Bit confused now as it gets good reviews in Kenny F Wilsons book and The Wild Trails. Download or bag Ben Alder (#345) Hill Details + GPS Waypoints: The Archies are all the mountains of Scotland with a summit of 1000m or more also having a 100m You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. A cool morning, but then good weather throughout the day. Ben Alder, by Stuart Stronach. Since no one has previously documented any attempts, I had nothing to go by. Take the Dalwhinnie exit off of the A9 and follow the road to the petrol station. Are there other sections more prone to damage? The Dalwhinnie route has ben resurfaced from above Ben Alder Lodge to the hay feeder. I packed two rucksacks. Is the section by the Labhair rideable or an unremitting few klicks worth of bog? There is at least 10km of really nice singletrack. Walks up Ben Alder © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7h8N3yuxM, https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1198710622, BLM & The Outdoor Industry: We Need Change, The Insta360 ONE 360 Camera: A Comprehensive Review. All the walking routes up Ben Alder on Mud and Routes can be found below. Then I took a glance over to my left, and started to feel a little sick. You can follow the shore of Loch Ericht to the bottom of the loch (mostly boggy trudging) before picking up a fireroad to the Loch Rannoch road (the fireroad is quite broken by large, locked gates unfortunately). They seemed very familiar with Ben Alder.. 11.50 – Maria at the top of Ben Alder * . The estate road was the first part of the ride heading towards the spectacular Ben Alder Lodge around Loch Ericht. Yes 6-7 kms of carrybike. Other routes and challenges. Belvedere Hotel, West Wemyss Coxtool, United Kingdom View full timetable Go to station. As a slight aside, if one carried on west from the Beaclach Dubh along the side of Uisage Labhair it would give access to Loch Ossian and beyond. The route is very popular with walkers who ride to the Culra Bothy, leave their bikes, camp and walk the many munros in the area before riding out. Contact Us Balfa, here’s a clue, the problem in winter isn’t the quality of the paths. I climbed the path upto 5167 7427 and headed for the Bheinn Bheoil ridge. It starts off with a logging road section along Loch Ericht which then continues up to Culra Bothy (changes to singletrack a few kilometres out). Overview; Photos 1; Culra Couloir; McCooke's Gully ; 300m. With most professional sport, it’s comforting to know that at the end of the day, no matter how much energy you’ve expended, and no matter how exhausted you are, you’ll finish up sitting comfortably, either in a car or the back of an ambulance. Has anyone ridden along the shores of Loch Erich to/from Ben Alder cottage as an avoidance of the hikeabike? Ben Alder. Distance: 52.7km (32.7 miles). It was the shortest route, but it had an obstacle which I assumed put most people off from taking this route, mainly Loch Ericht. Bike in to Culra bothy nr Culra lodge fm Dalwhinnie it takes about 1.5hrs, climb the hills the same day. The Dalwhinnie route has ben resurfaced from above Ben Alder Lodge to the hay feeder. Other Notes: cairn 15m E at NN 49633 71847 may be as high. What was truly taxing, and made this challenge easily one of the hardest things I’ve done however, was the psychological challenge. They choked a little when I said I’d walked from the A9. But you still have to do it. Ben Alder has an awesome presence! Ben Alder (Highland) weather. Lots to encounter - high plateaus, lochans, ridges, fantastic views - all while bagging 6 Munros ! The classic route is a circuit from Culra bothy (closed at the time of writing) incorporating the Long Leachas ridge (easy Grade 1 scrambling, or Grade I in winter), Ben Alder, and Beinn Bheoil (1019m). But the above perspectives don’t look good. Best route: Ben Alder's remoteness can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view, but most people take in the summit as part of a two-day trip with a wild camp or bothy stay. From here, head around the plateau edge for a short time before descending the Bealach Breabag to return to Culra, or follow a faint path up Sron Coire na h-lolaire to reach the summit of Beinn Bheoil. Ben Alder Stats. Newsletter Settings, Cut off date for issue 135 of Singletrack is the 25th January - You need to join us by this date in order to receive the next issue. The way down was a lot less steep than the climb up. Well, an inflatable dinghy, commonly called a pack raft, to be precise. About Ben Alder. Name: Ben Alder Crossing Type: Private User worked Crossing with Telephone with Whistleboards Location: Highland Postcode: PH191AD Route: Scotland ELR: HGL2 Distance: 58 miles 30 chains Individual risk rating: B (Very High) Collective