Touring and hill walking in same trip

[Gixxerman]

I very much like both cycling and hill walking (munroe bagging).
I was just wondering how easy it would be to combine the 2 activities.
I was planning a tour (my first!) from Glasgow to Inverness. I have seen on here that it is a nice route with good cycle paths and light traffic roads.
It also has the advantage of passing a few mountains that are greater than 3000ft (munroes). So I had the idea of maybe combining some walks into my tour.
I had initially planned that I could take my walking gear (rucksack and boots etc.) and just bunjee it to my rack in addition to the panniers. When I pass a mountain I am wanting to climb, park the bike up somewhere convenient and do the walk. Then continue to my next overnight stop.
If I planned it well then I think it could be done. I suppose a better way could be to pick an overnight stop in easy reach of the mountain I wish to climb. I could leave the panniers (and bike if walking) at the digs, cycle / walk to the start of the climb. This would mean giving a whole day to the walk which in itself is maybe not a bad idea as trying to fit in a walk whilst cycling between to overnight stops might prove difficult to fit it all in given the ammount of daylight available in late March / early April.
Any thoughts?

 

[Crackle]

I've done similar but I generally stayed somewhere a few nights to give me the day to do it. I took flexible fabric boots, cheap ones combined with Goretex socks and when not in use squashed them to the bottom of the pannier. The rucksac had a removable back and just rolled up and bungeed to the rack. You can see the rucksac on the picture and the boots are at the bottom of the right hand pannier.

 

[Crackle]

Mind you, March/April this year you might need an ice axe as well, my trip was in summer.

 

[Anthony]

I've done John O'groats to Lands End with doing the 3 peaks. It was late summer, so I just went up the mountains in my trainers. But i'm guessing the conditions will not favour that approach at the moment.

Finding a place to leave my cycling gear was easy (train station, youth hostel, information centre). Locking the bikes a the start of the climb was no problem either.

I found that having a day off to go walking acts as quite a good rest day from cycling.

 

[Kirstie]

To avoid carrying walking boots, shimano goretex winter cycling boots come with a handy SPD cover for walking around in, so they do both. They're not rigid and so work well as walking boots.

 

[rualexander]

When touring in far flung places for long periods of time I usually take a 65 litre rucksack and squash it flat and bungee it to the top of my rear rack. Comes in handy when using public transport (chuck panniers and gear into rucksack for easy carrying), and also allows you the option of getting in some walking/backpacking if the opportunity arises. You can strap a pair of walking boots on too.
Alternatively you could consider a trailer and just take your stuff in your rucksack and leave the panniers at home.

 

[andym]

I know it's a minority view (at least on this forum), but I find that I can ride perfectly happily with a smallish hydration backpack which is also useful for exploring/walking/doing touristy things. I like the Deuter Aircomfort system but Berghaus do something similar (and no doubt there are others).

 

[HelenD123]

I've bought a Gourdon 20 from Alpkit which I'm going to strap to my rack and use as a dry bag, but can also use off the bike as well. It's a great bit of kit.

 

[snorri]

I very much like both cycling and hill walking (munroe bagging).
I was just wondering how easy it would be to combine the 2 activities.

It is certainly possible, a guy I knew climbed every munro using just his bicycle for transport(and some ferries!) and living in his tent. That was about 30 years ago, he wrote a book about it too, but I can't remember his name now.

 

[MichaelM]

It is certainly possible, a guy I knew climbed every munro using just his bicycle for transport(and some ferries!) and living in his tent. That was about 30 years ago, he wrote a book about it too, but I can't remember his name now.

On my bookshelf...........

Climb Every Mountain by Craig Caldwell.

 

[Crackle]

On my bookshelf...........

Climb Every Mountain by Craig Caldwell.

Worth a read? It's the kind of book I like, provided it's well written.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I bought a pair of lightweight walking trainers and went back to using clips and straps when I did this round the Yorkshire Dales a few years ago. It saved carrying two pairs of shoes around.

 

[MichaelM]

Worth a read? It's the kind of book I like, provided it's well written.

It's been ............ jesus, about 15 years since I read it! Can't actually remember that much about it. but he started in the borders!

For a donation to Biggsd I'll send it to you (see sig).

 

[hubbike]

On my bookshelf...........

Climb Every Mountain by Craig Caldwell.

was a funny bit in the angry corrie about him

http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tac/tac01/meetthea.htm

 

[snorri]

was a funny bit in the angry corrie about him

http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tac/tac01/meetthea.htm

Yes that was funny
I haven't read the book, but he was a "cheery" sort of guy himself when I met him.