Fort William - Fort Augustas

Miles 33 today
In 2hrs 55 mins burning 812 Kcal climbing 880ft

Miles total 1167
In 79hrs 13mins burning 36464 Kcal climbing 52293ft
Most miles in a day : 106.2


Loch Ness

This is the second ‘rest’ day. The plan was not to stop entirely, just tick over on a half day. A ride up the cycle track of the Great Glen Way, keeping off the main road seemed just right.

It was a nice ride out of Fort William, by the Caledonian Canal. I was able to ride at 15mph on the gravelish tow path. Onto single track road and then forest track. This was slow, but the lack of traffic was worth it. In places there were half fist size stones across the track to fill an area where the road had been worn away.

Back onto a road and across the canal over a lock gate. The going changed to a horrid track through a wood, up and down mtb style single track on stones and mud. I cut off this back onto the road.



Forest Track

By Lock Oich the path, according to the map, seemed to follow a disused cycle track. This it did for half a mile, then it dropped onto the shore and over a quarter of a mile of tree routes. I decided to give it one more section and I would turn back, if there was no improvement. The roots did stop, and it turned into a muddy track. Past a disused house and the track improved a little, but on a road bike with 23mm tyres with no tread, it was hard going. 



Eventually I crossed the trunk road again and finished with a final sprint down the tow path. The B&B was right next to the path. 

If I’d known what I know now, I would’ve taken the tow path and the A road. The forest track was ok. Otherwise, the track is not somewhere to be with the wrong sort of bike, or if unused to the rough stuff as the CTC used to call it.

I sat around and ate for the afternoon. Two days to go.