20220419_111439 by Jeff Price, on FlickrWe all love making plans of future bikepacking trips don't we? Back in October 2019 I set off with a plan of heading up to the Assynt for a few days bikepacking. However after 5 hours of driving an engine warning light decided to throw those plans in the bin! Fast forward 2 1/2 years (thanks to Covid) and I found myself driving north once again (thankfully not in the same vehicle this time) but now with my eldest lad in tow.
20220418_052046 by Jeff Price, on FlickrI had a plan, I had several bothies on my radar and places to visit. However with my lad being with me, I wasn't confident those plans would be sustained.
We played tourist on the 9 1/2 hour drive by stopping off at several places of interest along the way.
20220418_085907 by Jeff Price, on FlickrAnd as we left Inverness the scenery was spot on in near perfect weather.
20220418_130732 by Jeff Price, on FlickrAs with most teenagers they either sleep or eat...
20220418_135621 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_145705 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe 'locals' were up for a discussion
20220418_151417 by Jeff Price, on FlickrArdvreck castle
20220418_154929 by Jeff Price, on FlickrIt was good driving on these roads as I'd cycles up here 10 years ago and had forgotten how stunning the area was
20220418_161159 by Jeff Price, on FlickrWe finally parked up at 4pm at Kylsku bridge and was ready to ride bikes. At this point I must admit my lad Connor is not a 'cyclist' so he did not know what to expect despite coming on a few rides and camps a few years back.
20220418_165335 by Jeff Price, on FlickrOur destination was the Glendu bothy which is accessed by either boat or the track alongside Loch Glendu which follows the edge of the loch for around 7 miles.
20220418_171312 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_171321 by Jeff Price, on FlickrA Welshman is always happy to see a sheep!
20220418_172759 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_174529 by Jeff Price, on FlickrAs we got within 400 yards the bothy came into view as did the smoke from the chimney
20220418_180023 by Jeff Price, on FlickrGlendu bothy on the left, the others are estate buildings
20220418_180028 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_180611 by Jeff Price, on FlickrUpon entering we were greeted by two solo walkers, one Glaswegian bagging some Corbitts and a Swiss guy on a mission to get to Kearvaig bothy.
20220418_180556 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe bothy is made up of two rooms on the ground floor and two up top. It was a clean but very basic bothy with just 4 chairs and a table. Fireplaces were in each of the ground floor rooms which were soon glowing as the weather outside took a turn for the worse with wind and rain hitting through the night.
Connor showing his delight that he couldn't get a phone signal
20220418_183937 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_190126 by Jeff Price, on FlickrIt ended up being a great evening with the typical bothy chit chat with whiskey passed around
20220418_203244 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220418_205128 by Jeff Price, on FlickrBothy TV
20220418_213553 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe night was rough outside and at times it sounded like the tiles were going to be blown off the roof. By the morning the wind had eased but there were still a few showers coming and going
20220419_065321 by Jeff Price, on FlickrTypical teenager having a lie in!
20220419_093445 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220419_104602 by Jeff Price, on FlickrAs a bonus I found myself another antler to go with the other two I've picked up from previous trips
20220419_112852 by Jeff Price, on FlickrDad and lad
20220419_110006 by Jeff Price, on FlickrSteady going on the return to the car
20220419_113119 by Jeff Price, on FlickrIt was hard to just keep pedalling as the scenery was spot on!
20220419_120120 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220419_120124 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220419_122057 by Jeff Price, on FlickrPies!! It had to be done
20220419_141846 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThen we ended up scrapping my plan to ride at Sandwood due to my lad being so bluming tired!
So we ended up playing tourist driving around and stopping in passing places to take photo's!
20220419_131230 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220419_152122 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe weather came good too during the day
20220419_152405 by Jeff Price, on FlickrWe were going to wild camp here at Achnaraid beach but I succumbed to checking into a small campsite at Port a Bhaigh instead
20220419_160532 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220419_155132 by Jeff Price, on FlickrAs we arrived at the campsite we ended up waiting for an hour or so as the rescue helicopter hand landed on the beach with the medic treating someone in a campervan. They must have been relatively OK as they did not take them away
20220419_165114 by Jeff Price, on FlickrTbf it was a nice quiet pitch
20220419_175853 by Jeff Price, on FlickrTo our surprise there was even a bar across the road and they had the footy on, bonus!
20220419_201503 by Jeff Price, on FlickrDining al fresco at half time
20220419_210057 by Jeff Price, on FlickrA super clear night sky
20220419_222357 by Jeff Price, on FlickrIt was a bit cosy in the Ordos 2
20220420_065859 by Jeff Price, on FlickrBhy this time it was obvious my plans were well and truly thrown out of the window. Again we played tourist driving about and taking pics
20220420_094131 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_094136 by Jeff Price, on FlickrI thought of heading south to the Cairngorms
received_1456480664754529 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_121244 by Jeff Price, on FlickrI popped in to see the evere helpful Andy Toop at Backcountry cycles in Aviemore. He gave me some fine advice to head to the bothy in Glen Fishie. He did say that the estate had spent £250,000 on it a couple of years ago!
The track through the glen was superb
20220420_173202 by Jeff Price, on FlickrHowever there was a tricky section that had been washed out big style
20220420_174733 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_175857 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe bothy was out of this world!
20220421_061851 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220421_061858 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_182101 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_182106 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_182045 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_182125 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_182206 by Jeff Price, on FlickrWe shared the bothy with a couple of Manchester fella's doing a long walk for their 60th and a German guy bagging some big tops.
20220420_204734 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220420_215506 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220421_084504 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220421_091530 by Jeff Price, on FlickrThe bridge on the map seems to be long gone!
20220421_093547 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20220421_101003 by Jeff Price, on FlickrSo despite the plans falling through, we both had a great time!
20220421_093137 by Jeff Price, on Flickr1080 miles driven
30 miles ridden
Worth it big style!
).
My bad!
