There has been some chat of this for a while so I want to get something into the Calender for 2013. The date is designed to strike a balance between warmth and midges.

The plan is to do an overnight bothy ride, following a route around Ben Nevis and using the excellent Meanach bothy (see photo below).

The Route

The route is approximately 70km (over 2 days). It loosely follows the “Tour de Ben Nevis” route if anyone has done that. The start point will be the Nevis Range car park, between Fort William and Spean Bridge. The route heads to Kinlochleven before heading up over the hills to Loch Eilde Mor and the bothy. On the second day the route heads towards Spean Bridge before making its way back to Nevis Range. The split is roughly 40km / 30km on day 1 & 2. The secenery is, of course, fantastic.

The riding is on generally well maintained and drained tracks and is suitable for anyone with good fitness and reasonable bike skills. There is one short-ish hike / push but this is 2km out of 70km and is rewarded with a great descent (see photo). For anyone wanting more gnarr it’s possible to ride the WHW down into Kinlochleven. The route crosses a reasonable sized river (Abhain Rath) so we will need to consider other options if it’s very wet.

Excellent singlterack descent to Larrig Leacach

The Accomodation

The plan is to use the Meanach Bothy. As bothies go this is high luxury, with two large-ish rooms and it was renovated last year. The setting is absolutely superb, although you will be sleeping on the floor. Being a bothy, there will probably be other people, and almost certainly one “bothy weirdo”. You will be able to spot him by the dreadlocks. The bothy is obviously free to use, but if there are a few of us it would be nice to consider making a donation to the MBA who manage the upkeep of the bothies.

Meanach Bothy, Glen Nevis

Logistics

The riding on the first day will take between 4 – 6 hours depending on group speed. The second day is slightly shorter. I propose meeting at the Nevis range car park for 10am to be riding for 11am. Sunset is around 8pm.

Kit is a bit of an issue. Light weight is the name of the game, but a decent sleeping bag and mat are essential. There is no where to stock up so you need to take everything for both days. The route is very remote so between the group it is a good idea to have some extra spares, first aid kit and shelter. In addition to food, some cask strength (to save weight) whisky is a good idea to pass the evening in the bothy.

I’d strongly recommend trying to pack your bag before arriving at the car park as your stuff will almost certainly not fit in it.