Bothy by bike - the Culra Classic
June 07

Walking from Culra bothy to Dalwhinnie - as I once did - makes you just wish you had a bike, as it's 12 miles on a track and most of it alongside Loch Ericht. So the idea of a trip to Ben Alder in June definitely involved sorting out some transport. Racks, rails and clamps got 3 machines on the car for Mark, Howard and me, ready to head north, and after a bit of a search I found Base Camp Bikes at Blair Atholl to hire one for Amanda. After a night at Pitlochry, we dangled the hire bike with a couple of straps behind the two already on the rear carrier, and cautiously trundled our way to Dalwhinnie Station.



Off along the lochside, which is the approach road to Ben Alder Lodge, a trophy estate owned by a Swiss financier and polo player, apparently, and largely rebuilt a few years ago in lavish style at a cost of over £20 million. Anyway it all seems nicely finished now, with a tarmac road, gatehouses etc, and the architecture nothing to get upset about.



After passing the big house, the road turns into a track and rises a bit into moorland, until finally we could see the classic view of Culra Bothy with the great mass of Ben Alder rising behind.



Approaching the bothy, clouds lifted from the hilltops in front of us, so the bikes were secured, sleeping places found (nicely, we had a small room to ourselves) and off we set in the early afternoon.

 

A stalkers track led away from the glen, then we cut across to the rocky ridge of the Short Leachas,



a steady easy scramble up to the vast summit plateau of this big hill – said to be about 400 acres. Amazing views and a little snowball fight graced our stay on the summit for photos and afternoon tea,







Then it was down to the bealach, and across to the ridge of Beinn Bheoil which gave another couple of miles over 3000 feet



before dropping towards the bothy again. Thoughts were now turning to a super evening meal, and Howards in particular involved a roaring fire. About a mile out, we were all busily collecting wood. And yes indeed, the evening was spent in a merry blaze, the essential ingredients being 5 courses of food, roaring fire, wine, whisky, Amanda’s card game getting progressively incoherent, and finally the massed pipes and drums.




Peering out next morning, the clag was down. No-one stirred for some time. Finally, as we couldn’t see the hills much at all, the plan was changed to biking. From Culra, we set off across country going north from Loch Pattack, about 10 miles altogether, on a reasonable landrover track, over moors and bridges,



finally coming down down down to the east end of Loch Laggan and the famous beach from “Monarch of the Glen”. Pictures naturally. 




Our “Cycling Tour of Badenoch” then led on tarmac to Laggan, and refreshments in the Monadliath Hotel, before returning to Dalwhinnie at the end ofr the afternoon. A very acceptable alternative to a hill or two in the conditions, it must be said!!.



Thanks to all for a great trip, Andy