2016 Highland Trail route.

[Richpips]

Yay, Nik "never again" Kinloch is back.

[Alpinum]

Nice to see Gian back!

Nice to read that Greg.

Cheers

Chuffed to go back.

[GregMay]

Feel free to spend some time out my way on the way if you're over. Spare bed going!

[GregMay]

If you've got a confirmed entry - and use Twitter - could you Tweet at @HT_550 so I can add you to the list of riders it follows.

[AlasdairMc]

In addition to that list, Daniel Jessee, his friend, and I will be doing an ITT, starting a week before the main event. I'm hoping we can get on Trackleaders to set an easily beaten benchmark for the pack to follow (or at least my pace will be easily beaten).

Our plan is to get into Tyndrum for the Friday before the start and catch up with everyone then.

[fatbikephil]

My plan is to not get snowed on unlike every bikepacking trip I've done at the end of May since 2010 (apart from the one I did in Iceland where I got sunburned....)

[AlanG]

Here's the latest startlist. It's forty riders now which is the number I'd like to see lining up in Tyndrum but because the pre-start drop out rate is usually around 35% I'll add more names in the coming days.

Women
1. Jenny Graham (2015)
2. Amy Souter
3. Fiona Massey
4. Jill Libby, Canada
5. Marketa Marvanova, Czech Republic

Men.
1. Phil Clarke (2014,2015)
2. Ian Barrington (2013,2014)
3. Paul Horabin
4. Eric DeJong, Canada
5. Dan Lockery, Canada
6. Martijn Boonman, Netherlands
7. Kenny Decker, U.S.A.
8. Rob Waller (2015)
9. John Fettis (2015)
10. Hal Loewen, Canada
11. Zbynek Simcik
12. Fraser MacBeath (2015)
13. Gian Liesch, Switzerland (2013)
14. Carl Hutchings (2015)
15. Javier Simon (2015)
16. James Stephens (2015)
17. Marshall Bird, U.S.A.
18. Huw Oliver
19. Keith Bremner (2014)
20. Karl Booth (2015)
21. Nik Kinloch (2013,2014)
22. Phil Fraser-Thomson (2014,2015)
23. Thomas Borst, Germany
24. Ian Fitz
25. Gabriel Mak
26. Alan Sheldon (2013)
27. Adam Zaviska, Czech Republic
28. Liam Glen
29. Scott Lindsay
30. Philip Addyman
31. Chris Purt
32. Andy Laycock
33. Stuart Cowperthwaite
34. Bryan Singleton (2015)
35. Mark Evans

[padonbike]

The plot thickens ...

[trail717]

Hi,
Marshal Bird here—I am excited to be signed up for the HT 550! Not counting the TDR start location in Banff Canada this will be my 1st “international” multi day race and 1st time to Scotland.

I have always been a bit in awe of racers who travel long distance to do races like the AZT, CTR or TDR (all local to me). Now I get to be the outsider. I have been vaguely aware of your HT 550 but honestly it was not on my horizon till a few days ago. I was sort of searching around and was looking for something ‘different’ for 2016. When I saw some past race pictures of the Scottish Highlands the HT 550 traverses I was intrigued, I love wide open remote terrain. Then when I saw that it starts on my 60th birthday, well that sort of sealed the deal. So life permitting I am all in.

And knowing how important local knowledge is I would like to ask lots of questions concerning all things HT 550. Most of my questions will have been asked and answered in other threads, blogs etc, but I would ask your indulgence as I ask them again.

Over the winter as I prepare I want to learn about the route, optimized clothing/bike/gear choices and also travel/logistics options.

Let me start a fundamental ‘route’ question: No real strategy yet till I know my true resupply options but generally my style is to use grab and go type food--- ie: 10-30 min re supply and eat as I ride vs to many sit down meals. I run a rather slow pace but plan to pull long hours –----with this in mind can someone point me to a list of main (and secondary) resupply points?

Thanks in advance to all who can help out

bty-as all can see I like to over analyze and am rather long winded in my posts—but for me winter time research/prep is part of the fun of multi day racing

Cheers.....

[ianfitz]

Welcome Marshall. I'm riding this year too and it will be my 40th birthday on 30th May - day 3.

I'm not best qualified to give accurate details on resupply points but would be interested to see a definitive list too.

I do have a bit of a list on my computer at work so if nothing else is forthcoming I'll post it up later today, if I get the chance.

[GregMay]

–----with this in mind can someone point me to a list of main (and secondary) resupply points?
..

Marshall, your best bet is to drop the historical GPX into a mapping program and have a look at it town by town.

Off the top of my head the "larger" food stops are:
Food at start.
Bridge of Orchy
Ski station
Kinlochleeven.
Fort Agustus.
Invermoriston
Cannich - off route, campsite, good eggs :)
Oykel Bridge
Kylesku
Lochinver
Oykel bridge on the way back from the Northern Loop.
Ullapool - big Tesco + many chippies
Poolewe - don;t count on the pub/hotel - campsite has a teeny shop
Kinblochewe - stop here at the cafe.
Strathcarran - nice pub, good cake and beer.... (DONT get on the train)
Dornie,
Fort A again
Fort Bill
Kinlocheven again.
Ski station
Bridge of Orchy

Don't expect petrol stations, let alone 24 hour ones.
Don't expect shops to be open in the more Northern areas before 10am.
Don't expect them to be open past 4pm.

[GregMay]

would be interested to see a definitive list too.
.

I've each one in a GPS format I made for the first year.... but you know that'd be cheating to get that don't you.

[ScotRoutes]

Greg - remember there's a change of route this year so Tyndrum will be the last shop before Laggan (Wolftrax cafe, stores off-route)

[whitestone]

I thought that this year's route was missing out Poolewe?

Some more
Kingshouse after the Devil's Staircase (though it's usually colder inside than out!)
Cafe at Laggan Wolftrax before you begin the ascent of the Corrieairack pass.
The shop/post office at Drumbeg

[GregMay]

Suppose I should mention that was based on last years route :)

Basically - go do your research.

[ianfitz]

There is a post office at bridge of balgie on the new route. No idea on opening times, stock levels. it about 40km/25miles in.

I'll be starting with a good stock of food and not expecting to be able to go shopping again until contin at 240km/150miles. Hopefully be able to get something to takeaway in fort augustus though. Ideally this would be dinner on day 1 rather than breakfast on day 2!

[AlasdairMc]

Other stops:

Contin Stores - the petrol station is OK, but the store 100yds further along the route is much better
Inchbae Lodge - hotel that does food
There might still be a shop at Rosehall just past Oykel Bridge. It was open in 2014, unsure about 2015 but someone did bivi behind it. There is a hotel in Rosehall too that does food.
There is a motel several miles before Oykel Bridge 2 which does food during the day, there was someone using it in 2015.
Hotel just off-route on the pass before Fort Augustus 2.

[whitestone]

Marshall - we have very good mapping here in the UK, if you go to streetmap.co.uk you can search for Tyndrum then follow the route at either 1:50K or 1:25K scales and you should be able to determine how big (or otherwise) some of the communities really are. As an example - Laxford Bridge is noted as a town on Streetmap but there are just two properties there

[AlasdairMc]

Basically - go do your research.

Also this. Google Streetview was a great help for me.

[GregMay]

Hints for Fort A if going to chippie -
It closes at 10pm, the shop closes earlier, the pub has beer and crisps.
The chippie men, they are grumpy.
Don't let Ian in before you as he'll eat the last large pizza
Also don't order fish pizza - Dave Barter I am looking at you.

Nice bivi spot just above Fort A after you go up the climb after the school.

[whitestone]

Basically - go do your research.

Also this. Google Streetview was a great help for me.

And geograph.org.uk though it's an awful interface.

[GregMay]

http://maps.the-hug.net/ ... quite good.

[Ian]

Inchbae Lodge was shut in 2014. Is it open again now?

[Ian]

On the northern loop you've got;

Oykel Bridge (hotel, does food)
Rosehall (pub, does food)
There's another hotel 3km off route once you've gone over the top from Rosehall.
Kylesku (hotel)
Drumbeg Stores (nice deli counter)
Lochinver (town, lots of options, plus pie shop)
Oykel Bridge again
Then you're on to Ullapool which is the main resupply before the return leg.

[ScotRoutes]

Inchbae Lodge has re-opened and is under (much needed) new management.