From the simplest game tracks to competition-worthy MTB courses, every trail has a story behind how it came be. And often, the areas around the routes we love to explore are equally rich with history, if you only know where to look.
That’s the idea behind ‘Trail Tales’ by Orbea, a multi-part video series that digs deep to unearth the untold sagas that surround us, one ride at a time. In their most recent release, Orbea riders Angus Hardie and Rory Skinner head to the northwest of Scotland to discover how mid-flight misfortune helped reshape the state of UK Mountain Rescue.
In episode 9, ‘The Last Flight’, Orbea take us back to the evening of March 14th, 1951, when a Royal Air Force mission went awry, resulting in a plane crash that cost the lives of eight young airmen high in the mountains above Torridon. The subsequent recovery efforts would take weeks to complete and would serve to highlight the importance of training and preparedness when attempting to overcome the harsh terrain of the Scottish Highlands.
Today, Scotland’s Torridon wilderness area serves as an outdoor enthusiast’s dream destination. Rugged, remote and beautiful, its jagged peaks and glacial valleys are crisscrossed by a network of hiking and biking trails which regularly draw visitors from around the world. Of course, Torridon is just as unpredictable now as ever, and those who choose to traverse Torridon, whether on two feet or two wheels, must be equipped for quickly shifting circumstances.
Doing so means having a solid plan for survival should things go sideways as well as the right gear from the start to ensure everything rolls smoothly. To keep pace during their time on the pedals in Torridon, Angus and Rory both complemented their Orbea Occam trail bikes with our Gravita Tensor Downhill MTB shoes, a versatile, performance pair that’s ready for all terrains and changing conditions underfoot.
Project: Orbea Trail Trales
Riders: Angus Hardie and Rory Skinner
