Just wondered if its possible to ride back from the Gaick (staying at the lodge in a few weeks time) to Blair Atholl via the Minigaig? Gaick pass an obvious option but rather do something that gets me to Blair if the weather’s good and I don’t risk certain death!

Hoping it might be possible to bike / hike up the Allt Gharbh Ghaig, over the watershed at Bruach Gharbh Ghaig and then down Feith Ghorm Ailleag to pick up the Minigaig for the ride back to Blair. Ralph Storer’s book suggests it might be possible – anyone got any experience of this?

Presumably the southbound Minigaig from Bruar Lodge is fairly rideable, certainly from the bothy down? Would need to be a good day anyway as I’ll be Billy no mates!

Cheers, Andy.

There was a guy doing wild camping trips starting in Blair Atholl going the opposite to you and they would tow BoB trailers so i’d suspect that it’ll be fine for you with just a bike.
However, I’ve never ridden that route myself so i’m only going by his route guide.

http://www.scottishmountainbikeguides.com/wilderness-camping-mountain-biking/cairngorms-wild-camping-expedition

Cheers, not quite the same route unfortunately, the route I’m thinking of crosses into the Minigaig from Gaick a bit South of there, round about NN800815. Looks a bit iffy as to whether or not its doable / rideable!

I have spotted that route on a map – my guess it would be a big chunk of hikabike – but its only a guess

anything on geograph?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=21718702

This one looks interesting to get your bike thru
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/910839

Cheers TJ, hadn’t seen that website before – very useful! OS maps show tracks from either end hitting the plateau at the watershed but it looks pretty damn gnarly from photos!

This help?
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/going-over-the-minigaig
Checkout drjon’s blog

I did the Minigaig from south to north, but got to the highest point before turning right and going off piste to the trig point at 912m. Headed north and picked up the estate road to Glen Feshie.

Apparantly the Minigaig to Gaick is a boggy hike.

I found the Minigaig reasonably OK to ride but expect the front wheel to sink into the peat at times.

The one sight I won’t forget is pushing up from the end of Glen Bruar and looking across to the east. Mile after mile of empty space – no path, no sheep, not even a ruined building.

I’ve done Blair Atholl via Glen Bruar via the Minnigaig to Glen Tromie/Gaik. There is a bastard climb at the end of Glen Bruar but then the track is discernable/rideable to the top of the Minnigaig, where it disappears in a welter of endo-endusing- nothing-tracks untill you hit the valley floor and then struggle to the west to pick up the steep track that joins Glen Tromie………..

If that helps….but it was six years ago so it might have changed.

It had to be done BUT I’m not sure I would do it again

Not sure that these are quite the same routes either unfortunately, hoping to join the Minigaig from the west at the top of Glen Bruar and head south from there. Will avoid the high boggy bit of the minigaig but not the gnarly track / gorge and bog in this “pass”!

There for a week anyway so I’ll check it out first. Can always go down the gaick or comyn’s road.

Cheers, Andy