Heading to Torridon the wkd of 15/16th of April for some bothy/trail hunting (yes I am a member of MBA)
Then have plans to do the Cairngorm Loop out of Aveimore not sure on route as I,ve never properly ridden in the area, will obviously have GPS and mapping on my phone if you were to hopefully complete in 3 days which bothies would you be staying over in and food replenishment points. I hear some of the rivers might be a bit dodgy crossing depending on rainfall.
http://www.cairngormsloop.net/map.html
If I download the gpx, from the start will it keep telling me to go to Blair Atholl as I have started in Aveimore

We actually stayed in rucksacks independent hostel in Braemar one night which was pretty good. The other night we had in ryvoan bothy which is pretty much where you are (we started at bridge of tilt). Not sure if there’s many options between there and up the Gaick to loch insh. May be easier to JJ UST bivvy when you need to?

Bivi kit is all being taken so a Bothy is not a must but would like to tick a couple off on the trip!

You can use bikehike or similar to split and resplice the file for a different start point.

There’s the Glen Feshie bothy – this has been under restoration, Scotroutes should know the current situation. Later on there’s Bob Scott’s near Braemar.

I don’t think you’ll be going down Glen Feshie if you’re doing great the 3 day loop? Personally I think going down into Glen Tilt is better as there’s some great single-track down the side of the gorge at the top. There’s a few ruined lodges around as well so with a tarp you could have a fairly comfy bivvy.

Also, I’ll have a dig for my gpx files for it, I may have split it into days roughly similar to yours.

Rainfall and snow melt could mean you get 2/3rd of way round and need to retreat.

Your dependence on tech makes me sad Rich please at least take a papermap/print out and compass i know you know how they work. Army bods like yer self and experienced climbers have died up there from.Nothing more than disorientation.

Ryvoans still shut isn’t it. Drake’s hut would be an alternative. There’s also the red roofed shell just at the river crossing just before you head to tilt or feshie. For your second night- although be aware a number of times I’ve been past the night there’s a tall bearded dude in a full wax cape thing sitfing by the fire there.

I would plan alternate back up route also as at that time of year despite what conditions are like now. The larig au laoigh can still be impassible with snow.

He’ll be doing both Glen Feshie and Glen Tilt – see the link in Rich’s original post

Starting in Aviemore you have the choice to do the northern or southern loop first. I’d probably cut up the Old Logging Way from Aviemore to Loch Morlich, then do the loop over Bynack Mor to Linn of Dee, then the Tilt section, then up the Gaick, back through Rothiemurchus round to Tomtintoul, Braemar, Geldie and Feshie. That gets the Lairig an Laoigh schlep out of the way early and you get to the Fords of Avon when you are still fresh.

It’s still covering the same distance, just in a slightly different order. finish back at Loch Morlich if you want to say you’ve been on all the route.

Ruigh Aitchechan (Feshie) is still under construction. It was supposed to have been completed last September but it’s been difficult to get any progress updates or a revised opening date. Bob Scotts and Ryvoan are the obvious other bothies. There’s also Inshriach/Drakes but I can’t see it would come at a great time in your ride. That red-roofed building at Ruigh nan Clach might be fine if you enjoy Carnmore. Personally, there’s only so much sheep-shit odour I can take.

Little snow this year means there’s unlikely to be any major meltwater run-off. In fact we’ve a prediction of 15/16C inland this weekend….

As for the Tilt options, heading straight down without doing the Fealar-Daldhu diversion would be the cop-out only a wimp would choose.

The full double-loop is just under 300km. The record currently stands at around 18 hours. 😯

Terry i know what you mean I have a silva compass tucked away for the mist! Will be carring print outs just incase. Breaking down the trip saying we are fully sufficient for food what sort of distances per day are we looking at comfortable riding for 10/12 hours fully loaded bikes fairly fit riders there will be 3 of us at the moment!

Oops my bad i mean ruiach aitchechen not ryvoans. Ryvoans is still open game party central….Or it looked like it on Saturday night

Rich – if you want anymore assistance about the Aviemore end of things, just PM me.

Ruigh Aitchechan still very much closed today. Can’t see it being ready inside a month or so.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TPGSHu]1040019[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TTgUNg]1040016[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

Nice ride down Feshie on the Nano 40s though. Everything is very dry.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TDpJUJ]1040028[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/SDyoeg]1040031[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr