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Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.


Postby bigkeith » Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:08 pm

Route description: Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhòr

Munros included on this walk: Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, Lurg Mhòr

Date walked: 02/08/2020

Time taken: 9.8 hours

Distance: 42 km

Ascent: 1715m

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Having finally managed to make a contribution by writing my first walk report a week ago after 268 Munros for Tom a Choinich and Toll Creagach (so far no likes and no comments, sheesh, WH is a tough audience 😳) here is my second contribution. I'm partly spurred on after I stumbled across the table of number of Walk Reports for each Munro on the WH site. Poor old Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich are rock bottom of the pile. Everybody loves an underdog so here I am doing my bit.

You can see why there aren't a lot of reports for these hills: the c 14 km track in and out means that only multi-day adventurers and Munro Baggers (and probably mainly only those nearing the magical 282 total) will take up this challenge.

I was camping in Cannich, an hour and 40 minutes (beautiful) drive away so set off early. At 8:00 a.m. I mounted my bike in Attadale gardens and set off along the lovely smooth tarmac. When I had given my proposed route to my wife (Basecamp Chief) I had struggled to estimate accurate timings for the track because I wasn't sure how rough it would be. Having now biked it I would say the track is good. There's about 1.5 km of tarmac through the gardens and the rest is nearly all decent hard-pack. One of the worst bits is for about a kilometre after you exit the gardens where potholes have been filled in with loose hardcore but even that is OK.

There is a sustained uphill section straight out of Attadale Gardens, roughly 7 km or so. I rode as much of this as I could but also pushed a lot. I tried to take it sensibly but it was hard work at times.

20200802_081258.jpg
Just out of Attadale Gardens looking back.

20200802_082847.jpg
The track up.

20200802_084847.jpg
A steeper and rougher section.

Lurg Mhor 2Aug20 (8).jpg
The track up - a nice section.


At the top of the "hill" I met two friendly cheerful guys carrying big packs who had been camping and hiking for the weekend and were heading home. From there it was an easy, if cautious for me, run down to Bendronaig Lodge. I left my bike and helmet in the heather just after the bridge and right turn shortly after the lodge. 2 hours 10 minutes to that point. Then I carried on along to Loch Calavie, following the WH route.

There's a little sign pointing the way up the hill from the lochside. I couldn't find a path and pathless grassy slopes aren't my favourite but it wasn't too bad and after what felt like only minimal grinding upwards I reached the bealach between the two hills.
Lurg Mhor 2Aug20 (2).jpg
Sign pointing the way up from Loch Calavie


The weather closed in at the Bealach as I turned right and started ascending Lurg Mhor. It was pretty uncomfortable to be honest, I was in full rain gear and visibility was poor. At one point I saw two people appear out of the mist and cloud about 50 metres away. We waved at each other and then carried on on our different routes. A bit sad. Navigation was tricky in the clag and I was really glad I had the WH gpx file on my GPS to supplement my map and compass. After a couple of steeper sections and some easy scrambling I got to the top and put more warm gear on.
20200802_123317.jpg
Lurg Mhor top. Apparently the views are nice. I didn't linger.


After not exactly retracing my steps to the bealach (the visibility! 😬😬) I started ascending Sheasgaich and soon ran into the two people I had seen earlier in the mist. They were now descending from Sheasgaich. It was a man and a woman and we chatted for a couple of minutes. They were descending by retracing their route up to the bealach from the loch. The climb to Sheasgaich was straightforward with a couple of easy and short hands-on sections. Nothing to worry about. Visibility was still poor and I couldn't see any sign of the turn for the descent route down Sail Riabhach ridge although I looked carefully as I ascended.
20200802_135159.jpg
Sheasgaich summit coming up. Lovely views, they say


Coming off the top there was a break in the cloud and I could briefly see the ridge but no obvious path. I tentatively explored easy terrain where I thought the ridge route would start and after 20 metres or so found a bit of a path in the grassy slope set back from the steep edge of the ridge. I headed down the ridge and was rewarded with the clouds lifting and good visibility. After a while I could even look back and see the top of Sheasgaich. Result.
Lurg Mhor 2Aug20 (4).jpg
The descent route down the ridge comes into view

Lurg Mhor 2Aug20 (6).jpg
Looking SW on the descent ridge showing the track to Attadale (right of centre) and, I think, the Skye hills in the far distance.


20200802_150217.jpg
Looking back up to Sheasgaich on the ridge descent.


I really enjoyed the ridge descent. It's just pleasant tootling down a nice slope with (finally 😀) lovely views. It's got fairly steep drops to the sides but felt broad and unthreatening to me. I lost the path a couple of times but in the now-excellent VISIBILITY the general way was clear.

At the track I had a bit of a moment wondering if I'd ever find my bike again 🤭 but got there in the end 6.5 hours after leaving it in the heather. Then I had a nice extra sit down enjoying the views, more sandwiches and knowing I had a pretty straightforward trip back to the car. Going back is a lot easier than coming in, after some initial downhill/flat and then what seemed like much less pushing i was back at the high point of the track in, where I'd met the two cheery guys with backpacks. I put on a bit more gear for the downhill run and thoroughly enjoyed freewheeling back to Attadale. Stopped for a few minutes to chat with a man and a woman carrying rods and nets: they'd caught a couple of brown trout. Nice people.

