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DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 10.50hrs on Fri 26 Oct 07
Anyone got this book on mountain bike routes in the Scottish Highlands? Ive had it for a year and personally think its fantastic. At a time when there are more and more man made tracks being introduced im forever seeking more adventurous, natural and epic riding to escape any crowds and enjoy fantastic scenery.
Alot of the routes are well known classics others you wouldnt think possible on a mountain bike. Ive had strange looks from hill walkers at times!

I thought it would be good to set up a thread to make comments on any of the routes outline in the book or on the book in general. Favourate so far is the Achnashellach to Torridon route (North West Highlands).

telemarker


Posts: 2934
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Last Visited: 14:59
12th Apr 2021
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 12.30hrs on Fri 26 Oct 07
Yes a great book, and has been discussed a couple times before

[www.winterhighland.info]

i have done the round ben alder one and the inschraich one, have ridden both areas before, but had never done the loops kenny recommeneded and they were good,

i hope to do the achnashellach one, as have walked up there and always thought it looked good for biking, nice to have someone else research it for you!

Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 12.56hrs on Fri 26 Oct 07
Hmm, with a further revommendation like that, I can feel a plan coming on..

How long did it take you Dave, and do you have any accomodation recommendations in that area for us? Any comments on how the trails around Ach will likely bear up to bad weather?

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 10.50hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Hustler

Ive done the route twice and it took me 5-5.5hours although unfortunately both times i was unable to ride the highly acclaimed single track towards the end of the Coulin pass on the way home. Instead i went straight ahead and followed the landrover track which must be much faster. The reason was because i was running out of daylight the first time and the second my mate had a mechanical. Thus i would although at least 6 hours depending on your fitness level.
Im pretty confident by far the majority of the riding will hold up well to bad weather (its very rocky). Theres only a few soft areas going out and none that i can remember coming back (although i have not seen the ST i mentioned above). The climb from the start up to bealach requires a bit of carrying but not much if youve got plenty of power in your legs and are a skilfull rider. The single track all the way to Annat is truely breathtaking!
Im from Inverness and dont know the area for accomodation. It is just over an hours drive from Inverness. Achnashellach itself might have a youth hostel or B+B and thats the start point.

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 12.40hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Here's a few pictures of the ride.



Edited 4 times. Last edit at 12.44hrs Sat 27 Oct 07 by DaveE.

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 17.11hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Hustler


Posts: 760
Joined: Oct 2006
Last Visited: 07:52
19th Aug 2019
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 17.35hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Sold, to the guy over there with the black cove hustler and drool hanging out of the corner of his mouth!!


Yup, that's on the 'to-do' list.
Telemarker, are you up for a bit of that when daylight returns..?

DaveE


Posts: 491
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Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 17.42hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Does anyone know how to make these pictures smaller???

Mike_w


Posts: 1061
Joined: Jan 2004
Last Visited: 06:19
12th Aug 2019
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 21.31hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
009 - is that Slioch?

Where does this route go?

thanks.



Mike in Edinburgh
Assorted scottish pics - www.prog99.com

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 22.40hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
No Mike i'm fairly sure that's Beinn Alligin.
In the picture your looking at the trail that leads down to Annat which near the village of Torridon. I had travelled over the pass from Achnashellach.
Dave.

DaveE


Posts: 491
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 22.50hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
More picts



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 22.59hrs Sat 27 Oct 07 by DaveE.

DaveE


Posts: 491
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 23.01hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Sorry i'm experimenting with how photos look. Bye the way these are all from same trip.

Attachments: Mountain biking 06 049.jpg (180kB)   Mountain biking 06 035.jpg (34kB)   Mountain biking 06 042.jpg (186kB)  
DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 23.41hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Ok ive worked out how to make the photos a sensible size here are the Achnashellach photos from before:

Attachments: Mountain biking 06 081.jpg (177kB)   Mountain biking 06 051.jpg (189kB)   Mountain biking 06 009.jpg (171kB)  
DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 23.57hrs on Sat 27 Oct 07
Heres some photos from the Loch Fada trip i did which is also from the same book. This start by Loch Maree.

Attachments: Mountain biking 06 036.jpg (171kB)   Mountain biking 06 039.jpg (162kB)   Mountain biking 06 037.jpg (129kB)  
DaveE


Posts: 491
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 00.20hrs on Sun 28 Oct 07
The ride from start to Loch Fada itself it great. Unbelievable scenery. After Loch Fada the ride is still amazing scenery wise but the track become pretty mental with a little bit too much carrying. Heres a few from Loch Fada onwards. The last photo looks onto Loch Maree near the end of the ride:



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 00.38hrs Sun 28 Oct 07 by DaveE.

Attachments: Mountain biking 06 088.jpg (165kB)   Mountain biking 06 092.jpg (155kB)   Mountain biking 06 094.jpg (148kB)  
Mike_w


Posts: 1061
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12th Aug 2019
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 21.37hrs on Sun 28 Oct 07
So it is and should have recognised it as I have a photo almost the same as yours but taken down at the loch.

Looks like something cool to do once we finish off the 40odd munros we have left to do (then I can resurrect my mountain biking)

Would I be right in saying that these routes make use of old stalkers tracks?

Mike in Edinburgh
Assorted scottish pics - www.prog99.com



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.39hrs Sun 28 Oct 07 by Mike_w.

DaveE


Posts: 491
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23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 22.29hrs on Sun 28 Oct 07
Yeah. Most of the two routes illustrated above are of old stalkers tracks. Generally speaking the routes from the book are a mixtures of paths types though.

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Kenny Wilson's book on mountain biking
Date Posted: 22.32hrs on Sun 28 Oct 07
Yeah most of these two routes (Achnashellach + Loch Fada are made up of stalker paths. Others in the book generally are of a mixture of path types.

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