west highland way

cookiemonster

Hello

I'm mulling over doing the west highland way - 90 odd miles in 3 days. I've walked most of it (never in one sitting though) and think it would be nice little stretch. A challenge, but not a totally bonkers one (the WHW in 24 hours for example... )

I'm struggling though to find anything sensible about cycling it on this here interweb. Couple of blogs from people that have done it, but I guess I'm after a route map, or confirmation that the most sensible cycling route is exactly the same as the walking route.

Any advice, pointers or info?

cheers

jon

tujbx

Hi there,
Me and a buddy took the train to Crianlarich and cycled from there to Fort William. It pissed with rain from the start to the finish! :-D
Crianlarich to Tyndrum was nice wee spin dead easy, and then up over to Bridge of Orchy was very good with the scenery being the best bit. We belted down the line of the walk, and heading to Bridge of Orchy, we were motoring, bunny hopping the drainage trenches cut across the path, until I missed one slightly and caught my back wheel in one with it sending me flying over the handle bars! Bad road rash and a severely bruised hip!
Had a cuppa at BofO and then cycled over the moor, again following the path to Kingshouse. Very long and wet and cold, but nothing technical at all, with a few wee slow turns needed on the descent to the hotel. Had soup there with a lot of people looking at us as if we were mad :-D
Mostly pushing over the devils staircase was the toughest physical thing I have ever done as it was very cold by this point and we were soaked through. Run down to Kinlochleven was okay but in the wet there were a lot of bits needed to be aken slowly, also not all downhill, some climbing also. You will go through a set of brake pads on that bit alone!
Stayed in Kinlochleven and then cycled up the road to Mamore lodge the next morning and then onto the path again. Long road ahead with lots of ups and downs, but had huge fun splahing through the rivers along the way :-)
Hit the trees and then there are a couple of pushing bits and punishing climbs, and then finally down fire roads and along the road to the end. Very long days, and if I had to do it again, I would split it up more or get a bit fitter first!

Hope this helps....!

mikebert4

I walked the WHW with the missus last year - it's a fantastic thing to spend a few days on.

If you're biking, I'd suggest strating somwhere north of Loch Lomond though, seeing as the path alongside the lame can get -very- narrow and wasn't really all that rideable. There might be tracks around the really tight bits though

Word of advice: take iodine tablets! even if you're stopping at hotels/campsits everywhere, you never know when you might have to refill, should somthing go wrong. Knowing that you can refill from a stream/spring takes a great pressure off finding water. Also, use them, no matter how good the water looks, I drank some dodgy water, and was incapicated for a day, we ended up having to walk 5 miles back to Bridge of Orchy (longest walk in my life btw) to get the bus to Glencoe. It was a chioce of missing the moor, or missing the train home .

That aside it's a fantastic walk/ride admist fantastic secenry and in a wonderful part of the UK. Enjoy!

Span The Man

Have done different bits of this over the years. Avoid the Loch Lomond section most of it is a carry and an awkward one at that. Also consider doing it in reverse starting from Fort Bill it seems much more ridable heading South. The decent from the Mamores into Kinlochleven is just awsome. Route finding isnt a problem the whole think is well way marked. Hope the weather improves for you, a couple of my trips have been in the rain and frankly it could have been anywhere didnt see athing all day.