Torridon Weekend - Bealach na Ba and Applecross - Fri 12/10/18 to Sun 14/10/18

[Deano]

 Anyone fancy a weekend Way Up North at Torridon, with a loop of Bealach na Ba (famous BFO hill) on the Saturday?

Rock up on the Friday, then on the Saturday we'll have a loop of Applecross including Bealach na Ba - all the way from sea level to 631 metres up in one hit. It's over 700 metres if you take the offroad track to the transmitter near the summit of Sgurr a' Chaorachain. Down the pass with its amazing views of Skye to Applecross for dinner, then back around the coast road, which is scarcely easier than the pass: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28275787

Then, head home on the Sunday (there are a few optional shorter rides on Sunday morning, eg Lochcarron and back over the Coulin Pass, which is passable with care on a road bike, as it's all access roads for the hydro project: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28275810) 

There are three obvious options for accommodation (plus other B&Bs and hotels in the vicinity, no doubt - do your own research):

Campsite: https://coolcamping.com/campsites/uk/scotland/north-scotland/ross-shire/1244-torridon 

Hostel: https://www.hostellingscotland.org.uk/hostels/torridon/ - you can either book a single bed in a dorm, or gang up and book a room

Hotel: https://www.thetorridon.com/ (good food and beer, but a few miles away from the hostel and campsite - would be a good place to all meet up and eat) 

There's a village shop as well, for anyone hostelling or camping: http://www.torridonstoresandcafe.co.uk/ 

I'll not be arranging your accommodation, so choose your own from the above options.

It's bloody miles away from anywhere, so you'd probably have to drive or cycle there. It's sort-of-possible to get a train to Inverness, then change at Achnasheen (20 miles cycling along Glen Torridon), or Achnashellach (15 miles via Coulin Pass), and there are a couple of other options along the same line, such as Strathcarron (25 miles' cycling round the coast to Torridon). BUT the Inverness line is really popular with cyclists, and getting your bike on the train can be a pain. There are some bus services as well, but  I've no idea if they take bikes.

Anyway - who's in? I've also invited my cycling club, so it should be a good mix.

[Peter]

I wish I could make that, Dean.  Over 40 years ago, Jean and I had a week in beaten-up old caravan on the sea shore at Applecross.  We arrived via the pass (Bealach na Ba) on an equally beaten-up BSA Gold Flash* and Busmar double adult sidecar.  It was quite an experience!  I was as exhausted trying to keep that on the road up the mountain as if I'd ridden up on a real bike.

 Look out for jelly fish on the inlet and seagulls riding the thermals.

*  Actually, I think by then I had blown the engine up in Germany and worked for a couple of months clearing drains in Cologne to get a second-hand replacement fitted, so it was probably only the Shooting Star 500 on the Pass Of The Cattle.  Happy days!

Peter

[whosatthewheel]

We drove to Applecross a couple of years ago in August... it's a bloody long drive, no matter where you come from... I don't think it's worth doing it for a weekend... moreover, weather in the Highlands is so unpredictable and changeable that you want to stay a few days to increase the chances of a "window of opportunity"... it's a bit like climbing Everest, you need to pick the right day to go up Bealach Na Ba, or it can be an ordeal. To that, add that this time of the year the Mountain road is so busy with holidaymakers trying to go up with all sorts of unsuitable vehicles (you will spot imbeciles towing a caravan) that you might have stop a few times on the way up to allow traffic jams to clear.
That said, if you leave Torridon early in the morning, you might have a clear run up Bealach Na Ba. It is certainly an impressive road... as you can see, I did find a window of opportunity

[phantasmagoriana]

I'm severely tempted - never done Bealach na Ba and I'd like to have a go. Just not sure about the weather up there!

[Peter]

As for the weather - the average rainfall in September in Wester Ross is about half what it is in Manchester.  And it stays light for far longer.  As for having to put your foot down when climbing a hill, that's a completely new concept!

[whosatthewheel]

As for the weather - the average rainfall in September in Wester Ross is about half what it is in Manchester. 

