Looking at a loop from Laggan Locks & going anti clockwise up the GGCR to Mandally then keeping high & south of Loch Garry & heading into Glengarry Forest on a track that comes out on the GGCR on the shore of Loch Lochy at Glas Dhoire. Is the path shown on the map (Cam Bhealach) rideable?
Someone mustv'e tried it!
Did part of this in 2009 whilst riding from Skye to Crieff. However we went up the track that heads up and South out of Glengarry forest. Once you leave the wood you continue along the track but rather than staying on this and heading East round to Loch Lochy we crossed over to the bothy on the parallel track and then followed this South to where Loch Arkaig joins Loch Lochy. The track up and out of the forest is pretty tough and it is a bit of a bog for about 1km crossing over. However the rest is fantastic.
crookofdevon, I think youv'e just answered my next question! is that bothy called Fedden? I'm looking at that as an extension. I assume you came out Clunes?
Do not do this loop it sucks. Did kt last year,first third easy riding second third total HIKE a bike a real slog up hill through the woods, route march actoss open moorland follows the a accent on the pass. From the top good decent. Go to Torridon go anywhere just don 't go there.
So, any more ideas for the area? Routes near Laggan Wolftrax/Dalwhinnie also considered! Might even do Laggan W/T but could do with a bit of scenery & isolation!
If you have any plans to do that Cam Bealach / Fedden route, best make it soon. There is a proposal for a large Hydro Electric Scheme which will see much of that area under water.
IIRC, the track down to Glas-dhoire would be an excellent ride. I've only been up as far as the zig-zags to Sron a'Choire Gairbh and by then it's just heathery singletrack.
Other routes in the area include the old road from Tomdoun to the sunken bridge at Loch Loyne.
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/loch-loyne-and-atlantis-bridge.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/sets/72157607210625132/
Not technical, but remote and scenic!
Other options:
Corrieyairack
Loch Ossian from Moy (the old station buildings are now a cafe/hostel)
The Cam Bealach descent is fantastic, HOWEVER the approach from Glengarry Forest is shite. The path marked on the OS Landranger map is pretty much non-existent until you approach the bealach.
Some pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/sets/72157604396372860/
Torridon mountains is a good loop with a gteat decent into Annat,if your thinking of wolftraxs drive an hour further north and do Balblair and golspie on the same day. Go to skye and do glen sligachen, stop in the hotel bunkhouse the night before and enjoy a few pints of Cullin ale,have a cooked breakfast in the hotel and then head out on a great ride
I must protest. This route is not shite. Yeah it is not exactly trail centre standard trails but the pain of getting to the bothy which is at Feddon is then rewarded by a beautiful run down to Clunes. I did this with 5 kids. 3 of them loved it (they were very handy riders), 2 of them were not so keen and were struggling after a couple of hard days in the saddle. It all depends on whether or not you are prepared to put up with some hikey bikey to make a route!
Dalwhinnie - Loch Ericht - Culra bothy - bag the Ben Alder Munro cluster. sorted!
dont bother,
swamp / hike a bike through upper forest.
hike a bike on non existant sheep tracks until the pass for a descent that was good but in no way worth the 2hrs of hiking/carrying.. worst route ive done... ever.. Scotlands got so much better stuff than this.
just go to Glentress or Kirroughtree, you don't get lost and it's all ridable ;o)
Got some info off Ton (thanks Tony) & we're doing the Ben Alder/Loch Ericht route on Friday & the Ardverikie Estate loop on Saturday. Might do Laggan WT if we get time but TBH I can't really be arsed with trail centres. Done GT a few times & Dalby a couple of times but I just love being in the middle of nowhere.
O/S map, Garmin Etrex, compass. What could go wrong??
I know I've already recommended it and you've dismissed it, but I'd rather go to Corrour than do the Ardverickie loop (if it's the one I'm thinking of). The latter is too hemmed in by trees for much of its length.
Haven't dismissed the Corrour ride Druidh, far from it. Whats the bestest way to do that one?
Looking at the Ardverikie one, can't see that many trees on't map.
http://www.trailscotland.co.uk/ardverikie-estate/
Could be moist though.
if you haven't done wolftrax then it'd be criminal not to, IMHO, if you are up that way. The Black route in particular is magnificent
Whoops - not exactly the same loop I was thinking off 😳
For Corrour, park at NN432830, then take the track heading SW and then S to pop out of the forest at NN406767. Then you are basically heading South to the Shooting Lodge. You can go round either side of the loch. The South track is rougher. Head West along to the station for food and drinks.
And you can re-enact this (NSFW)
Then head back along the loch and North at the Shooting Lodge again. There is, apparently, a singletrack option heading North over the hill from NN401739 which then joins up with the forest tracks again. I've not tried that bit yet. Other than that, it's all estate road, but the scenery and sense of isolation is immense.
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6199/6086672607_623504e4f2_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/6086672607/ ]P1020301[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]druidh_dubh[/url], on Flickr