The Applecross Dash

[Wordsmith]

Hello,

I would like to bring to your attention the first Applecross Dash 2008, which will be held in Applecross, Ross-shire on the 2,3,4 and 5th May 2008. The weekend is intended as a relaxing few days away for the more discerning motorcyclist, with plenty of food, drink and live music at various venues in the village over the whole period. It is also intended to promote the Applecross Peninsular and its stunning surrounding area as being one of the finest motorcycling destinations in Britain.

Events will include -

Friday 2nd - Live music and hot food available at the multi-award-winning Applecross Inn, outdoors on the shoreline weather permitting. Please visit the Inn website at http://www.applecross.uk.com/inn/

Saturday 3rd - Stalls, live bands and barbeque on the Applecross Campsite. Camping is available on a first-come-first-served basis and may be booked in advance on 01520 744 268. Remember, this is May, so less midgies! For other accommodation though, please see http://www.applecross.uk.com/index.htm

Sunday 4th - A chill-out session of live, mainly acoustic music at the renowned Applecross Walled garden. Food, drink and good company guaranteed at http://www.eatinthewalledgarden.co.uk/

Monday 5th - a day to blow away the cobwebs maybe, exploring one of our suggested routes or just heading off home (taking the long way round of course.)

There will be effort involved on the rider‘s part, not least the crossing of the 2056’ Bealach-na-Ba mountain road required to get here of course! With your support however, this will be the start of something very special.

We will encourage good behaviour (and riding) throughout - this will hopefully be borne out by a weekend to savour, enjoyable in the true spirit of a place set apart from the usual, a biking heaven which is not only remote, but all the better for it.

Please address any questions or comments via the links above or to myself on this thread.

Many thanks for your time,

Andy Walker, Weekend Co-ordinator. (650S Curvy)

[independentphoto]

Nice one Andy!

Been over once before whilst on one of our holidays to Skye. Lovely road that although it was compromised slightly by being veiled by fog and rain and blighted by drivers with no headlights going way to fast when we made the trip[-o<.

You never know, we might manage something.


Garry;)

[Wordsmith]

It certainly is a "special" ride over the hill. Good on yer Garry - all welcome, spread the WOOOOORRRD!!!!:smt040

[northwind]

This sounds pretty brilliant to me, it's an ideal opportunity to get away to roads that are usually hard to get to. And check this out:

http://www.applecross.uk.com/images/road.jpg

ROAD PORN!

[Tiger 55]

http://www.applecross.uk.com/images/road.jpg

ROAD PORN!
Look at those filthy curves! The disgusting gradient! The dirty, dirty view! Ooooohhhhhaaarrg.

*falls asleep*

[haggis]

Heya Andy.

Welcome to the site. :)
This sounds good. I was over for the food festival last year, it was ace.

You might find me doing a pre-run run sort of thingy. That is a fab bikers road.

[STRAMASHER]

"Motorcyclists, Here Is Where The Fun Starts."


:geek:

[northwind]

Quality :smt060

So, who actually wants to go then? I do...

[Wordsmith]

Hello everybody - it's good to be here! Anybody wanting accommodation for a pre-run, err, run just drop me a line and I'll sort something out. On a good day, this is the best place in the world. I had to move here so I didn't miss any of it! :cool:

[Wordsmith]

Hello again! Things are gathering pace! Saturday night music confirmed - The Big Field Blues Band (all nine of 'em!)- excellent party stuff! Also, we're in the paper! Check out Motorcycle Monthly April edition page 39 - available free from most main dealers. Cheers, Andy.

:smt031

[haggis]

We will be there, I've managed to get a long(ish) weekend.
Heading up on Saturday evening.


Will there be camping down by the shore at the Inn?

[Wordsmith]

Pleased you can come Haggis!! You could have a look at the shoreline camping but you might be better off on the site as there's a fair bit of road repair stuff on there - if you don't want to be in the thick of it on the site, there's always the second field. You get a cracking view from there out over Raasay too!

[Wordsmith]

Hey Haggis, T-shirts now on Ebay so's yer can arrive in one! :cool:

[Philbo]

See you there folks! If you see a 750 gixer and a yellow DRZ 400 feel free to say hi!

[haggis]

So how many .org folks are thinking of going then?


Wordsmith (sv)
Me(sv), with a mate on a gsxr400, and possibly a ninja900 too, all two up.
Philbo (gsxr)+drz mate.




Any more tempted by this?
C'mon it's a bank holiday, what else u gonna do? DIY and mow the lawn.......boring!:p

[northwind]

I'm on the fence... I think I might just check the forecast and decide a day or so before, assuming there's still camping available anyway.

[Philbo]

Might not be able to make it after all... Waiting to see if I have to got to away with my work...:sad:.

