“This is it: the Holy Grail, the toughest and wildest climb in Britain. Anything you have read or been told about this amazing road is likely to be true. For once, you can believe the hype.”
I had all but booked a trip to the Scottish Highlands before I even reached the end of this description of the Bealach-Na-Ba in Simon Warren’s book 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs. He awards it 11 out of 10 for toughness and I am sold.
A few months later it’s early May and I’m standing in the breakfast room of a Highland B&B looking nervously out of the window at the dark cloud stubbornly clinging to the hills around Lochcarron. “It looks brighter than yesterday,” I say with considerable uncertainty, to Lorna, the B&B owner. Politeness presumably prevents Lorna from just laughing in my face. By the time I’ve finished my porridge, it’s chucking it down.
Undeterred and with scant regard to Simon Warren’s advice: “do not attempt to ride here in unfavourable conditions,” we set off to ride there in unfavourable conditions. The weather in these parts is notoriously changeable and today turns out to be no exception. Halfway through the climb the words “I’m just going to pull over and take off my jacket” are barely out of my mouth and I find myself muttering “is that hail?”
We start the ride from the village of Shieldaig, giving ourselves a nice warm-up on flattish road before the climbing starts. As we turn onto the road that will take us through the mountain pass there is a sign warning that the road rises to a height of 2053ft with gradients of 1 in 5 and hairpin bends. So we’re in the right place then.
On the lower section of the road the gradient is relatively gentle, but I’ve been warned the steepest sections are at the top so my plan is to take it steady. It’s a single track road with passing places and we’re pleasantly surprised to find drivers giving way to us, presumably out of sympathy. Although there is a steady stream of cars, we appear to be the only cyclists attempting the ride today.
With low cloud rolling across the steep side of the valley, these are not ideal conditions for riding the UK’s greatest ascent, but it’s certainly atmospheric and I’ll settle for that. As the road begins to climb we hit a long straight section and an unrelenting headwind and I realise with some alarm that I’m already in my easiest gear and the 20% gradients and hairpins are still to come. Then the hail starts...
Slow and steady is the only way I’m going to get to the top of this road so I plod on, glancing up occasionally from my focus on the tarmac ahead, to marvel at the steep-sided glaciated valley. Finally, just as I am completely sick of the headwind, I look up and see a small gap in the mist where the two sides of the valley come together. It looks like we’re riding into the end of the world. Then we hit the hairpins. Having taken the lower part of the climb steady, my legs are miraculously still working and although the corners are very steep, the road levels out between each bend giving me time to get my breath back. They’re quite good fun these hairpins.
At the summit, the mist and cloud give way to a hazy view of Skye. The descent is a little hairy in places due to some evil crosswinds on the open moorland. Eventually the road spits us out into the village of Applecross and it’s as if the last few hours never existed. Applecross is bathed in sunshine; a shimmering sea and views of the Cullin Ridge of Skye are our reward. That and a huge veggie burger and chips in the Applecross Inn. Inside the pub several people offer their congratulations and there is even a small ripple of applause from a lady in the corner. We are a little bewildered, but then we recognise several of the motorists who passed us earlier.
Suitably stuffed, we set off on the coastal road that will take us back to Shieldaig. Although we are initially blessed with a tailwind and some glorious views across to the islands, the ride out of Applecross is much lumpier than I had expected. I’d focused solely on the climb and it hadn’t occurred to me that the other part of the loop might be hilly too. I shouldn’t have eaten those chips. There are some fun descents along the way and plenty of “oohs” and “wows” as with each corner we are greeted by another stunning view. At one point we pass a large group of highland cattle grazing by the roadside. It’s as though they have been plonked there by the tourist board and told to look Scottish.
As the road begins to head east it includes several sneaky little climbs that I could have done without. Although short, I’m sure some are as steep as the climbs on the Bealach-Na-Ba. I really shouldn’t have eaten those chips.
It’s a little off the beaten track, but if you get the chance, you really should ride this road.
