BRIAN ON LINE
 
Rannoch Station loop - 6th may 2017
 
Nice dry weather over several weeks meant that it was time to give this fine adventure a go. Without further ado we booked the bikes onto the train from Rannoch Station taking the one stop to Bridge of Orchy where we departed heading towards Loch Tulla, The Inveroran Hotel and Forest lodge before picking up the West Highland Way as it headed up and over the Blackmount. Having been this way several times before we knew exactly what to expect and progress was steady as we climbed up to Ba Bridge before starting on the descent down to the Glencoe Ski Centre. With a cursory glance up onto the hill we could observe a steady stream of mountain bikers snaking their way down the bike trails. We later learned that what we had witnessed was those brave and some would say foolhardy competitors taking part in the annual Glencoe Macavalanche event. After crossing over the busy A82 we descended on the Kings House Hotel but found that it was closed for refurbishment but luckily there was a Cafe Bar recently opened next door where a nice pint of Stella was downed to slake our thirst. Leaving the Kings House at 4pm to head across the Rannoch Moor to return to the car a distance of just over 12 miles we reckoned that a couple of hours should see us home....how wrong that assessment turned out to be. Initially progress was fine as we headed into a slight head wind as we climbed towards the Black Corries Lodge. The track was decent for some distance beyond the lodge before it abruptly stopped and ahead of us was the vast expanse of the moor. With nothing for it but to proceed we headed out into the unknown following a faint line in the heather and bog.... generally keeping to the line of the overhead power cables. Progress was painfully slow, but at least the underfoot conditions were as good as we could ever hope to find. With more time off the bike than on we were beginning to question as to whether this trudge would ever end. Eventually there was indeed light at the end of this particular tunnel...in the form of the forest on the shores of Loch Laidon. Crossing into the forest we picked up a good forest trail and progress was relatively good as the track undulated towards the head of the loch and Rannoch Station. Wearily reaching the car our anticipated 2hrs turned out to be a hard 4hrs, that 2 mile or so section in the middle across the moor had really taken its toll on the intrepid adventurers. All in all a trip worth experiencing and one to tick off the bucket list for us. If you are going to do this one you are going to need dry conditions like what we had or frosty and icy conditions in the winter to negate the effects off the bog but be prepared for some pushing and cursing along the way! For a more technical review of the trip, additional photographs and detailed GPS route files visit.....www.davebanks.scot/route_21.htmhttp://www.davebanks.scot/route_21.htmshapeimage_3_link_0
The Route we followed
The Route profile - 25 miles and 2500ft of climbing
Go Pro footage showing the slow boggy section - 1hr 40 mins to go 2.5miles!