HT550 - 2025

[fatbikephil]

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

I did my best to persuade Alan to reinstate the Postie path as it's far more entertaining the the Tollie path, down which I had a right old strop last year, but he seemed reluctant....

[whitestone]

I did my best to persuade Alan to reinstate the Postie path as it's far more entertaining the the Tollie path, down which I had a right old strop last year, but he seemed reluctant....

After the 2017 edition Alan was asking finishers what their favourite part of the route was - without hesitation I said "The Postie path". I also said my least favourite part was the singletrack descent into Ullapool. Alan was a bit taken aback - "quite a few have said the exact opposite!"

No accounting for taste

I think the Postie Path is very much an early summer route before the bracken takes over so avoiding it lets people do the route as an ITT or a tour later in the year. "That" gulley may also be a little tricky now.

[fatbikephil]

I did my best to persuade Alan to reinstate the Postie path as it's far more entertaining the the Tollie path, down which I had a right old strop last year, but he seemed reluctant....

After the 2017 edition Alan was asking finishers what their favourite part of the route was - without hesitation I said "The Postie path". I also said my least favourite part was the singletrack descent into Ullapool. Alan was a bit taken aback - "quite a few have said the exact opposite!"

No accounting for taste

I think the Postie Path is very much an early summer route before the bracken takes over so avoiding it lets people do the route as an ITT or a tour later in the year. "That" gulley may also be a little tricky now.

I think I gained a couple of minutes on you along there Bob

when I rode it in June 2019 (mucho sun) it was a joy but I fear it will be back to death by bracken now.

Hey, ho. It will be what it will be. After BB300 2023, nothing will ever phase me again. I think I said that after HT2015 though...

[fatbikephil]

https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/ ... 995&z=8.23

Someone's doing a winter ride, pity they weren't doing it last week as I suspect it will be a bit soggy this week!

Going well so far, however.

[boxelder]

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... highlands/

Well I remember it fondly as one of my favourite, and most keenly anticipated stretches of Mr McAdam's trail surfacing.

[fatbikephil]

FFS. You need to have done 22k of death march to appreciate that junction

[fatbikephil]

https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/ ... 995&z=8.23

Someone's doing a winter ride, pity they weren't doing it last week as I suspect it will be a bit soggy this week!

Going well so far, however.

Done today - lucky with the weather I'd say but good effort

[boxelder]

Yeah, good effort. Nearly home if not dry.

[flynbot3000]

Me! First time, so route changes don’t mean much to me.. nervous and excited

Curious to know what kind of lightweight tents folks use. I’ve got an OR Helium bivvy, but it’s a bit of a condensation generator, and everything gets wet quite quickly. Exploring other options!

Any experience with the Lanshan pro from aliexpress? If there’s a lightweight tent thread, please point me in that direction.. new to the forum and not found my way around yet

[whitestone]

Welcome!

I used a lightweight tarp - well I did on the first night which was actually under a lorry! - the other nights I was in a woodshed, a hotel and a generator room (empty) for a hydro scheme. There are quite a lot of physical shelters along, or very close to, the route ranging from bothies (13 if my mental map is correct) and barns to hotels, etc. I did have a list somewhere. Of course they don't always appear when you might want them to.

A lot depends on the weather and the midge. I'd look at something like the SMD Gatewood Cape https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/gat ... p-shelter/ or the SMD Deschutes https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/des ... p-shelter/ which is slightly bigger. For these you'd need a lightweight bivy bag with some mesh to keep the midges away. The Gatewood weighs just under 300g, add a carbon pole and some pegs plus a bivy like the Borah Gear bivy and you'd be under 600g for a flexible system. The Deschutes is 70g or so heavier. If you wanted something with inbuilt midge protection then the Lunar Solo https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/lunar-solo-tent/ is a popular option.

There's quite a few HT550 threads which will pop up in any search, pretty sure many if not most will discuss kit somewhere in them. Searching for "tarp" or "tent" will probably fail because there are too many hits.

[Alpinum]

Exploring other options!

250 g tarp and selfmade bug bivy (similar to S2S Escapist Ultra Mesh, just much lighter and smaller) for my two rounds of the Highland trail. I pitched it using bike and (detached) front wheel - Tarp as a classic A frame.
Worked well. I always found a suitable spot (not too windy, not too damp etc.) along the HT550 without planning.

https://seatosummit.eu/en-ch/products/u ... thpU6e6jht
I added some guylines and used 8 stakes iirc.

