Get on yoUr BikE
The problem with climbing epic mountains is that the walk just to reach them is often just as epic. But chuck a mountain bike into the mix, and everything changes...
If you like the idea of backpacking but want to cover a greater distance in less time (and aren’t mad enough to take up ultra-running), then bikepacking could be the answer. Simply put, bikepacking is the synthesis of lightweight backpacking and mountain biking. See it as just another take on mountain-focused adventure, and one that can wildly broaden your hillwalking range. With the aid of two wheels, the most remote and hard-to-reach mountains are suddenly made accessible. Swap your boots for a bike and a lengthy walk-in to a peak that previously seemed way beyond your reach as a walker suddenly becomes a
manageable approach. And the true beauty of bikepacking is these places are, by default, often among the most far-flung, pristine and less-visited landscapes in Britain.
But rest assured that to try bikepacking you absolutely needn’t be a seasoned, hardcore mountain biker. You just need a decent bike (duh), a puncture repair kit, plus the usual hillwalking essentials and solid navigational skills, and then you’re good to go. You’ll be sipping from your hipflask outside a sun-dappled Highland bothy before you know it…
WHERE TO DO IT The majority of near-to-nowhere mountains with monster walk-ins are located in the Scottish Highlands. Bagging these peaks in a single day on foot is a devilish prospect that can only be vaguely realistic on long summer days. Munros such as Ben Alder (central Highlands), Seana Bhraigh, Lurg Mhor (both in the north-west Highlands) and Beinn Dearg (Cairngorms) are very remote and therefore make ideal candidates. T
“BIKEPACKING IS THE SYNTHESIS OF LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING”