When Tommy Wilkinson and the folks from Decent-World contacted me asking me to guide them, I thought they would want the usual, Skye, Torridon, Air BnBs and the big Highland Coo. However, after a few chats and a meeting in Velocity Cafe in Inverness, I realised they were looking for a twist. This twist came from an idea I had years ago, doing the Great Glen Way that spans from Inverness in the Northern Highlands to Fort William in the not so south. Now for the twist. The Great Great Glen Way has many a tyre cross its back in the summer so it's not the most unusually epic ride, until, you factor in a Bothy, some Munros as well as stream crossings that is. The 5 day Adventure has been documented brilliantly by the film crew in this video for your viewing pleasure. Nevertheless if you want to find out more, read on below.
So after the initial meeting with the team in Inverness the next time we would see each other would be on the first day of the trip, the whole lead up to the trip was filled with excitement and apprehension about what we would experience. The first two days would see us packing up the huge camper that Tommy's Dad (Major Tom) had organised. Once we spent the morning filling the land-ship and trailer to the brim with all manner of camera gear and tinned food, it was time to get on the bikes. The mast in Inverness made for a fantastic chance to wipe the dust off the seals and loosen up.
Upon arrival in Drumnadrochit, Major Tom had already pulled up in the camp spot for the night with tea on the hob and biscuits on the table ready for our arrival, I think we need this guy on our next tour for sure.
For sure this trip sounds relaxing, and it was, except for the early morning rise to summit our first Munro of the week. With a 4:30am start, the team made their way into an old trail emerging from a remote glen. Now up until this point the riders had it easy, today it was time to earn their turns, this wasn't going to be easy. To reach this remote glen required a sizeable hike-a-bike, so after teaching the team the best way to do this we made our assault. Once we reached our high point of the day, it was only fitting that the wind and rain arrived. Nevertheless the team soldiered on and wrapped up the shooting we had planned for that zone, of course, to leave this remote area had one hidden secret, an amazing old trail that descends all the way down to a loch and our end point for the evening. Make sure to have a scroll through the photos below.
The last and final day saw us leave our nest of the previous night and make our way over the hills and towards Fort William. Getting back onto the Great Glen Way gave us a bit of respite from the more arduous riding of the two previous days. Now to finish this trip the way we planned meant one last climb for the team. It was only right that we made our way up into the mountains one last time. Finding a trail nestled safely at the foot of Ben Nevis made for some stunning shots of us making our way down into Fort William and ending the Great Glen adventure at the final feature of the Great Glen Way, Neptune's Staircase.