Cairngorm route gurus - more sage advice please?

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Cairngorm route gurus - more sage advice please?

21 posts & 8 voices | Started 1 year ago by Sanny | Latest reply from shortbread_fanylion

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Sanny - Member

So yesterday was a bit of an epic. My friend Graham and I decided to go for an explore on Ben MacDhui. We took the footpath up beneath the corries before breaking for the summit. I was amazed at just how rideable the route is with only a few intermittent sections of the climb being a bit too rocky to ride over. The descent off the top to Loch Etchacan was sublime as was the descent down to Shelter stone…..then it wasn’t so good. The walk / humph along the side of Loch Avon was a ball-ache though I was half expecting it. However, I hadn’t counted on the despair of Strath Nethy….never again! Having said that, the sun was out and it was quite pretty in places! We also saw a herd of reindeer near the summit of MacDhui.

So, where should we have gone after Loch Etchacan (excuse the spelling!)? I’m thinking the descent down to Hutchison Memorial Hut would be tasty having walked it in the past. But where after that? Should we have hikey biked over the Avon refuge then headed up Lairig Loaigh (or however it is spelt?) Has anyone any pics of this and has ridden it? Slightly kicking myself as we could have headed up Bynack Mor for the return leg to Glenmore Lodge. Doh! What’s the track like between Glen Derry and Avone refuge? Hike up, ride down?

What’s the track like from the refuge heading east? I suspect it may be as poor as the one along Loch Avon?

Alternatively, has anyone ridden from Glen Derry along the estate tracks towards Ballater then headed via Loch Builg to Tomintoul? Could that make for a big one day loop from Glenmore?

Cheers

Sanny

Posted 1 year ago #
martinxyz - Member

good day for it eh? i walked down to the carpark on the path you talked about a few months ago and compared to what i rode down about 10 years ago, its changed a lot since then.its probably quicker to ride down but not as gnarly (did i use gnarly on stw ? shame!) just like how the descent down from rothie lodge has been man handled and spoilt over the years.

not sure about where you want to go though, ask dave in bb. he was on about a descent over the back of gorm towards ryvoan or something. said it was good.

this week i might head up the track you started on, around the great slab/alladins couloir and push it up to cairngorm then decend down the back track to the ptarmigan and over to the ridge that takes you down the ciste on creagan dubh. finishing up with a ride up the mountain road. still havent done this.

Posted 1 year ago #
CaptainMainwaring - Member

Sanny, am definitely not a guru but couple of bits that may help

Some mates have done the descent past the Hutchinson Memorial hut and reckon its the dogs danglers.

One suggestion for your loop is Glen Derry down to LR track, turn left up Clais Fhearnaig (very rideable), turn left onto Glen Quoich track, cross the burn and take the track along the Quoich. This is now pretty good riding all the way to the path that comes up from Glean Slugain. Ride/push up to baelach between Ben Avon and Bhein a Bhuird and down to pick up the path down into Glen Avon. Health warning here as I have not been off that side of the bealach so no idea what its like

Posted 1 year ago #
Heather Bash - Member

Oh dear...Not a great place to go wandering if you don't know what you are doing. Hutchy hut, Glen Derry, Derry Lodge, Glen Luibeg Lairig Ghru. Thats big tho. Drop the H in Macdui btw

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

Lairig Ghru - no way! That would just be despair and far worse than Strath Nethy.
There were a couple of postings previously about heading back via the path to the east of Bynack Mor which is why I'm wondering whether that would make for a good loop or alternativivly heading to Tomintoul via Locjh Builg. if i did that, what would my off road return options be?

Glad I did the Glen Avon section even if it was the carry of doom - I'd never been to the shelter stone before so that was a highlight and the descent into the valley was great.

Posted 1 year ago #
martinxyz - Member

aye, and drop yer J in loch too ;Op

::runs::

good luck with it, any pics from yesterday?

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

I'll get the pics loaded up onto Flickr. Magic day out in the mountains even if the last section was guff. I guess that's the game and you don't always know until you try eh?

Looking at previous postings, the alternative loop on the side of Bynack Mor looks to be a winner but I'm still wondering about the trail from the Avon hut to Loch Builg and a Tomintoul loop option.

While I'm at it, has enyone ridden the path from Braeriach down to the Lairig Ghru? It looked really distinct from Ben MacDoobery but that often counts for nothing!

Is there a trail off the bealach at Ben Avon? I don't recall seeing one last time I was up there last year but then I wasn't looking for one.

Posted 1 year ago #
martinxyz - Member

coire gorm looks steep.take yer body armour for that one!

Posted 1 year ago #
messiah - Member

I did warn you that anything above the Falls of Avon is a hike

Posted 1 year ago #
martinxyz - Member

have you ever been up above loch einich,sanny? sgor gaoith/no4 and 5 butresses? or the argyll stone?

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

Messiah

I knew at the time to expect Avon to be tough but hoped that Strath Nethy might have been a peach of a trail...more a sour apple!

Martin

Not been up Einich. Sgor Gaoith may be next weekends ride though. I spotted it last time I was up Carn Ban Mhor and have been itching to do it since.

Am I right in thinking that the humff out of Einich is the best way of getting onto Braeriach with the bike? I've heard the traverse from Carn Ban Mhor is boggy despair.

Posted 1 year ago #
joemarshall - Member

While I'm at it, has enyone ridden the path from Braeriach down to the Lairig Ghru? It looked really distinct from Ben MacDoobery but that often counts for nothing!

I rode it about 7 years ago, and then there were some very very big rocky sections that I had to carry down, and some great easy sections. Once you get to the Lairig Ghru it is a great ride into Rothiemurchus.