[Hyppy]

I've the Gatewood Cape and the Serenity Inner too. The latter does bulk things up a bit, but for a midge free sanctuary if or when I need to contemplate my life choices, I like to have it. While I like to challenge myself with the race element I'm never going to be at the pointy end overall and so happy to make the odd compromise to better enjoy the experience.

[flynbot3000]

Super helpful, thanks all. I’ve ridden a few sections before, and just so excited to get back out there!

[boxelder]

Whatever you decide on, make sure you can set it up on/for all conditions and know it's limitations. Or don't stop much

[fatbikephil]

Whatever you decide on, make sure you can set it up on/for all conditions and know it's limitations. Or don't stop much

And where you can stop, or crucially where you can't. Sunday night is always the challenge!

[whitestone]

So route wise the only (major) change is swapping Bealach Horn for the direct track to Lone?

[Hyppy]

Sunday night is always the challenge!

How so, Phil?

[fatbikephil]

So route wise the only (major) change is swapping Bealach Horn for the direct track to Lone?

More to come apparently....

Sunday night is always the challenge!

How so, Phil?

Depends on where you end up - plenty shelter in the bottom end of Glen Cassley but after that you are kind of stuck until Achfary. There is woodland up by Loch Merkland but the ground is very boggy so pretty marginal and not huge shelter if it's blowing a gale. On the horn route it all tussocky / boggy ground and whilst there a few bits to pitch a tent, there is BA shelter if it's breezy.

100mph winds and heavy snow incoming as we speak

[whitestone]

There is a barn right at the end of the road in Glen Cassley https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.10991 ... FQAw%3D%3D but it's in full view of the house.

I kipped in this woodshed near Merkland Lodge https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.22655 ... FQAw%3D%3D Hopefully the URIs don't get munged. After that there isn't much until the shed at Lone.

[Alpinum]

plenty shelter in the bottom end of Glen Cassley but after that you are kind of stuck until Achfary.

Quite different in my memory, which might be completely off. In 2016 there were a few of us sleeping in the vicinity of the road climbing out of Cassley. Left of the road. Karl pitched his hooped bivy on a patch of grass in the first mellow switchback. In 2015 my girlfriend and I pitched a large 2 person tent there somewhere there too. Lots of flat lump free spots in the grass between road and burn.

[fatbikephil]

plenty shelter in the bottom end of Glen Cassley but after that you are kind of stuck until Achfary.

Quite different in my memory, which might be completely off. In 2016 there were a few of us sleeping in the vicinity of the road climbing out of Cassley. Left of the road. Karl pitched his hooped bivy on a patch of grass in the first mellow switchback. In 2015 my girlfriend and I pitched a large 2 person tent there somewhere there too. Lots of flat lump free spots in the grass between road and burn.

Yes meant to say, up by the dam is a great spot but not much shelter. Hadn't noticed the bits off the hairpins but last couple of times up there its been 5am!

[Ravens_Outdoor]

I didn't get in this year but doing an ITT later on Grand Depart day. Not easy to get an idea of ITT riders until track leaders fires up. Interested to know if anyone is, or knows anyone who is going to"off the books" in 2025?

[Mr G]

There will be 2 of us doing an ITT early May on the books ( trees planted for those that know).

[fatbikephil]

Looking like the track of 1000 puddles' (actually about a dozen) days are numbered, thanks to yet another windfarm project....

New route missing it all out incoming apparently

[Alpinum]

[...]
Interested to know if anyone is, or knows anyone who is going to"off the books" in 2025?

I've very recently been convincing a very expedition cycling experienced friend, after he asked if I had any ideas for a bikepacking trip in April. He's thinking about a few other options, but seemed interested. Not an ITT, since he's absolutely not into tracking, racing etc.

Asking for a friend...
1. How's the snow doing? Will there be any (at all) come mid April? Cairngorm webcam shows hardly any snow left (besides the groomer), so if nothing extraordinary happena, the HT550 should be snow-free..?

2. Time-frame for touring pace (for a fit person, who has a strong and somewhat crazy mindset)? 7 - 9 days should allow for plenty long breaks...?

3. What's your take on the Fisherfield exit? To Poolewe, then Tollie or Postie on the other side of Maree? I liked both and Postie seemed faster (likely slower, but shorter), but the super flow to Poolewe, the infamous cow dung bog and the views of Maree and rough fun down Tollie seem to make the latter more worthwhile.

Cheers