I just so enjoyed the little 1.5 km section through the Attadale gardens area at the end, rolling along on my bike knowing my car (and coffee and nice food) was just a few minutes away. I felt like I'd had another challenging at times, but thoroughly enjoyable day in the hills. Total time was 9 hours 50 minutes, never pushing it, just carefully making progress.

Thank you Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich 😀😀😀👍👍👍
Last edited by bigkeith on Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:03 am, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby litljortindan » Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:00 pm

A lot of km! I guess this is the same route in or near the track over to Bernais bothy but I can't seem to get any online maps open to verify so maybe I'll climb into the wardrobe to fish out the paper version. Scary to think I was at the bothy over 25 years ago.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby ScottyDawg282 » Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:42 pm

Thanks for posting this route description. It's good to know how far you can take the bike in and it makes a long walk like this a reasonably short bike ride. I'll save it for a sunny day when the wind is on my back and the midges are on holiday.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby Butterscotch » Mon Feb 08, 2021 1:12 pm

I'm always looking for cycling options for long walk-ins so great to read this. :)
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby dogjake » Mon Feb 08, 2021 2:23 pm

I did these two in July 2020, like you I biked in to the bothy which was closed due to Covid so I camped and climbed the hills early morning before the cycle out to Attadale. It was a really enjoyable couple of days and unlike you I was rewarded by great views. Thanks for posting it helps to make these times easier to live with.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby Sunset tripper » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:39 am

Great pictures and a great report of your day. I remember that cycle in and getting to the high point on the track after the zigzags, thinking - that can't be the hills away in the far distance...... it was! :D
A fine route and fine hills - all the best. :D
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby Tim-Lakes » Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:23 pm

Thanks for the info. I've been weighing up a one day bike in against a two day with a wild camp - still not decided, but your report maybe makes me favour the bike in approach. Thanks
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby Girlsinthehills » Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:44 pm

Great to read your post on those two Munro's. Just visited the lovely Attadale gardens where there is a description of the walk, so they are now on the 'to do list'. Will walk in and either have a night in the Bothy or camp out. looking forward to an adventure.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:10 pm

litljortindan wrote:A lot of km! I guess this is the same route in or near the track over to Bernais bothy but I can't seem to get any online maps open to verify so maybe I'll climb into the wardrobe to fish out the paper version. Scary to think I was at the bothy over 25 years ago.


Hi. Sorry for the delay, I've just read the replies. Anyway, I guess you discovered that it's not a route by the Bearnais bothy - I went past Bendronaig Lodge to Loch Calavie and ascended from there, then I descended SW from Sheasgaich to the track about 1.5km east of Bendronaig Lodge on the return :) .
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:13 pm

ScottyDawg282 wrote:Thanks for posting this route description. It's good to know how far you can take the bike in and it makes a long walk like this a reasonably short bike ride. I'll save it for a sunny day when the wind is on my back and the midges are on holiday.


Thanks :) . I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out if routes are ok for biking so I tried to be as objective as I could for that :) .
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:14 pm

Butterscotch wrote:I'm always looking for cycling options for long walk-ins so great to read this. :)



Thanks :) . Good luck with it!
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:15 pm

dogjake wrote:I did these two in July 2020, like you I biked in to the bothy which was closed due to Covid so I camped and climbed the hills early morning before the cycle out to Attadale. It was a really enjoyable couple of days and unlike you I was rewarded by great views. Thanks for posting it helps to make these times easier to live with.


Thanks :) . I've been thinking this could be a nice general area for a camping trip :thumbup: .
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:20 pm

Sunset tripper wrote:Great pictures and a great report of your day. I remember that cycle in and getting to the high point on the track after the zigzags, thinking - that can't be the hills away in the far distance...... it was! :D
A fine route and fine hills - all the best. :D


Thanks :) . Haha, I think we've all had those moments when you realise those impossibly distant hills are indeed the ones you're heading for :lol: . I suppose it makes the achievement all the more satisfying :) .
Last edited by bigkeith on Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby bigkeith » Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:24 pm

Tim-Lakes wrote:Thanks for the info. I've been weighing up a one day bike in against a two day with a wild camp - still not decided, but your report maybe makes me favour the bike in approach. Thanks


Thanks :) . I reckon both options are good. Good luck with it however you decide to do it :thumbup: .
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Re: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich by bike.

Postby Sgurr » Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:30 pm

We didn't intend to do these, as we hadn't brought bikes. Our B & B landlady said "When the Wing Commander stayed here, he rented bikes to do them." I have never had such a heavy and awkward, and to add insult to injury, girlie pink bike. A friend had barely cycled in his life. After he had hurtled over the handlebars into the bog and I pulled him out I heard him say "B****r Biggles." It is indeed a long trek.....however, we had much better weather than you. Apologies if I have told this story before.
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