Up from Loch Einich the way I did it was quite a climb. I seem to remember swinging across a chasm with a unicycle strapped to my back at one point - not sure I'd want to do it with a whole bike. The top was not very rideable until you hit the nice path off Braeriach. Beautiful ride though.

Posted 1 year ago #
stuartie_c - Member

Strath Nethy! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Best bet would have been Loch Etchachan to Hutchison Hut then over the Lairig an Laoigh by new path from Glen Derry down to Fords of A'an. Cross the river then intermittently rideable ST with sme carrying to the shoulder of Bynack Mor and brilliant downhill to Ryvoan. The Lairig an Laoigh section will be pretty rideable heading towards Fords of A'an. Shortbread and I did this coming the other way and it was much better than I'd remembered it from a previous trip before the new path was put in. This path comes from Glen Derry and stops at the col but the descent path is pretty good too.

There are some pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/sets/72157623894846445/

Posted 1 year ago #
CaptainMainwaring - Member

Sgor Gaoith may be next weekends ride though. I spotted it last time I was up Carn Ban Mhor and have been itching to do it since.

I noticed that yesterday from the top of Carn Ban Mor. Looks sweet. Anyone know if the path from the road up the Allt a Chrom Alltain actually goes up to Sgor Gaoith, and if it's ridable or push up-able

Posted 1 year ago #
messiah - Member

Stuartie_c's route would be the one to use. Descent to Hutchison a blinder.

Climb from Derry up to Lairig an Laoigh saddle not bad.

Descent down to Falls of Avon good fun with plenty of trickyness and opportunity for occasional over the bars moments.

Falls of Avon to Aviemore as he suggests.
Big route for a day.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

Staurtie

My thoughts at the time were more unrepeatable in polite company than that especially as I knew about the descent off Bynack Mor. We took a chance and we got unlucky. Just means next time shall be all the sweeter. When did you do the despair that is Strath Nethy then? Sounds like the voice of bitter experience talking there!

I have to say the descent off MacDui was easily a match for the stuff I rode in Torridon in May and getting to it was considerably less of a faff. I was suprised at how busy the summit was. It was like being at the top of Ben Lomond!

Captain

I hear that there is a route off Sgor Gaoith - Dave in Bothy is your man for that.

Joe

I suspected that about Braeriach given the the geology of the surrounding mountains. Cheers for the heads up.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

Great pics Messiah! You got any more?

Aye, it would be a big day indeed. Yesterday also saw us take in the munro above Etchacan to the east of the loch. A steep but quick climb to the summit made for an easy extra peak. The descent back down saw us walk sections. Not that it wasn't rideable but it was very loose and neither of us wanted to be seen to be creating a big skid mark down the path as it was really tricky not to lock up.

So what about the Tomintoul option? Like I said earlier, it looks good in principle but it's the options for riding back offroad to Glenmore that I'm keen to learn about. Again, a big day out but I suspect not stupidly so given how quick the ascent of Ben MacDui is. The hardest bit is trying to pack enough food and water in an already overloaded pack. I don't really do Alpine style very well!

Cheers

Sanny

Posted 1 year ago #
stuartie_c - Member

Sanny - never ridden a bike down it but I have vivid memories of running through it on a mountain marathon training run - bog ALL the way!

Messiah - when was the Lairig an Laoigh climb photo taken? I rode down it recently and there is a new path which (although a bit sanitised) would make for a much easier ascent. It's off to the right (looking up from Glen Derry). Standard built hill path - cross drains, pitched sections and well-surfaced. Good fun to descend.

Posted 1 year ago #
messiah - Member

Photo from May last year (2009).
The Derry Lodge to Hutchison path was improved about 5 years ago. The path above the Hutchison Y stated out smooth but soon got interesting to what you see in that photo. Perhaps it's now been "improved"?

I've got loads of photo's Sanny but not many online.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sanny - Member

Stuartie C

I now have vivid memories of carrying my bike through the bog - most of it is unrideable for more than a few yards. We kept hoping it would improve but it didn't. It will now be marked with the red pen of avoidance on my map!

Posted 1 year ago #
shortbread_fanylion - Member

Alternatively, has anyone ridden from Glen Derry along the estate tracks towards Ballater then headed via Loch Builg to Tomintoul? Could that make for a big one day loop from Glenmore?

Yes...kind of...back in 2005 when I was a sprightly young thing Rode from Tomintoul to Braemar then Glen Geldie and Glen Feshie to Glenmore than Ryvoan and Glen Brown to Tomintoul.....then did a 10 mile loop there to bring it up to 100 miles....who needs Kielder

Braemar to Tomintoul and vice versa is pretty straightforward, there's a nice steady climb up Culardoch and either a screaming fast landy track toward Loch Builg and or some patchy singletrack instead (it's on the map). Loch Builg singletrack is nice in either direction then after that it's fireroad and then tarmac to Tomintoul. I've only done Glenmore to Tomintoul in that direction but it's nice enough. There's a bit of nice singletrack before you get to Dorback Lodge and then straightforward riding to Tomintoul. I Aviemore to Tomintoul following that route took me about 2 hrs 40min or so earlier this year although the going was good.

I think to do the climb you did and then descend to Glen Derry and pick up the tracks I mention above would be a big day but eminently do-able. As others have pointed out you missed out by not going up and over the side of Bynack Mor, in dry conditions the track from the Fords of Avon is ok. Lots of on and off and a couple of carries but pretty good. If it's been wet it's tough though, more off than on as the soil between the rocks is pretty soft and peaty.

Posted 1 year ago #