Rides in the Torridon area - suggestions

[HelenD123]

Not sure if this is in the right forum but I couldn't work out where best to put it!

I'm heading up to Torridon with some friends in April, mainly for a walking week but I'm taking the bike for the days when they want to do stuff that scares me! I've never been to the area so could someone suggest some good day rides. I'm reasonably happy with hills so feel free to suggest anything from a short pootle to something challenging.

Thanks

 

[BimblingBee]

Torridon is ace! Road or mtb?

 

[HelenD123]

Torridon is ace! Road or mtb?

Road. I'm taking my Airnimal Joey. I did once take it down a red mountain bike route by accident and it was fine though!

 

[BimblingBee]

I went there a few years ago (climbing) and remember it being really nice. Not many roads there (obviously) but they were all very quiet and seemingly well maintained! The YHA there was great with lots of info.

Just turn up and explore and you won't go far wrong!!

 

[snorri]

There are three roads out, I'm assuming you will stay at the Torridon Youth Hostel or nearby, so not a lot of choice without retracing your route.
The only round trip will be Torridon on the A896 to Kinlochewe where you turn right for Achnasheen on the A832. Take a right at Achnasheen for Lochcarron and on to Tornapress, Shieldaig and back to Torridon, approx 100 miles.
For 'challenging' you have Torridon, along the south shore of Upper Loch Torridon along the A896 via Shieldaig to Tornapress. Turn right and climb over the Bealach na Ba towards Applecross. Head north with Raasay and the Isle of Skye on your left up to the south shore of Outer Loch Torridon, turn east for Shieldaig and return to Torridon. Just short of 100 miles, fairly hilly.
Last option, the short pootle....along the north shore of Upper Loch Torridon to Diabaig, on to Lower Diabaig , turn and come back the same way approx 35 miles return, quite hilly.
There were eateries at Kinlochewe, Achnasheen, Lochcarron and Shieldaig, but you should check current situation, or take sufficient food for the whole day.

 

[HelenD123]

There are three roads out, I'm assuming you will stay at the Torridon Youth Hostel or nearby, so not a lot of choice without retracing your route.
The only round trip will be Torridon on the A896 to Kinlochewe where you turn right for Achnasheen on the A832. Take a right at Achnasheen for Lochcarron and on to Tornapress, Shieldaig and back to Torridon, approx 100 miles.
For 'challenging' you have Torridon, along the south shore of Upper Loch Torridon along the A896 via Shieldaig to Tornapress. Turn right and climb over the Bealach na Ba towards Applecross. Head north with Raasay and the Isle of Skye on your left up to the south shore of Outer Loch Torridon, turn east for Shieldaig and return to Torridon. Just short of 100 miles, fairly hilly.
Last option, the short pootle....along the north shore of Upper Loch Torridon to Diabaig, on to Lower Diabaig , turn and come back the same way approx 35 miles return, quite hilly.
There were eateries at Kinlochewe, Achnasheen, Lochcarron and Shieldaig, but you should check current situation, or take sufficient food for the whole day.

Thanks! I think a hilly 100 miles may be a bit too much especially this early in the season. The route options did look limited when I got the road atlas out. The short pootle option definitely looks tempting though .

 

[Demonclimber]

If you just do one ride, the Bealach Na Ba is your choice - round trips tend to be looooooooooooooong in that part of the world

 

[Profpointy]

Given Torridon arguably has the best mountaineering in the country, (and unarguably the best on the mainland), and is a very long way from nearly anywhere, I'd forget the bike, and take me boots instead (& ice axe / crampons too if going in the winter).

My best ever day on the hills was a solo Liattach traverse one February. It was -10C at sea level, and I had to put my crampons on 50 yards from the car, and didn't take 'em off all day. Didn't see a soul, and only one set of footprints in the snow. What a day ! Complete traverse of the ridge on a perfect winter day, which in anything much less than perfect conditions would certianly have been beyond me in winter.

The icing on the cake was seeing a "winter traverse of Liattach" article in Trail magazine on my return. First sentence talks about hiring a mountain guide and roping up: whimps or what ? But as I say conditions were perfect when I went.

I have had entire weeks in Torridon, with weather so bad there was only one day where I even got on the hills - the view from my digs showed waterfalls falling upwards which rather kybboshed the narrow ridges - but I keep going back - it's that good

Hywel

 

[HelenD123]

Given Torridon arguably has the best mountaineering in the country, (and unarguably the best on the mainland), and is a very long way from nearly anywhere, I'd forget the bike, and take me boots instead (& ice axe / crampons too if going in the winter).

The boots will definitely be packed. It's mostly a walking week but I don't have a head for heights and my boyfriend does so I figured he and others in the group can head off for a day of more challenging stuff and I'll have a day on the bike instead.