Just after dawn I arrived in the car park at the end of the public road in Glen Affric, accessed from the A831 at Cannich. The midges were out and I paid the £2 parking charge twice as on the first occasion no ticket appeared, not a good start to the day.
I set off on my bike down a slight slope to the bridge over the River Affric, then through a gate, and along the vehicle track on the south side of Loch Affric.
![River Affric just after dawn](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/01-River-Affric-just-after-dawn.jpg)
![Glen Affric looking west](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/02-Glen-Affric-looking-west.jpg)
![Loch Affric and An Tudair](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/03-Loch-Affric-and-An-Tudair.jpg)
This track was quite stony meaning a bone shaking ride with only a few stops as the midges were still around. Beyond the west end of the loch I crossed the bridge over the river and pushed by bike up the slight incline passed Strawberry Cottage.
![River Affric from bridge at Athnamulloch](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/04-River-Affric-from-bridge-at-Athnamulloch.jpg)
The track was narrower and rougher and there were several sections where the boulders were too large to cycle across. I stopped briefly to speak to a chap headed in the opposite direction who had stayed overnight at Alltbeithe Youth Hostel.
![Fraoch-choire and Mullach Fraoch-choire](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/05-Fraoch-choire-and-Mullach-Fraoch-choire.jpg)
![Track continues west](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/06-Track-continues-west.jpg)
On reaching the new bridge over the Allt Coire Ghaidheil I left my bike and walked up the path on the east side of a deer fence and the stream.
![Allt Coire Ghaidheil](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/07-Allt-Coire-Ghaidheil.jpg)
![Glen Affric and Ciste Dhubh](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/08-Glen-Affric-and-Ciste-Dhubh.jpg)
Initially the path, which in parts had been used by quad vehicles, was in reasonable nick but higher up sections were waterlogged and boggy.
![Coire Ghaidheil and An Socach](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/09-Coire-Ghaidheil-and-An-Socach.jpg)
![Approach to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/10-Approach-to-Bealach-Coire-Ghaidheil.jpg)
However I made good progress and was soon at the Bealach Coire Ghaidheil where I stopped for breakfast spotting a couple ascending An Socach’s North Top.
![An Socach North Top](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/11-An-Socach-North-Top.jpg)
![Bealach Coire Ghaidheil and towards Mam Sodhail](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/12-Bealach-Coire-Ghaidheil-and-towards-Mam-Sodhail.jpg)
Afterwards I ascended this Corbett Top meeting the couple on their return from An Socach. They had camped overnight in the Coire and were headed for Mam Sodhail.
![Towards Glen Affric showing approach route](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/13-Towards-Glen-Affric-showing-approach-route.jpg)
![An Socach from its North Top](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/14-An-Socach-from-its-North-Top.jpg)
A short drop then climb took me to the summit of An Socach, marked by a cairn.
![Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/15-Sgurr-nan-Ceathreamhnan.jpg)
![Mullach nan Dheiragain](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/16-Mullach-nan-Dheiragain.jpg)
![An Socach North Top and Mam Sodhail](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/17-An-Socach-North-Top-and-Mam-Sodhail.jpg)
There was a cool breeze so after taking in the views I descended its south-east ridge with occasional traces of a path.
![Glen Affric, Ciste Dhubh and Beinn Fhada](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/18-Glen-Affric-Ciste-Dhubh-and-Beinn-Fhada.jpg)
![Alltbeithe Youth Hostel zoomed](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/19-Alltbeithe-Youth-Hostel-zoomed.jpg)
![Route off An Socach](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/20-Route-off-An-Socach.jpg)
Lower down there was no evidence of the path amongst the fairly long vegetation. This took me back to the bridge over the Allt Coire Ghaidheil where I collected my bike and made the return cycle passing a few folks on the track above the loch.
![Glen Affric Lodge](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/31-Glen-Affric-Lodge.jpg)
I was advised by Forest Enterprise that they were aware of a problem with the ticket machines but thought it had been fixed. They said they would check again.
- Time taken – 5.75 hours.
- Distance – 29.25 kilometres.
- Height climbed – 1190 metres..