Highland Trail 550 - 2018

[JoseMcTavish]

Good luck Mart and thanks for sharing your story - I can't even imagine how hard that must be. You're going to have a lot of people cheering you on, so let them give you a virtual push when the going gets tough...

[philipft]

Ohhh my! Best of luck Mart. It’s a beautiful route, just keep moving and you’ll get round.

[HUX]

Good luck Mart. It's an amazing route just keep smiling and turning the pedals.

[slarge]

Go for it Mart, and take Smidge. Good luck and as everyone says, take a look around you. It is a special place.

[jay91]

He's at mile 38 . 7 hour in
Go mart!

[jay91]

Looks like mart&jez are at culra bothy for.the night

[sean_iow]

Looking at Marts tracking just now it looks like he might be missing out the northern loop? He's heading west on the central loop towards Ullapool.

[gairym]

I noticed that, probably sensible.

Better to complete a shorter route than destroy yourself and possibly not finish at all attempting a longer route.

Much respect for getting out there and going for it!

[boxelder]

Well done Mart (and Jez) - you sound like a 'block off the young chip'. I think we know where Holly got her spark - and you may need it for the climb out of Inverbroom........ ;-)
I'm sure she'd be proud of you.

[fatbikephil]

He's out of Fisherfield and moving along the postie path. Looking at the weather forecast, hiding in Kinlochewe bunkhouse for a while may be advisable. He'll have one hell of a tailwind back to Tyndrum however!

[Dave Barter]

Is that tree still a huge obstacle on the Postman's Path?

[fatbikephil]

Is that tree still a huge obstacle on the Postman's Path?

Nah, some kind soul removed it in late '16 early '17 - I rode through that bit

[ianfitz]

Looks like a side trip to torridon is happening now. Not turned off at Loch Clair.

[ScotRoutes]

It's gusting to over 50mph here in Uist and there have been 100mph gusts on the mountains. Attempting the Torridon section would be foolish and dangerous.

[sean_iow]

I've been keeping one eye on the forecast over the week and it looks like the weather has been much worse than we had on the group start. I only had to put my waterproof on once and that was only for 20 minutes.

On my commute to work this morning in a stiff headwind I suddenly realised that I couldn't think of any sections on the HT550 where I had to ride into the wind. Mart has not been so lucky

[fatbikephil]

It's gusting to over 50mph here in Uist and there have been 100mph gusts on the mountains. Attempting the Torridon section would be foolish and dangerous.

When I saw where he was going I was willing him to go back and just do the Coulin pass - saves a lot of miles and a biggish road climb....
Oh well he'll get the nice café in Torridon or the pub, and then he could do Bealach na Lice over to Corrie Lair

[Charliecres]

I got blown clean off my bike at the top of the Annat climb last year. Could have been nasty. I turned tail and fled back down the hill. Still, some nice places to hole up in Torridon.

[fatbikephil]

I'm guessing he's at the Strathcarron hotel now - been of great service to many a bedraggled bikepacker that place

[Howard]

Well his dot’s not moved for a day and Trackleaders is showing him as scratched. Does anyone know if he’s still going?

[fatbikephil]

Still in the pub??
In other news, the results are up on the HT page - http://highlandtrail.net/riderecords2018.html

[Mart]

OK things didn't quite work out as we wanted but we've learnt a lot about ourselves and the route,
In essence we had the following

Day 1 - Thunderstorms chasing us from Glen to Glen after Br of Balgie - a bit moist
Dodgy tummy so struggled to eat properly - Stopped in Culra

Day 2 - Weather OK but struggled after a big feed in Fort Augustus. Tummy still not right
Got to Cannich and 'bivied' in the campsite TV room out

Day 3 - Tummy back to normal and Im playing catch up on eating. Up and over to Contin and the best Macaroni pie i've ever tasted
More food at Inchbae too before heading up Loch Vaich and 'Bivi' in the hobbit otter hide @ Deanish

Day 4 - progressed to the School House, before we decide to miss the top loop - Jez NEEDS to be back at work on Monday and were not moving fast enough
Descend to Ullapool, get food and decide on a B&B for some proper rest before we enter Fisherfield

Day 5 - Up and over to Dundonnel was OK but then rain starts
We pass Shenenval in worsening weather before crossing the Strath (only ankle deep)
Weather really crapps out on the up and over to Fionn Loch, but continue on to Letterewe
Soaked to the skin, continue along the posties path, well we were wet anyway
Midnight finish in Kinlochewe, we get shelter in the only thing open - the local toilets
As Paramart would say 'Mildly Moist' sort of day

Day 6 - We struggle along the Torridon road, takes 2 hours in the 60mph wind to do 10 miles, rivers have now burst their banks and in spate
Feels like drunk cycling, unable to keep bike straight in the gusts. Safety dictates no high mountain tracks where wind will increase

Day 7 - Wake up to wall to wall rain - wind down to 'just' 40pmh
Slog on down the road to Dornie, without tracker as we have decided to call it a day. Just not smiling anymore
Phoned the wife ... Its a lovely sunny day back home. Bus back to Tyndrum - Rains all the way. Made the right choice

I had a BRILLIANT time - just loved it. Plan for the rest of the year is to do the bits we missed out and try whole thing again next year
Thank you for all the kind words & encouragement

If I had one thing to say about the trip it would be just go out and try it - so rewarding.

[Bearlegged]

... the best Macaroni pie i've ever tasted.

I always appreciate ride reports that focus on the really important things.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, hope you've dried out now.

[sean_iow]

I'm pleased you're back safe definitely the right call given the weather. I found some parts very hard going even in the 'perfect' weather conditions. Heading into the mountains in the conditions you had would of been very hard going.

[fatbikephil]

Top effort given the weather

up Loch Vaich and 'Bivi' in the hobbit otter hide @ Deanish

I noticed you stopped there - top bivi spot!

[Alpinum]

Thanks Mart for sharing

Gosh... good going...

OK things didn't quite work out as we wanted but we've learnt a lot about ourselves and the route,

Well, you surely got some intense days in and with nature.

Don't we often overlook how big a part of riding such routes this is?