HT550 - 2025

[Hyppy]

I received my 2025 group start invite this morning. Anyone else in this time round?

[fatbikephil]

Me - tenth anniversary of my first successful completion!
It was a weather shocker that year (and the trails were saturated after a very snowy winter and wet spring) wonder what it will be like in 2025....

[Hyppy]

Me - tenth anniversary of my first successful completion!
It was a weather shocker that year (and the trails were saturated after a very snowy winter and wet spring) wonder what it will be like in 2025....

I still don't imagine I'd see you much beyond Fort Augustus, but hopefully this time at least I'll be carrying on around the route rather than peeling off.

[fatbikephil]

Me - tenth anniversary of my first successful completion!
It was a weather shocker that year (and the trails were saturated after a very snowy winter and wet spring) wonder what it will be like in 2025....

I still don't imagine I'd see you much beyond Fort Augustus, but hopefully this time at least I'll be carrying on around the route rather than peeling off.

[PeddarsWayJason]

Ah I applied but looks like I'm not in if the emails have gone out..

[pete68]

Yep got in this time, somewhat surprisingly. Both fields look full off quality riders. No doubt I'll be near the back but aim to get round in a decent time. Not much social media about it this year. Alan keeping the amount of applications down I think

[PeddarsWayJason]

Has the startlist been posted somewhere? It's still showing the 2024 list on the website. Saw a post by Alan today saying there's a change to the route, it'll be interesting to see what's new.

[Alpinum]

Saw a post by Alan today saying there's a change to the route, it'll be interesting to see what's new.

Shame. Not at all that Stacked

It's a change. Some will be happy for it, some will miss the fun terrain which it now misses.

[whitestone]

Has the startlist been posted somewhere? It's still showing the 2024 list on the website. Saw a post by Alan today saying there's a change to the route, it'll be interesting to see what's new.

The route tends to change each year (I’m sure there are a couple when it’s stayed the same) as there are often some form of works going on somewhere along the route. But ultimately there’s only so many routes between A, B & C in the Highlands.

[fatbikephil]

Has the startlist been posted somewhere? It's still showing the 2024 list on the website. Saw a post by Alan today saying there's a change to the route, it'll be interesting to see what's new.

https://highlandtrail550.weebly.com/startlist.html

Change of route you say? Wonder what Alan is thinking.... I take it that's on instagram?

[PeddarsWayJason]

Ah the list still says 2024 even though it's the new list. That's what confused me The bit about the new section is on Alans' instagram page today.

[pete68]

The startling is still down as 2024 but is the 25 list. 40 men and currently 24 women

[fatbikephil]

Hmm. Change right enough - I suggested that variation to Allan in 2015 and he said it was too easy! More to come apparently, how exciting!

[whitestone]

Hmm. Change right enough - I suggested that variation to Allan in 2015 and he said it was too easy! More to come apparently, how exciting!

Which change is that Phil? The Gobernuisach to Lone track rather than Bealach Horn or another one?

[fatbikephil]

Hmm. Change right enough - I suggested that variation to Allan in 2015 and he said it was too easy! More to come apparently, how exciting!

Which change is that Phil? The Gobernuisach to Lone track rather than Bealach Horn or another one?

Yup - no Bealach horn but Bealach na Feith instead. Not sure why as it's much easier.... Good descent though

[whitestone]

Hmm. Change right enough - I suggested that variation to Allan in 2015 and he said it was too easy! More to come apparently, how exciting!

Which change is that Phil? The Gobernuisach to Lone track rather than Bealach Horn or another one?

Yup - no Bealach horn but Bealach na Feith instead. Not sure why as it's much easier.... Good descent though

I wonder if that steep drop into Glen Golly has been washed out/eroded into the gorge on the right? Can't remember anything else that might be an issue.

[fatbikephil]

Hmm. Change right enough - I suggested that variation to Allan in 2015 and he said it was too easy! More to come apparently, how exciting!

Which change is that Phil? The Gobernuisach to Lone track rather than Bealach Horn or another one?

Yup - no Bealach horn but Bealach na Feith instead. Not sure why as it's much easier.... Good descent though

I wonder if that steep drop into Glen Golly has been washed out/eroded into the gorge on the right? Can't remember anything else that might be an issue.

Dunno, could be, although it's survived much worse.....
Hey ho, it lops about 5k of the the total so I'm not complaining. I do wonder if he might reinstate the 2013 - 2015 Day one route though...

[whitestone]

Dunno, could be, although it's survived much worse.....
Hey ho, it lops about 5k of the the total so I'm not complaining. I do wonder if he might reinstate the 2013 - 2015 Day one route though...

I thought he changed that part to avoid lots of fresh riders blasting along the WHW as far as Kinlochleven.

Bealach Breabag rather than Bealach Dubh to get past Ben Alder?
Follow the Allt Cam rather than the Pattack after Culra?
The alternative way into Fisherfield via Loch a Bhraoin?
Use the Postman's path again?
There's an old droving road/path between Kinlochewe and Coulin but I can find very little info on it so it might be lost to history.
Glen Garry - Glen Cia-aig (not done the latter part of this but the first bit out of the woods is truely awful)
Down Glen Etive, along the shoreline and up Glen Kinglass?

I think he'd need to avoid being at the finish if he included either of the last two

[fatbikephil]

All of the above?
Alan does seem to be generally resistant to throwing death marches into the route (unlike some around here ) and I think the Glen Cia-aig would meet that criteria.... I've not done it but know someone who has and warned me off.

As you noted above there isn't much else to do other than the usual variations, as there is nowt else! I was thinking that the postie path to KLL is probably overgrown again having not been used since 2019 by the HT. It was getting quite ridden in by the time I did in in July 2019

[whitestone]

The Glen Garry loop is in the Scottish Wild Trails MTB guide. Cath and I did it years ago, fire roads to herehttp://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=222648&Y=798356&A=Y&Z=120 then just about rideable with a few pushes to the edge of the forestry. Then the "fun" began - 4km of pathless pushing through peat hags to get to the bealach between the two Munros. A techy descent from there down by the Allt Dhoire to the forestry track, some bits were a bit beyond me, then fire roads back to the start. If you really wanted to do the descent it would be better to push up it first. Glen Cia-aig just looks like more of the pathless peat hags.

There's a couple of options between Lone and Kylestrome: on the existing route, rather than drop down from the plateau, stay high and then drop directly to Kylestrome. There's a stalker's path that heads up Strath Stack then across to the coast road at Duartmore. From photos I've seen it's similar condition or slightly better than the one leading from Lochan Sgeirach to Bealach Horn. Interestingly it doesn't show any activity on Strava heatmap! Might make a good exploratory day loop if you were in the Kylstrome area - 32km with 900m elevation

[fatbikephil]

I've had a good look on aerials at that route from Ben stack west - defo one for the fatty at some point

[pete68]

The provisional route has been sent out to riders already. Says there maybe some changes but I presume not much more

[Hyppy]

The provisional route has been sent out to riders already. Says there maybe some changes but I presume not much more

Aye, the changes discussed up there ^. That bit's all new to me anyway, so I've no idea what I might be missing or conversely what I'm letting myself in for.

[riderdown]

(unlike some around here )

It's a feature not a bug

[pete68]

The provisional route has been sent out to riders already. Says there maybe some changes but I presume not much more

Aye, the changes discussed up there ^. That bit's all new to me anyway, so I've no idea what I might be missing or conversely what I'm letting myself in for.

Yeah I know about the ain change. I meant that I don't think bits like the postman's path are coming back in