotel and set off for a few road km over the hill, stopping to take in the views over Loch Torridon.

Loch Torridon and Beinn Alligin

From the road we picked up a landrover track towards Loch Damh, passing some fish farm industry.

Loch Damh

At Doire Damh the track narrowed and contoured the shore for a few miles, at some point it was probably a nice well built path but the hard surface was covered in a layer of liquid mud washed off the hillside, splattery with the odd deeper bit. At one deep bit Paul managed an impressive slow motion not-quite over the bars moment, ending up lying on his handlebars superman style with his back wheel stuck under my bars and feet still clipped it.

Muddy track

At Kinloch Damph we picked up the trail up Srath a Bhathaich, climbing around the flanks of Beinn Damh, this was described on STW as “surprisingly rideable”, and with a strong tailwind this was definitely true. The path was very well built and slowly worked its way up the contours with only a 50 metres of compulsory pushing where it was a bit steep and water eroded.

Fixing

Nice path

Part way up my chain snapped, giving the others chance to have a sandwich in a hollow by the side of the path (there were a few of these, probably built to give shelter in the olden days).

Sheltering

As we continued it started to rain lightly, but wasn’t so bad as it was being blown onto our backs, further up the track got a little damper and grassed over but was still “surprisingly rideable”.

Surprisingly rideable

As the rain strengthened we reached Drochaid Core Roill and started the descent back to Torridon.

The top

This was quite excellent and would have been even more fantastic on a less windy/rainy day. The path gradually descended the Coire with bits of sandstone slab, rock gardens and stream splashes, dropping down to the main stream at a set of waterfalls. I was temporarily worried when I saw a path on the other side of the ravine, 3m away through a raging torrent.

Wet downhill

Then I noticed our path went upstream before crossing at a shallower point. On the other side of the stream the path continued down into the woods above the ravine. At one mini lift I managed to have my first proper fall off of the week, toppling down 2m of grassy banking with a soft mossy landing. As the path descended it got steeper and slippier, making slowing down for some of the corners bit exciting. All too soon it spat us out on the road by the hotel, where we got changed in the downpour much to the amusement of the people having afternoon tea.

The rest of the afternoon was spent having carrot cake and hot chocolate at the village shop in Torridon (where it wasn’t raining).

Loch Torridon

After a good stuffing we drove out to picturesque Diabaig (where it was sunny) for some sightseeing and annoying the crabs and shrimps in the rock pools. Turns out the ladies went walking round the north shore of Loch Torridon and hadn’t been rained on all day (although they’d seen the weather happening up the valley and on the other side of the loch).

Diabaig

Wreck

Fishing

Creature

We had tea at the Kinlochewe Hotel (good beer and good food but not the portions we had got used to… until the puddings came).

Back in the bunkhouse we got a good sleep until about 2.30 am when some drunken scots came into the kitchen next door and starting putting the world to rights, when they’d finished that they came to bed and started snoring. We were up at 7am to come home so we grassed them up for smoking in the bunkhouse and made as much noise as possible!

Friday – Coulin and Coulags

Weather: sunny, rainy, sunny, windy

Miles:  36.12

The weather forecast for the day was looking a bit iffy, but all seemed sunny enough at breakfast time. Paul didn’t want to ride his bike without the shock held on so he ordered a new bit (£1.50) from Barrow and got it sent to Skye to pick up later in his holiday, this meant Paul and Fi would be having a day walking up a mountain. Dawn decided to have a low level walking day (and brought us back lots of cake she’d bought off little old ladies). The rest of us set off riding from the hostel down the single track A road towards Torridon, with nice distracting views of Ben Eighe and Liathach.

A road

At Loch Clair we turned off onto estate roads then a lakeshore path, heading towards the Coulin Pass, further down the valley we picked up the track climbing alongside the Easan Dorcha towards Drochaid Coire Lair.

Coulin Lodge

Climbing

We stopped for some pictures at a picturesque waterfall and well appointed bothy shack, surprising the lady who came out to brush her teeth. From the falls the path turned into well constructed singletrack with the odd drainage ditch and steep pitch to interrupt the flow (and it was important to keep flowing as there was no wind to blow away the wee beasties). Without much difficulty we reached the Drochaid, amidst some impressively rocky mountains, some light weather had come in so it was on with the waterproofs for the descent.

Climbing by Easan Dorcha

Skin so soft midge attractant

When the path started to drop down we didn’t get very far before Andrea and I fell victim to the water bars, cue trying to fix punctures whilst dancing round to avoid the midges. Punctures fixed in record time it was time to hit the descent proper, and what a descent it was! The path wiggled down the hillside and was very well built, with bike friendly pitched sections interspersed with damp but grippy bedrock slabs. From what I remember there was probably just one step we had to lift the bikes down. The trail dived down into the forest and eventually hit a fireroad at a curious round hobbit gate.

Hobbitgate

The rain was getting harder so we were glad to see the “teas” sign as we approached Achnashellach Station. Unfortunately it was shut, I almost cried. We continued along a few km of road to Coulags, hoping the rain would stop for lunch, no such luck but it did damp down the midges.

After lunch we started the climb up the valley besides Fionn Abhainn, this was rough singletrack, a bit more taxing than the morning’s climb. When we crossed the stream the track levelled but the drainage channels increased in sharpness and frequency, claiming Andy’s back wheel within sight of the 5* bothy. We popped into the bothy for a nosy and found Graham F’s entry in the visitor book (there was another entry from a group of bikers who got 3 punctures on the last section so I think we got away lightly).