[haggis]

I'm on the fence... I think I might just check the forecast and decide a day or so before, assuming there's still camping available anyway.


I've been phoning all day to try and book a wigwam. Just got an answermachine so far. :(
If i get thru, i will ask how many spaces are left. The campsite is pretty huge Northy, several acres, so i dont see that being a problem at all. If you're pitching a tent, then just go for it i'd say.

There's always the fallback option if it is full. You've got the shoreline to camp by if you're not fussed about lumpy bits under the tent. It's perfectly located for the late night staggerer. Who, me? :-dd

Again, there's acres to scour over 'til you get the perfect spot.

[haggis]

Remember to fill your tanks at Lochcarron Garage folks!!!! And I'm pretty sure it's shut on Sunday. As is the one at Kinlochewe.

There's none in Applecross itself, so thought i would do a quick list for my own mental notes later. Helluva long way to push. ;)

17 miles: Lochcarron > Applecross via the mountain (Bealach-Na-Ba)

55miles: Lochcarron > Applecross loop > Lochcarron.

80miles: Above route plus trip to either Kyle of Lochalsh or Inverinate for fuel on Sunday.

[northwind]

There's always the fallback option if it is full. You've got the shoreline to camp by if you're not fussed about lumpy bits under the tent. It's perfectly located for the late night staggerer. Who, me? :-dd


Yeah, that sounds like a plan... I reckon if I pack fairly light there's space in the top box for a 5 litre fuel can :smt030

[Philbo]

Well, how was it? Didn't make it in the end, :smt012 but the weather looked better than predicted.

[northwind]

I bottled it :rolleyes: Bike was running like crap and I didn't fancy going all that way.

[haggis]

Phew, what a weekend. I've nearly caught my breath now.

On Saturday I went to work at 6.30am, home by 3.30pm. Nipped down to my mate Coopz's to fix his GSXR400 for him before we went.

I put in a GSXR600 K6 shock for him, then a chain & sprockets, a new rear tyre and gave it a good clean up all over. Scoffed a pizza, and packed up. Headed off at 7pm. Got there about 9ish i think. Bloody great run down to Applecross in fine weather. Big grins all round. Pitched three tents, just before darkness fell.

The event was a little quieter than last years Food&Music Fest which this replaced. But the craic was good, and the bar crowded, and everyone had a good night of it.

Sunday morning was greeted by the persistent patter of rain on the tent, and a drop in temp. We decided a rideout was a non-starter so caught The Hoocares in the chillout zone, and once we were liberally pished and they'd deafened us with 5kW of accidental feedback, it stopped raining. "Dammit!!"

Two of the three tents got waterlogged so it was a squeeze getting four of us into one tent but what the heck, these things happen. By 8am on Monday the sun was beating down on the tent so we headed early for Shieldaig.

After a wrong turn (at the campsite!) by the tailgunner Coopz, i had to track him down. We both went over the Bealach and back but missed eachother ( on a single track road!?). but who needs an excuse to do it again. Not me. :wink:

Monday was flipping hot, hot hot by the afternoon. Took a lazy route home, and enjoyed the views, perfect riding conditions, ice cream stop at Lochcarron to cool us down and a fast blast back up the island.... :riding:

Met Andy (aka Wordsmith) while i was there. We chucked in an idea for a combined Skye/Applecross Weekender joint event for the future so that would be cool.

Nice to meet you Andy, come over for a visit sometime.:)

[Philbo]

Sounds like you had a good time! I would've had to come home on the Sunday anyway, so not feeling so bad about missing it now. Hate packing up in the wet!

[Wordsmith]

Hi everyone! I just caught my breath too, my own weekend went on until Wednesday night when I couldn't cope any longer and went and hid in my bedroom...

I was more than relieved that people turned up with the weather as forecast AND we had a blast too. The Big Field Blues Band were just what we required as were Hookares on Sunday.

Had quite a few folk asking to do it again next year - ZZR boys are up for it, (with reinforcements,) the Yorkshire boys have assured me they're gonna turn up before Sunday teatime and without hangovers and the Central Scotland crew have also promised numbers!

Haggis, good to meet yourselves and thanks for coming - I'll be over the bridge in a coupla weeks after a stag do in Glasgow... (oh nooo, make it stop!) Will drop you a message shortly.

So, Applecross Dash 2009 - definitely!!! Probably a bit later on, bank hol weekend at the end of May so it doesn't clash with the Buzzards bash? Suggestions on here please and watch out for written evidence in Motorcycle Monthly!

Cheers,
Andy :cool:

[northwind]

Later in the year sounds good!

[Wordsmith]

OK then, seems like that would suit most I've spoken to so I'll word up the campsite, pub and whatknot and let everyone know. Oh dear, that means I'll have to go to the pub again....