Highland Trail 550

Thanks. I came having just had 2 weeks off with a chest infections, sadly me energy levels corresponded with being sick. And that time of the bike caused my knees and sitbones to have a shock. I'll be fine in a few days, which is why I scratched. I didn't want a month off the bike and activity recovering from the damage I'd do, just to finish.

Close finish happening between Angus and Cattrysse.

Looks like Cattrysse had a reason to stop for a while about seven miles out. Angus finished first. Be interesting to know how it went down.

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Just terrible timing!

Life eh. Amazing rides

I did this exact section start of May - Ullapool southbound to Fisherfield then Loch Maree's north bank to Kinlochewe.

I expected it to take the better part of a long touring day (ie normal sleep patterns) and had no idea of the sections notoriety and difficulty. In hot weather too, luckily there were streams going but similarly lots of bog still about.
That plus singletrack that for me wasn't worth cycling, meant a long long hike a bike. The Postman's path in particular was extremely narrow, a bit off camber on a steep bank so I walked through the heather and dragged my bike through the narrow channel of a track. Worst is a bit gully that has 5x or so treefall, and about 15 steep metres of undulation.
In the end, I had to extricate myself from the Highlands via Kinlochewe to Achnasheen and train from there. If I had been on schedule I would have tackled the Correyairack pass.

Fisherfield is very much worth a lot of ardour, I'm glad I entered it behind schedule and therefore to a golden sunset, but I'd be tempted to try the older west route out of Loch Maree,
my personal take homes are to pack lots of extra food and plan a lot of extra time - get more bars/gels from Ullapool than you think you'll need, 2-4L of water capacity unless you're filtering, and trim the niceties of touring.
I'd have also switched my 2.2" front and 2.0 rear for a 2.4-2.6" front and 2.3" rear. Too much getting off the bike.

Ht550 now doesn't really take postman's, not for a good few years. It's shit but ok.

Happy to help with route info.

What bike you riding?

+1 against Postmans. A local living by the Maree estate warned me about it - ferns are overgrowing onto the track and people getting caught up in summer. Even with things relatively clear in May I had about 6 tracks to choose from at one point, as the GPX line broke down.

Definitely midges about even in the day for me, would consider light leg and arm coverings if going super sedate, luckily no ticks despite the heather for me

Correyairack pass.

I did this last year fully loaded with a rigid fork. The storm drains are brutal on the up and I had to walk most of them (a better bike handler with less kit might be fine), but the descent is super easy and fast down into Fort Augustus. Going the other way would be ridable up and down.

Thanks for responses @Nerv and @skinny. Think we'll give postman's a miss.

Here's what the route looks like at the moment: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42503970

Sleeper from Euston to Inverness on Thursday night. Meet my brother in Inverness Friday morning, and drive to Lochuilchart.

First day, aiming for the Shenaveil Bothy via Loch Fannich and Loch a' Bhraoin.

Day two, fisherfield and out to Poolewe, then over the Tolly pass and down to Kinlochewe. Ideally, press on into Torridon and sleep in the teahouse bothy (one of us might need a tent). This is a big day for us, so I'm thinking we need enough canvas for all of us to sleep out in case we're cooked earlier in the day / enjoying a beer in the pub too much.

Day three - we've only got to get to Achnashellach to get the train back to my brothers van / onwards to Inverness for Sunday evening sleeper home. If we're feeling alright, would like to dump bags somewhere discreet and enjoy a little more of what Torridon has to offer.
.
Two of us will be on full sus trail bikes (Transition Smuggler and Scout). I've done a fair few similar rides in the past - but always on a hardtail. Think I'll have a heavier backpack this time :(
Third member of the team will be on a more practical hardtail.

We go minimalist / comfortable in terms of packing. This means each night we need to be able to escape the bugs - be that a bothy or proper tent.

I'm looking forward to it. If the weather is shit, we will change plans and likely do Cairngorms (again).

Nice, I really want a Smuggler, look awesome.

Toillie is pretty shit, even if you can ride, and if it's wet it's a slip and slide.

Fisherfields is cool, that's the longer way in, it's a bit of a slog but somewhat rideable. The way out is a solid climb. Me I'd slip the bothy and camp out away from people and enjoy nature. Torridon is awesome, if you can ride then the descent is well ridable on a fully with bags.

Enjoy.

Pretty fast riding this year!

Good conditions or an ever fastening field of riders?

Good conditions

Don't seem particularly good from the feed I have seen

That's why I wondered. The weather was kinda shite down here so I assumed similar/worse in Scotland.

Pretty average to bad conditions from my hearings. Insane performance. Just nuts