My first YouTube video! I hope you enjoy it. Please be gentle 😉
The Badger Divide is a 320km (200 mile) off-road bikepacking route across the Scottish Highlands, running from Inverness to Glasgow. It connects several well-established trails including the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, and Lochs and Glens Way (NCN7), showcasing some of the most stunning landscapes of the Highlands.
My experience with the trail wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Due to relentless rain, the trip became quite challenging. While I don’t mind a bit of rain, enduring it for hours on end can be really tough! Nonetheless, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons for future adventures in case of similarly bad weather. Despite the challenges, the trip was very fulfilling, offering many amazing moments and breathtaking scenery. Even though I enjoyed riding alone, one of the top highlights was meeting some wonderful people along the way who were also ‘badgering’. We shared the floor of the Blackburn Bothy of Corrieyairack on the first night.
No matter how many days you split it into, the Badger Divide is going to be tough. It’s not an easy route, involving a lot of climbing and hike-a-biking. So, if you’re planning on tackling the Badger Divide, make sure you’re reasonably fit! Additionally, if you have a mountain bike, use it for the route. There were many sections where I wished I had suspension, as it would have made the journey much more comfortable and faster. Also, remember to take waterproof socks (even if you don’t like wearing them!), waterproof gloves, a good waterproof jacket (goes without saying), and waterproof overshoes. If it rains, you’ll thank me for it!
Stats:
Total distance: 331km
Elevation gain: 5443m
Moving time: 22h
Credits:
Text by the amazing Lee Craigie from her book
‘Other Ways to Win: A Competitive Cyclist’s Reflection on Success’.
Shoutout to the masterminds behind the awesome tunes on Uppbeat!
1. Dawn by Ilya Kuznetsov
https://uppbeat.io/t/ilya-kuznetsov/dawn
2. Floating by Ambyion
https://uppbeat.io/t/ambyion/floating
A big thanks to Ruth, Vi & Max for the lovely company!
12 Comments
Certainly looked a tough few days weather wise and terrain, great video fabulous watch ❤
outstanding, keep it up!
Great video and editing!
Well done. Certainly challenging weather for you. I want to try to do it next year. Was planning g on taking my gravel bike but judging by your comments and detailed video (thank you) it seems mtb would be better. Thank you for sharing your experience. Very helpful and inspiring. ❤
Fine route and achievement, thanks for sharing.
Great content and editing 🚲🙂
You certainly didn't have an easy time of it!
Cheers 👍
Great video and achievement. You certainly got a real mix of weather as expected .
Did it S -N on a croix de fer with 35mm tyres and loved it . Kudos for not giving up with the weather you had , plenty would have .
Hey Mona, loved watching this. You certainly have an eye for photography, there's some beautiful images here. I attempted a solo adventure on this route, last summer, but started in Glasgow, and bound for Inverness. Like yourself, I attempted it on a gravel bike, which was a huge mistake, and after mechanical issues, and destroyed brakes, I scratched at Corror. I wasn't brave enough to attempt the Corri-watch-a-call-it pass with no brakes😱. So you did much better than I did! Im planning to return this summer, with a mountain bike, to wrestle with this ride again. Might attack it the same way you did next time, (minus the bag of firewood)😂..seems the more sensible route. Anyway, loved this post, it was truly a walk down memory lane, and inspiration for the summer! Thanks for posting!😊
Stunning scenery perfectly shot. Looks like one great adventure 😊😊
Looking forward to watching more 😊
Haha love the change in Scottish weather 😂
Cool video, looking forward to another adventure