The 2015 summer solstice is on Sunday June 20 but the main ride will be on Saturday 19.

Three plans, one easy, one middle, one hard.

Friday evening, 18 June. Leave your car at Connel or get the train there, it is at the mouth of Loch Etive (NM913342). Cycle to Cadderlie bothy (NN046370) which is 13 miles away along the North shore of Loch Etive and stay the night.

Hard-
Saturday 19. Do a 140 mile circuit (9,250 feet of climbing) as fast as you can by going along Loch Etive north shore, follow the River Etive to the Kings House Hotel (NN259546) on the West Highland Way, head south on the WHW over Rannoch Moor to Victoria Bridge (NN270422), head west following the Abhainn Shira to Loch Dochard (NN213417), continue west over the watershed and drop into Glen Kingless following it to Loch Etive south shore. Head west to Taynuilt and pick up the NCN route 78 at NN003309 and follow it to Oban (NM857302), continue north on NCN78 then east to Connnel, finish with a clockwise circuit of Loch Etive.

Middle-
Do the above over Saturday and Sunday and bivi out somewhere, 70 miles each day.

Easy-
Do 87 miles from the bothy to Connnel over Saturday and Sunday and bivi out somewhere.


The route does not have a lot of climbing, it is on good trails with one small section of bike hike and is 1/3 b roads so I believe it is realistic for a moderatly fit rider to do it in one day.
You do not have to ride as a group, do your own thing.
Cadderlie bothy is quite big but bring a tarp or tent in case the bothy is full.
When stopped midge's will be bad so come prepared, mozi cream, midge net for tarp etc.

Not done a gpx track yet but if you want one then email me at youngray50 at gmail dot com and i will send it out when it's done.

Loch Etive Glen Kinglass 042 by youngray50, on Flickr

Loch Etive Glen Kinglass 026 by youngray50, on Flickr

Sounds good. I did a loop staying at cadderlie September just gone. Rode from the rucksack club hut at south balachilish round the coast on the sustrans route. Then up loch etive.

Had a top night in the bothy. Met two Scottish lads there who as well as their guitars had two bottles of single malt, a case of remnants and a 3litre wine box for their two night stay! I did help them with the over stocked nature if the beverages. Drank more whisky that night than I would in a year...

T'was a very sociable evening and I left that following afternoon feeling a little less perky than the previous day. Went up loch then glen etive and when I got to the main road discovered that it was closed to traffic due to a crash by the kings house. I'd been planning to go over the WHW and back from kinlochleven but couldn't resist cruising down a completely traffic free glen coe in the sun.

Sounds very good (apart from the midges). I'll put my hand up for the easy option. I'll send you an email for the gpx.

GPX file now available. Email me at youngray50 at gmail dot com

Or here
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/626587096
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/626587436

Mid point for the easy two days should put you in Glen Kingless.

The south shore return route to Connel is 40 miles long with a slight variation after Taynuilt from the previous day. I have not ridden the south shore but apparently it is quite bouldery in places so there may be some bike hike involved.

Found this fat bike vid on you tube, it also shows the bothy. Anyone off here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK_d1GpLc38

Ray Young wrote: Found this fat bike vid on you tube, it also shows the bothy. Anyone off here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK_d1GpLc38

That is Andy Sealey, Tom Rae and Jason something (I don't know him). I remember hearing about a trip they did there as being a bit horrible, it might have been that one or another one.

I've ridden Glen Etive down the South side of Loch Etive (with Andy and Tom incidentally) in the height of summer and it was good fun. We started at Kingshouse and road down the glen, returning by Glen Kinglass and the WHW. A bit rocky in places but it was relatively dry. I understand it isn't that way after a heavy winter though, there can be a lot washed up on the beach.

EDIT: I won't be along for this one as it's Ride to the Sun that same weekend.

I have edited the first post to include a middle grade so it's now like this.

Friday evening leave your car at Connel and cycle 13 miles to the bothy and meet like minded souls.

Saturday easy grade.......Ride 87 miles over two days finishing at Connnel
Saturday middle grade...Ride 140 over two days finishing at Connnel.
Saturday hard grade...... Ride 140 miles as fast as you can.

AlasdairMc wrote:
EDIT: I won't be along for this one as it's Ride to the Sun that same weekend.

I have my name down too....

ScotRoutes wrote:

AlasdairMc wrote:
EDIT: I won't be along for this one as it's Ride to the Sun that same weekend.

I have my name down too....

Excellent, will be good to see you.

Sounds like a fab idea, if only I didn't live 500 miles away!

Hi Ray,

I like the sound of the middle option, I'll drop you an email you for the .gpx file.

Paul

Hi Paul, I'm planning on doing the middle one too. Hoping to do 100 miles on day one to bring me back to the bothy then a much easier 40 miles on day two.

Thanks for the gpx. looks like a nice route.

I think I'm going to take a similar approach to you, get the bulk of the riding done on the Saturday, we should have plenty of day light, but perhaps Bivi out somewhere high to avoid the midges even if it means a slight detour.

Sorry folks but I will not be doing this now but feel free to attend if you wish, Ray.