Over The Hill

The weather looked benign for the Sunday so we set off on Saturday afternoon to our destination - the Walkers’ car park at Attadale Gardens near Strathcarron. There were a couple of cars and another campervan parked already but we chose our slot and pitched Les’ tent on flat ground, a miracle. There was no sign of anyone else so it was a quiet spot. Alarm was set for 6am, but wasn’t required. The dawn chorus started at 4.40am and while lovely to listen to I could have done with a bit more shuteye!

So 7.20am saw us set off on the bikes on tarmac, past the holiday cottages but all good things come to an end and soon we were on a rough track. There is a locked gate with a small space to allow bikes to get through, but only when upright on the back wheel – our first challenge. There have been new hydro works and the track has improved it seemed, but the surface in places is still quite rough, and cannot disguise the steepness. I think we pushed up more than rode on our way to the high point. Would this be the time to use an E-bike? Or is that cheating? Nearly 2 hours later we reached a point where we could see our hill and knew we had a downhill section to the Lodge and Bothy, what joy, and 45 minutes later we saw our destination. At 10am we had a look round the Bothy which has three rooms, one of which was occupied, and two have woodburning stoves. And, a toilet! But the cistern needs to be filled using a bucket filled from the stream.

We left the bikes at the bothy and set off to walk along the track for about 1.5k before starting the hill. We met three walkers on this track as it is one of the routes used for the Cape Wrath Trail, so all had large backpacks. We saw other bikes stashed and assumed their owners were doing the Munros, Bidein a Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor. So around 11am (I think) we set off up the hill at last which was steep, a bit boggy, and trackless. But views started to open up behind us of the hills we had climbed in the previous couple of years, An Ruadh Stac, next to the Munro Maol Chean Dearg, and Fuar Tholl, and in the far distance the Torridon hills. It was warm and still as were were sheltered from the wind. We met two ladies just as were near the top, and they again were on the Cape Wrath Trail and decided to bag a Corbett while they were there! They were younger, but they always are, and had stayed in the Maol-Bhuidhe bothy overnight. At last at 12.50pm we reached the windy top, 5.5hours from our early start, so we were ready for a wee break and lunch.

We decided we would walk along the ridge and descend directly to the Lodge and this was probably the most enjoyable part of the day. We spotted a few patches of trailing azalea, which lifted our spirits and violets lower down were the only spots of colour. A few frogs and some deer were seen on the hill. Unfortunately the weather had become hazy and far views were indistinct, but we could just make out Skye in the distance. It was a steep descent and a few false route decisions, but around 3pm we were back at the bikes. Now for the return journey. In fact it turned out not to be as bad we had thought. We met three men pushing bikes up hill and they were seriously wondering if the bikes were worth it. They intended to stay in the bothy. We also met a girl and a dog walking out. We had spotted her green tent earlier, so stopped for a quick chat. It turned she owned the other campervan in the car park and the thought of the bed in the van was more appealing than another night in the tent. At last at nearly 5pm we stopped at the entrance to the gardens at Attadale, but they had just closed. Oh dear another time then. Back at the car park, we had a change of clothes, and shared a bottle of tonic water, loaded the bikes and set off for home.

I think I would rate this hill as 65% purgatory and 35% joy, but don’t let me discourage you. As long as the next few are less arduous…….