risk rating: 6 (Moderate) Last assessment: November 2020 Next assessment due: February 2020 Types of trains: Passenger & Freight Recent places. Ben Alder at first glance looks to be an easy to reach Munro, but having a closer look reveals it’s one of the most remote mountains in Scotland. I started the walk at 6:30am, and since it is a Scottish summer, I wouldn’t have to worry about darkness unless I happened to still be walking at 1am the next day, when it would be slightly dusky. Route map for 'Ben Alder' - a 2429.9km cycle route near Sant Joan de Labritja, ES. Interstingly I have walked that bit a couple of times and found it no bother at all. From Culra Ben Alder looks magnificent, with two rocky ridges - the … Ben Alder is a summit in the region or range in Scotland. Ben Alder - Routes If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. Linked to Ben Alder via the Bealach Breabag at a height of 830m is the Beinn Bheoil, taken together these Munros make for a fabulous circular route from Culra around Loch a'Bhealaich Bheithe. It took me 12 hours 39 minutes to complete this little challenge, and I believe I’m the only person to complete Ben Alder in a single day, on foot from the nearest road. For those interested in the route I took, I manage to track the route via GPS which you can see here: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1198710622. Can anyone offer any route advice on this one? The Ben Alder Tour This one has been around in various guide books for a while - it even pre-dates the path work so must have been hard going in those days. Overall I think this is the better route altghough, if you are travelling from the west you will save road miles via Gallovie. Hide Search . Ascent: 2400m. The next morning they were said to have witnessed a packet of biscuits being flung from the mantelpiece to the opposite side of the room. Long day & not much good riding, Kenny ‘effin WIlson gained his middlename that day. Joseph Buchanan wrote on July 24, 2011 Did all six with my wife we cycled in from Dalwhinnie to Culra which took around 2 hours and camped across from the bothy. The area I was in was practically uninhabited, and so if anything went wrong, I was on my own, I had to get myself out of the situation, and if that meant giving myself an enema Bear Grylls style to stay alive, so be it. The summit plateau was over a kilometre in length and it wasn’t until 12:20 (5 hours 50 minutes after leaving) that I finally reached the summit. This was a key decision to make since there was now the prospect that this route was going to take the best part of 12 hours or more, and I still had to re-cross the loch and climb back over the first mountain range. Chasing the Ephemeral. Route notes: Challenging navigation and steep ground on the descent to the bothy make this route a little more serious in winter than you might expect. Physically, despite not being able to easily walk today (the day after), I didn’t find the day too taxing, save for the final climb which was in 28 degree Celsius heat. This route has been on my bucket list ever since the estate improved the drainage on the trail between Ben Alder Lodge and Ben Alder Cottage. That in a length of about 7 or 8 km (I think). The first was a 65L ski touring bag. Trail 100 - Ben Alder Circuit is an expert Hiking Tour: 16.9 km and takes 05:38 h. View this route or plan your own! For John Moore, a 49-year-old geologist, and myself, the railway is the last thread of security before we head east towards Ben Alder, one of the most remote of Scotland's mountains. Time taken: 13 hours. I’m still not entirely sure whether anyone has ever climbed Ben Alder from the A9 in any number of days. I replaced the big rucksack with a small running bag, 2L of water, a coat, gloves, a GPS and some food, and then headed on the path along the side of the loch. There is one redeeming feature – about 300 yards of singletrack near the bottom of the glen. Near the bothy we saw a few people heading for the hills in different directions, but soon we were on our own. View on Map. Dismiss, Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total), Premier Partners for Singletrack issues & exclusive subscriber perks, Metcheck MTB Weather Forecasts At A Glance, The Self Improvement Edition: Fresh Goods Friday 532, Singletrack Podcast – Where we try to unscramble what Brexit means for us, How A Singletrack Membership Can Save You From Polar Bears, Singletrack Issue 127 | Letting go and finding flow, This topic has 22 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated. Import Route; Create Route; or Sign up username or email password. Aonach Beag is a 1,116-metre (3,661 ft) mountain in the Highlands of Scotland in the remote area between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Ben