Not sure where your data come from... over the 12 months the western highlands have a rainfall which is between 2 and 4 times higher than Glasgow, which is probably similar to Manchester or slightly worse.
We stayed in Applecross for 5 days in August, during which we had a storm on day 1 and 2, two half decent days with showers and then 100 mm of rain were on the forecast as we peeled off ahead of planned

[Peter]

I just looked at the wiki pages for Greater Manchester and Wester Ross and looked at the September figures.  For some reason I had it in what passes for my mind that's what Dean had in what passes for his!  So, not a very scientific analysis at all but generally Wester Ross doesn't seem to be that bad (we were there for a fortnight in August and it didn't rain at all).  It's easy to think when you have had storms on the two days you have been somewhere that it thunders 100% of the time there - when it might be 2 days out of the year.  Anyway, no offence intended and I'm hoist on my own petard, really, for not "reading the question" properly!

All the best

Peter

[Kim]

Never mind the rain, surely the more pressing issue is being eaten to DETH by midges?

[Wowbagger]

 doubt there's a great risk of that in October. BICBW.

[Peter]

I don't remember midges 40 years ago in August - maybe it's a bit far west?  Mind you, I don't remember a lot about 40 (or 50) years ago - something about having been there, the folk-tale goes!  Certainly remember them in August at Eskdalemuir!

[Pingu]

August 2005, Torridon hostel.


Highland midge (Culicoides impunctatus) by The Pingus, on Flickr

No, it's not too far west 

[Peter]

Ha!  Brilliant!

Peter

[andrewc]

Runs away shrieking.   Don’t think I was bothered by midges the 2 times I’ve been to Applecross, even the Torridon campsite was OK.  Don’t know what they’ve been like this year.

The Wee Campsite at Lochcarron is OK, as is the one in Applecross itself.

I've already got stuff planned for this weekend though.

[Pingu]

As Wow says, it'll probably be OK in October and it's Scotland: there will be weather.

Deano's proposed route is a good 'un 

[Deano]

I don't think it's worth doing it for a weekend... moreover, weather in the Highlands is so unpredictable and changeable that you want to stay a few days to increase the chances of a "window of opportunity"

Give over We're not attempting a record or owt that requires perfect weather. Think like that and you'd end up never going anywhere, let alone Scotland. As you can see, I caught some pretty fine weather myself - it was the third or fourth time I've been out to the Applecross peninsula, and I've only had rain there once. Sunburn twice and heatstroke once.

[Deano]

August 2005, Torridon hostel.


Highland midge (Culicoides impunctatus) by The Pingus, on Flickr

No, it's not too far west 

The horror...

Wow, you're a negative lot (Peter excepted ). Here's a reminder of what the weather in Scotland in October could be like: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=93689.0

[whosatthewheel]

We must have been particularly unlucky... I remember that we left our cottage early, ahead of the 24 hours of torrential rain forecast and drove down, only stopping in Keswick for a bit of fine weather... 

[Deano]

You were unlucky. We could be unlucky too!

Making plans based on what the weather may do is a fool's errand, though. We'll go and see what we get. Obviously everyone's invited (no, encouraged) to make their own plans and spend more time in the area if they can. I'm hoping to tour up over a few days.

But some people who are coming can only do weekends cos of, you know, work, so I'm proposing this ride on this date. You can still come along and go and do your own thing while we're up there.

[Pingu]

The sun does shine there sometimes 


Bealach na Ba by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Ben T]

Hopefully it's not quite as windy up bealach na ba as when I was there in June just before the heat wave started.... it was so windy I had to get off and walk!

[Deano]

The wind keeps the midges down - you should be grateful

[Deano]

The sun does shine there sometimes 


Bealach na Ba by The Pingus, on Flickr

Nice photo of MSeries there. When was that taken?

[Pingu]

2005 C+ meet-up in Torridon.

[Mrs Pingu]

As for the weather - the average rainfall in September in Wester Ross is about half what it is in Manchester.  And it stays light for far longer.

Point of order: in October the length of daylight will be less than in Manchester,  it no longer being summer.

[andrewc]

The Applecross Inn is a nice place for a meal , http://www.applecross.uk.com/inn/   riding the coast road to Shieldag after a large lunch was probably not one of my wiser decisions though.


This place looks good as well. http://www.kishornseafoodbar.co.uk