Ideas please on a Scottish 2 day winter (March) bike packing 2 dayer please on a Fatty.

Something manageable for a mere mortal but high enough to be a challenge.

We did the Braemar/Aviemore loop clockwise via Glenfeshie & the Fords of Avon as a summer trip but I think that might be too tough for a Winter trip for me.

One possibility (based purely on some OS surfing) is Braemar, up Gleann an t-Slugain & down the River Gairn valley & back via Tom na h-Eilrig, bivvying on the River Gairn

Done bits of this on a day ride in early summer. Glen Slugain is a nice climb and pops out on a plateau. Down the Gain is much harder work. The path shown on the os is very intermittent and would be difficult to follow with snow on the ground. You also have to cross the river several times. I came back over the Bealach Dearg which gave a good descent to the Dee.

Roybridge train station to Dalwhinnie via Glen Roy, Glen Shira and Loch Pattack? Mostly landy track so should be guaranteed rideable, two good bothy options and lots of mountain scenery.

Typing on my phone so can’t check distances,don’t think anything too serious…

Actually for bonus points you might even be able to incorporate the Laggan trail centre into that route, blow some minds as you just keep on riding instead of doing loops from the car park 8)

Liking the idea of an end-2-end 13th, will look in to trains.

Also,
I just knocked this up this based on GOG’s comments – http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wnnucbnenfgpposc

Don’t know how high you want to go but Milngavie to Pitlochry via WHW and Rob Roy Way is an option. Don’t be stupid and attempt the Birks o’ Aberfeldy East to west though 😳

Hmm, if you’re keen to make the most of your time it’s only 21km of tarmac and what appears to be doubletrack/farm road from Roybridge Station to Luib Chonnal bothy, you could ride that at night for some extra adventure points, although you’d need to be confident in your navigation, bothies can be hard to spot in the dark…

It’s only 60km to Dalwhinnie from there though, so perhaps not really worth splitting into two days, could find accommodation in Dalwhinne then carry on to Aviemore or maybe stop in Newtonmore and head south via the Gaick Pass the next day, catch the train at Blair Atholl…

Anyway, I’ll stop picking holes in my own suggestion for now.

The bridge over the Quoich no longer crosses the Quoich. Recent storms have resulted in a river re-alignment. Best check for access before deciding on this route.

Roybridge train station to Dalwhinnie via Glen Roy, Glen Shira and Loch Pattack

This. On a related note – does anyone have a good source (webcam, website, whatever?) to find out current snow conditions in the Highlands? Not how much snow is on the slopes at Cairngorm, but how much is on the trails elsewhere? Or is best bet just to check the Drumochter A9 traffic camera?

Some decent webcams here

http://www.stevenfallon.co.uk/webcams.html

Looks like snow about halfway down Ben More in Crianlarich, so 5-600m?

Seems to be some at the roadside at the top of Glen Ogle, so about 300m?

Had heard about 600m in Cairngorms, I’m sure Scotroutes can update that estimate!

Drumochter traffic cam is a good bet.

There’s no base at all this year so snow conditions vary widely on a daily basis. It’s down to around 400m in places at the moment, though this is mostly soft and thin unless it’s in the lee of some shelter.