Alder.Its prominence is 99 metres (325 ft) with its parent peak, Geal-Charn, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the east. I still didn’t know if I would make it to the summit in the day, so I set myself the turnaround time of 12:30 or 1pm depending on how I felt. Cracking day out though: The topic ‘Ben Alder Circuit’ is closed to new replies. Impossible to ride. Ben Alder. As this point, I took a quick few photos, and then tried to decide on the best way back. The views must be superb – we didn’t bother with it because the mist was down. Route map for 'Ben Alder' - a 2429.9km cycle route near Sant Joan de Labritja, ES. Distance: 52.7km (32.7 miles). This would have to be without the use of a bike, and without driving down any tracks which may have varying permissions depending on the land owner. All the walking routes up Ben Alder on Mud and Routes can be found below. After doing a little research, it became clear that to my knowledge, no one has yet climbed Ben Alder in a single day on foot, and the only realistic way to do it in a day was to either take a bike, or get permission to drive up one of the various tracks dotted around the mountain. Ben Alder Cottage stove… one of the guys had a Diablo toastie maker (visible on top of the stove with the red handle) a real treat in such a location! The map below shows Ben Alder circled in the middle, the main roads surrounding the mountain in red, and the 3 main routes to the mountain in green. Ben Alder is a summit in the region or range in Scotland. By 11am, I reached the base of the climb. some photos here but they probably don’t show the misery very well: Compared to the Beinn A’Ghlo curcuit, the riding and scenery is of a higher quality. Ben Alder No ratings yet. It looks suspiciously like a bogfest! We set off at about 7am and followed the path. Doesn’t seem to come up too much. It was the shortest route, but it had an obstacle which I assumed put most people off from taking this route, mainly Loch Ericht. The 4th June (2016) looked to be a perfect day for the attempt. How does this work? The plan was to start at the entrance to the Ardverikie estate, however parking was a problem and we ended up parking at Laggan, 8km down the road. Distance 129 km Ascent 1,279 m Descent 1,274 m Crieff, Scotland, United Kingdom 0. Ben Alder is the 25th highest Munro in the UK. From Fort William, we’ll hike through Glen Nevis at the foot of Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, and camp beside a Loch (Lake) at the base of Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil. To be able to look after yourself in challenging situations is both satisfying and rewarding, but I wanted to find somewhere I could push myself within the confines of Scotland. Bike in to Culra bothy nr Culra lodge fm Dalwhinnie it takes about 1.5hrs, climb the hills the same day. Was that your second hill of the day……. In reality, this would be left behind as a carrot to walk quickly back towards. In Gaelic, Aonach Beag means "little ridge" despite it being a Munro. It would be a big task but I felt it was possible. With poor visibility and great skill, Simon navigated along the ridge. This route takes walkers to Ben Alder’s summit via the Long Leachas ridge which involves some simple scrambling. Feedback Always Hide βeta. Ben Alder Cottage., Ben Alder, Loch Ericht, 0 This ride seems to have replaced my annual Fealar Lodge circuit in the last few years and although similar in length this ride is a much more interesting and entertaining one as its mostly on singletrack as opposed to Landy tracks.. Distance: 55 km. Munro’s: Aonach Beag (Alder), Beinn Bheoil, Beinn Eibhinn, Ben Alder, Carn Dearg (Loch Pattack), Geal-charn (Alder) Date walked: 06/05/2012. Direction: Ballingry (95 stops) Show on map Change direction. Most people get on their bikes to ride here in the month of April. Ben Alder is 1148m above sea level, and is in the Fort William to Loch Ericht region. I loved this route, and that’s with ordinary weather with no great views, so I guess that makes me a fan. Ben Alder is 1148 metres high. Premier Club Conditions permitting, we’ll climb both. Alex Roddie answers the call of Ben Alder’s wildness in this ambitious long-distance trail between Fort William and Aviemore. At the barrier Phone the Estate office (01540 672054) for the code. Despite the psychological challenges, there really is nothing more refreshing than standing on a big hill, no matter how you have got there, taking in the 360 degree view, and not seeing single person for as far as the eye can see. Home; Find route; Routes and Tracks. The route starts out easy - down Loch Ericht over and across to Culra, over the Bealach Dubh / Cumhain to Ben Alder Cottage. I’m ignoring the boat in this since it was 10 times harder and 10 times slower than walking the same distance…. No description has been contributed for this climb. Read the route description . Situated 19km from Dalwhinnie and 15km from Corrour railway station, it is commonly climbed in a two day expedition, usually including the neighbouring Munro of Beinn Bheoil. I had been traveling for 4.5 hours, and my time schedule was no longer existent. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocarda1/sets/72157600940047315/. The bit between Loch Pattick and Alder Cottage is really good though; great trail and superb scenery. Region: Fort William to Loch Ericht: Classification: Munro Height: 1148m: OS Grid Ref: NN496718: OS Map (25k) 385E 393: OS Map (50k) 42: Lat: 56.813377: Lng -4.465373: My Logs. Aonach Beag is a 1,116-metre (3,661 ft) mountain in the Highlands of Scotland in the remote area between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Ben Alder.Its prominence is 99 metres (325 ft) with its parent peak, Geal-Charn, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the east. I tried not to think about that, and instead, descended back into the clouds towards Loch Ericht. 18 users have this on their wishlist. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the old Highland gave us the drive to press on with a new build. Even on a 1:25000 Ordinance Survey map, there are no paths to the summit of Ben Alder, so I improvised by climbing up a steep, mostly dry waterfall to the col where Ben Alder joins Beinn Bheoil. Ben Alder is 1148 metres high. At this point I frightened a small herd of deer, and then frightened myself when I came across not one but 3 human beings collecting water in their own attempt to climb Ben Alder. I decided to walk in, do the round of Munro’s and walk out in the one day. Forecast days. The Route. Hated every moment of that section. Ben Alder (Gaelic: Beinn Eallair) is the highest mountain in the remote area of the Scottish Highlands between Loch Ericht and Glen Spean.The vast summit plateau is home of one of Britain's highest bodies of standing water, Lochan a' Garbh Coire. I wasn’t sure if it would be best to descend to the North of Ben Alder or attempt to descend via the steep waterfall I had come up. Each route is around 10-12 miles in length, and for scale, the loch to the east of Ben Alder is 14.5 miles long (Loch Ericht). Another one that wasn’t too keen on the Bealach Bawbag. Walks up Ben Alder The top can be identified by the trig point. Munro’s: Aonach Beag (Alder), Beinn Bheoil, Beinn Eibhinn, Ben Alder, Carn Dearg (Loch Pattack), Geal-charn (Alder) Date walked: 06/05/2012. Basically you carry straight up the hillside behind the cottage (there is a path marked but no single clear line on the ground) until you top out on the Bealach Breabag at 840m. I was thinking that. The route to the South was the longest, and actually looked quite boring. The route I opted for was from the North East (from Drumochter Summit on the A9). Er ist die höchste Erhebung in der weitgehend menschenleeren und entlegenen Region zwischen Loch Ossian und Loch Ericht nordöstlich des Rannoch Moor und zählt zu den Munros. Total climb: 1,300m (4,265ft). Upon getting back to the other side, I realised that for the first time, I could probably complete the challenge, but since I had already been moving for around 9 hours, I would be looking at a total of 12 or 13 hours car-to-car by the time I managed to get over the final mountain range of the day. Not nice to walk even. Find the right bike route for you through Kirkcaldy, where we've got 51 cycle routes to explore. I would describe what I took with me in terms of kit as minimal. The route I opted for was from the North East (from Drumochter Summit on the A9). In truth, I didn’t actually know if any of the route would be possible, and even if it was, I had no idea how long any of it would take. In stag stalking season, contact the Ben Alder Estate on 01540 672 000 to enquire about bothy access. Has anyone ridden along the shores of Loch Erich to/from Ben Alder cottage as an avoidance of the hikeabike? From photos it looks like fairly well armoured stalkers paths for the most part. NO bog and a path in places. Ben Alder 6 Munros Bike and hike route up the Munros in Alder Forest including Ben Alder, Geal Charn and Beinn Eibhinn One of the finest ways to reach Ben Alder is a cycle down Loch Ericht followed by a circular route from Culra Bothy. This would be about 10 or 12 miles of walking one way, and I assumed I could possibly reach the summit in 6 or 7 hours. It looks suspiciously like a bogfest! Choose any of the 13 bus stops below to find updated real-time timetables and to see their route map. 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