Fionnaraich

Back on the trail it didn’t take long for Julia’s luck/skill to run out and we had another puncture stop without midge shelter. The solid surface ran out as we approached Loch Coire Fionnaraich and we were forced to push, trundle and carry past the loch and up the steepening path to Bealach na Lice. Thankfully there were some fab views and the sun was back out. By the time we reached the Bealach there was a strong crosswind so we didn’t hang around too long.

After the difficulties of the last km it was nice to get back on the bike and head downhill on some winding singletrack with the occasional rocky and peaty bit.

We rode round the shore Loch an Eion stopping to admire the mini tornados of spray whipped up by the wind.

Loch an Eion

Past the loch the descent proper started with the wind pushing us along and the impressive backdrop of Liathach distracting us from the joys of the trail. The stony singletrack wound between easy angled bedrock sections, taking us onto a terrace that gradually descended into Torridon, definitely a new favourite to add to the list!

Down at Annat it was time to stock up on jelly babies for the 11 mile road ride back down the valley to Kinlochewe, powered by a mega tailwind. We only had one stop when Andy’s tyre blew out and were back at the bunkhouse in no time at all.

After a bit more searching the car park for Paul’s bit we did some more serious eating courtesy of Julia (bread and butter pudding, yum) and retired to the pub to sample the rest of the beer. Andy had brought some picture quizzes which kept us entertained although the ladies need to geek up on their pubs and tarns of Cumbria.

Our peaceful night’s sleep was spoilt by a hairy biker who snored like a hog (my earplugs were next to useless). Not surprisingly there were a few grumpy people in the morning.

Thursday – Balblair & Kinlochewe

Weather: sunny rainy sunny

Miles:  19.11 + 15.72

Looking out of the window revealed mist and more mist, but as we drove out it became clear that it was just temporarily hanging over the waters of the Kyle Of Sutherland and the rest of the world was getting blue skies. The night before we’d discovered there were two trail centres I’d never heard of in the local area a short red route at the castle (which we didn’t bother with) and a black route on the other side of the river at Balblair. Not wanting to miss the opportunity we decided to hit Balblair before heading off west for the rest of the week.

Morning mist

The best way to describe Balblair is a one hill Kirroughtree with better views and without the really difficult bits. A bit of a dull initial climb soon took us out onto lumpy white bedrock for some undulating technical fun (providing you followed the arrows), surrounded by Scots Pines and views across sunny Sutherland.

Up

Picturesque

Down

Kyle of Sutherland and Carbisdale Castle

From the top of the hill it was back down to the cars via more bedrock and some twisty forest fun. Short but ever so sweet, and worth another lap if we didn’t have to get across the country for the afternoon’s entertainment.

More trees and rock

We loaded up and set off for Kinlochewe, stopping to look at the seals in the Cromarty Firth. As we drove west the sunshine was replaced with forboding greyness and bigger mountains, we stopped for lunch enroute but didn’t last long before we were chased back into the cars by hungry midges. We reached Kinlochewe early afternoon and unloaded ourselves into the bunkhouse.

Cromarty Firth seals

The afternoon’s entertainment was cakes and walking for Dawn, Fi and Andrea and a short ride for the rest of us. By the time we set off riding the sun was out again, we took the express estate road to the Heights of Kinlochewe, struggled to get our bikes over a high deer gate only to find there was a nice stile round the corner, then headed up the stiff climb of Gleann na Muice.

Struggling

Climb

At the top end of the valley track a fine bit of new single and a half track took us into the wilds, with distracting views of Slioch and the peaks of Letterewe Forest.

New track

The newness petered out at a gate and the trail became more challenging and much more fun, undulating its rocky way towards Lochan Fada. By the time we reached the beach some weather had come in so we donned waterproofs (which have a dual function as midgeproofs), very atmospheric.

On the beach

At this point I said ‘there must be a catch’ and indeed there was, a boggy trudge round the shore of the lochan in intermittent sunshine and showers (of rain and midges) followed by a wade through the outflow (very clear and very cool but no midges) and a drag up the flank of the hill to 400m (more midges).

Lochan Fada

Since I’d borrowed this route from day 1 of a tour company’s itinerary I expected the downhill to be easy and pleasant. It turned out to be a rockfest clinging to the steep side of Gleann Bianasdail until the valley opened out for the final section through the bracken to Loch Maree. There were plenty of ridey bits, but plenty of scary bits which spoilt the flow but gave more opportunity to admire the rock architecture.

Gleann Bianasdail

Rock

By the time we reached the loch the sun had come out again (maybe it had been sunny here all along). I was expecting a nice easy spin back admiring the views, but it turned out to be more hard work, winding through bracken, meadows, rock gardens and stream crossings. Eventually we reached civilisation again and span back to the bunkhouse.

Slioch

Whilst tea was being lovingly prepared Paul decided to remove the shock from his frame as it was knocking a bit, but couldn’t find one of the spacers when it came to putting it back together… so that evening’s entertainment was methodically raking through gravel looking for a shiny spacer whilst getting eaten by midges, we never found it.

Mmmidges

The night was another culinary success story featuring a tasty apple and blackberry sponge (which the quiet old bloke who was sharing the bunkhouse with us had to watch us eat), then there was the 7 real ales to make a start on in the pub next door.