A piece of cake !

[John_s]

Now I know why it’s called a “Pushbike”.

What a day, it wasn’t the longest day I’ve had, but it was probably the toughest yet.
I missed out on last weeks hikes as I was unwell and I was busy this Friday too, so looking to make amends I booked into Torridon YH for Saturday night, my thinking was, if the good weather holds till Sunday I’ll pop up and do Sgùrr Mòr at Beinn Alligin or Liathach and if it’s crap I’ll do The two remote ones down at Attadale.

I call in at the appropriately named “Smiddy Chippy” at Contin for a fish supper, the fish is lovely, but the chips are a bit meh.
Theres an MRT van in a ditch on the A896 with its hazards on, but there's no-one around, so I assume they've gone to get help, the rescuers need rescued.
I arrive at the hostel around 8pm the place is packed and quite lively with plenty of booze around, but not for me as I grab a couple of cups of tea as I need at least an hour to come down from the long drive.
The alarm is set for 4am and I’m out like a light just before 10pm

I’m up, fully refreshed after a shower and grab cornflakes, a yoghurt and some mixed fruit for breakfast, a check of the weather says cloudy all day and from the hostel window the surrounding hills are all in cloud, so I decide to keep Liathach for a better day and put my big boy pants on and do the big ones and I’m on the road just after 5am for the one hour drive to Attadale.

I’m super cautious on the road at this time as fellow hikers Anil and Daniella both had accidents recently with deer running out on them, there are plenty around, but I manage to not spook them.
So, after a pleasant morning drive to my destination, I get the jungle formula on as the midgies are biting, I’m trying out the Pestects wrist bands too for extra protection.

Suitably attired in shorts and T-shirt I head out around 7am, along past the farm and over the bridge and hit the foot of the hill track after around 10 minutes, I’m not even attempting to cycle as its mega steep, so I push the bike up the hill, it’s never ending and it’s a bit of a slog, so to try and tune out the monotony I count my steps, sing a song, curse my bad decisions and take note of the open field drains that run across the path at a 45 degree angle, they could be lethal if my wheel gets caught in one on the way down.

After what feels like an eternity I finally crest the hill and mount my trusty steed and sail down the less steep gradient, albeit it’s a bit of a bone shaker going over the type 1 stones, a golden eagle appears alongside me just to my left for a few seconds then whirls away before I can get my camera out.
It’s not long before I’m pushing the bike again as it becomes a series of ups and downs of on the bike, off the bike etc.
I pass the bothy and arrive at the bridge where I depart company with my bike and start yet another uphill trek toward Loch Calavie.
I cross the cast iron bridge at the hydro dam at around 8.30am, then I arrive at the Loch at 9.15am (2 hours and 15 minutes to get here) and start the ascent proper around 9.30am.

It’s quite a wet uphill trek following the stream and I stop to have a blether with a woman from Edinburgh (I can’t remember her name).
It’s quite a steep ascent, but after a while I arrive at the bealach, I decide to keep my rucksack on and set off up the decent path towards Lurg Mhòr, a couple of small scrambly bits and then I’m quite surprised to see the summit cairn so soon.
The summit is still in cloud so there’s no views to speak of, though local visibility is ok.
I walk on a little further just to make sure as my app says I’m not at the summit, but this proves to be wrong and I retrace my steps back to my bag.

I set off again around noon back down to the bealach, I recharge with a KMC NRG GEL and some water, I rarely drink on the hills, I’m a bit of a camel.
From the bealach there’s a defined path snaking up the hillside, I still have sight of the woman from Edinburgh who has forged ahead and an English guy who appeared from nowhere at the last summit and has now disappeared in much the same fashion, I hope he’s ok.

I’m now feeling it in my legs, the cycling\walk-in has taken its toll as my muscles start cramping, I’m in baw-deep now so have to just grin and bear it and hope I can walk it off.
I set my mind somewhere else and before I know it I get a sight of the Edinburgh woman on the summit of Bidein áChoire Sheagaich (Cheesecake), that was rapid, just over an hour between munros.
Visibility is still ok but there are no views to be had beyond the immediate vicinity.

The Edinburgh woman heads back to the bealach as she’s camped out down by Loch Calavie . I have my first food of the day with half a sandwich and a well earned cup of tea, suitably replenished I strike out southwest along the summit ridge toward the small Lochan, then follow the undulating ridge line to the end.
The sun is now out and as I look back I see the cloud has lifted from both summits, another hour and I’d have gotten the views, but hey, Que sera, sera.
From here there doesn’t seem to be any definite path, but I can see the Hydro track in the distance, so it’s a case of picking out the best route through the heather.
I’m not a fan of heather bashing as that’s where the ticks live, it’s also nesting season though I’ve yet to see any signs, but there were plenty of frogs and wee lizardy things squirming around the grassy parts.

I set my sights on the track just before the bridge as that’s where I’ve left my bike and although it always looks light years away I make good progress and arrive back at the bridge around 3.30pm.
That’s the easy part done, now for the long, long, long bike/hike back to Attadale.

I start off well, but it’s heavy going and getting steeper, so I dismount and start to push the bike again, the outbound gradient is less steep than the inbound, but it’s not to be sneezed at as it’s very heavy punishing going.
It’s a case of putting your mind to it and getting one foot in front of the other and telling yourself that the next crest will be the last one when it seldom is.
After 55 minutes of pushing the bike uphill I crest the top and I know this is going to be a helter skelter of a ride, I only hope my brakes hold out.

I set off downhill and I’m on both brakes straight away as I struggle keep the bike steady as it bounces around on the chunky stones, full concentration is required, I can’t go too heavy on the brakes as I’ll lose the wheels grip, especially on the tight bends.
I counted the drainage ditches on the way up (17), yes I know, I’m a sad bastard, but it gives me something to concentrate on and not take my eye off the ball.
It’s certainly a white knuckle ride as it twists and turns all the way till it levels out and I have to push up another section or two before finally reaching the bottom and peeling off towards Attadale farm.
It’s now a pleasant sunny evening cycle along the track/tarmac, past some deer hogging the road, past the farm and arrive at my car around 5.30pm.

My sat-nav says the A82 is quickest, that’s hard to believe I know, but I’ve got to trust it.
It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday evening drive through some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery which makes it all the easier.
I stop at the Spean Bridge Spar for juice, then make tracks again.
Not long after I come through Glencoe there are signs saying the A82 is closed north of Tyndrum, my sat-nav says it isn’t, I watch for any other traffic turning round, but like me they are ignoring the signs.
Before long I arrive at a traffic jam, it seems they’re resurfacing the road, but there’s no diversion in place, so someone is at it.
Some drivers are out of their cars remonstrating with the roads guys and they finally relent and open the road for us after a 15 minute wait.

It’s thankfully uneventful for the rest of the journey home and I arrive at around 10.00pm.
I can’t wait to get the jungle formula off, it’s effective, but it stinks and I soak for half an hour in the bath, a few more cups of tea before my body gives in and I’m sleeping for midnight with my alarm set for 5.30am for work.

That was some day out, most folk do it over two days, but I didn’t have two days as I had work on Monday.
I’m burnt and burst but I’m absolutely buzzing too as always after a day like that on the hills, there’s something good about pushing yourself through the mental and physical barriers, more so when going solo.
I’d highly recommend that whoever does it takes an e-bike or you can just punish yourself like I did.

Lurg Mhór 🏔️ ( Big Shank) 260

Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich 🏔️ (Pinnacle of the corrie of the farrow cattle) 261