Thinking of a ride next wkd to break up the monotony of thesis writing and would appreciate some advice on rideable day routes (avoiding very prolonged bogfests or too much snow) from. Don’t mind a couple of km of bogfest but looking to get a good ride in!

1) aviemore to blair atholl : Been thinking about a more low level route along one of the old drover’s roads but don’t know how rideable they are after the recent rain (or possibly snow?) eg. glen tromnie then Minnigag or Old comyn’s . Also quite like the idea of glen feshie and back down glen tilt.
or 2) a bit more techy fun, perhaps capel mounth/ glas-alt-shiel day ride. Is there too much snow for the latter at the moment?

Route suggestions welcome.

Thanks guys

Did the Glenmore, Tomintoul, Braemar, Geldie, Feshie loop last weekend and the going was surprisingly good over the Geldie single track bog thanks to being fairly frozen. Feshie was good as always. Enjoy!

Rode Loch Muick to Glen Clova (Capel Mounth)and back over to Loch Muick yesterday. Totally rideable with just a few patches of sheet ice that were easy to avoid and made the descents great fun. As to what it will be like after all this rain then another temperature drop who knows? No snow at all on that ride just heavy frost and ice which made the technical rocks a little slippy.

Thanks for the feedback – sounds wonderful (at the moment). Anyone tried glen tromnie and one of the old drover’s routes?

Any good suggestions for day loops from say glenmore lodge? Just tracked route via fords of avon>derry lodge>linn of dee>glen geldie>feshie and back but is >80km with a fair amount of climbing and prob a bit much even for a long day in my current condition. One option is to head back via the Lairig Ghru rather than feshie to cut off a significant chunk? Any thoughts?

Last time I did Comyns Road ( on foot) was about 20 years ago and the central/high section was difficult to locate then. If you are happy with navigating over a featureless plateau then by all means go for it.

The Lairig Ghru isn’t rideable for much of its length. Add in a likelihood of some snow over the high, boulder section and you risk twisting or breaking an ankle.

These are all long routes and daylight is currently at a premium. Why not aim for something shorter like the Burma Road or a circuit including Sluggan and Nethybridge?

(Sorry to be a bit of a killjoy 🙂 )

I’m probably slightly over eager at the moment as I’ve been hemmed in with work and eager to make the most of the one day I’ll get in a while. Probably sage advice though druidh.

Given the forecast it could go either way. Looks like it’s going to be cold. I’m hoping that there is going to be a lot of snow, but currently looks like it might not amount to much. Conditions could be great for something, but I’m not sure if it’ll be biking, skiing or climbing. Best to be sensible and keep an eye on things I reckon, and as above don’t plan on anything too inflexible. Feel your pain on the thesis front though.

>Any thoughts?<

Watch this:

http://www.mwis.org.uk/bsdqkyoxlkdgl/EH.PDF

Laiogh / Feshie is a big day – even in Summer.
Laiogh / Ghru is technical. If you have standing water on that and it freezes (likely by the looks of it) it takes on a different complexion entirely.

7.5hrs daylight, testy terrain, freezing and solo so prob best avoided tbh

Just had a quick look at the webcams, showing a bit more snow on them today.

I would avoid the larig on a bike, even in summer. I carried my bike the best part of 10km through the larig last year, as boulders make even pushing a pain. If you’re determined to do a big loop, throw in a bothy overnighter. If you pick a busy one then you’re likely to get a fire, company and a maybe a spare dram…

I’m listening – I’m thinking we might head up friday (conditions permitting) and perhaps aim to bike to a bothy as you suggest mjrose and start early doors the next day. Can’t find sluggan druidh – any more pointers to help locate it?

For info, I was up Lairig Ghru today.
Snow level is around 700m, cloudbase has been really low over the last few days, but conditions changing tonight & getting much colder -3c most of the day. Where ever you go, you wanna be finished 3.30 latest.

Great pics motorman, there is something unfeasibly ancient and calming about that place.Pretty chilly here in Glasgow so can well imagine what it was like there today. Thinking of taking the advice and saving the aforementioned routes for a summers day and may end up going for a cheeky hillrun/ walk around goatfell with Ms flyingmm and keep the browny points for a warmer longer day.

Minus 6 overnight in Braemar.

I was out last night on the moors to the north of Glasgow where it was just below freezing. The trails were hard frozen and the lochs beginning to freeze. If you are heading up and going high, take the Ice Spikers. After all, you bougth them so why not use them eh? I would hesitate to ride to Blair Atholl from Aviemore solo this time of year unless I got an alpine start in on a blue sky day. I rode it a few years ago in the summer and it’s quite a long day out.

Cheers

Sanny

Did Glen Clova to Loch Muick and back today. Climb up to Bachnagairn had some parts covered in ice and the hike a bike up was slippy in parts, not enough to spoil the ride though. Did the Corrie Chash descent which was pretty much clear of ice bar a few small sections near the bottom. Climb back over Capel Mounth had quite a bit of snow but was frozen solid so grippy enough to get you up without having to walk. Descent down to Clova was ace as always, a few areas with sheet ice just before entering the trees. Only down side was it was bloody cold.

Cairngorm is opening for snowsports this weekend.

We are expecting a fair bit of snow tomorrow – and up in the Cairngorms next week for our annual staff outing.. 🙂

The Minnigaig is really difficult to follow…. on a good day. When I did it the bit from Glen Tromie to the top wasn’t there, and the top bit to the head of Glen Bruar was patchy to not there. I’d made a note to self….don’t do this again.

The Gaik Pass might be ok but you have a River crossing on the southern side of the highest Loch that can be difficult

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts. Feel a bit of a fraud, but what with the wintry conditions, I bailed on the bike and headed to Arran for a lovely hill run up north goat fell. Sections of the track along glen sannox and glen rosa would make fantastic trails for biking but there is a wee 430m wall in the middle to navigate and the scramble would be tricky with a bike!

View from north goat fell to the shoulder