an italian in the highlands, please help!

Hi everyone! My friend Mario and I planned to come to the highlands for an epic weekend. We will arrive in edinburgh at 18 o’clock on thursday and the idea is to drive to the cairngorns, spend the night somewhere (where?) and start pedalling the next day. The ideal for us it would be to do a big round, like pedalling form A to B the first day (about 30 miles) and from B to A the second day for more on less the same mileage. Is there any route you could suggest me?

Thank you in advance,

Benedetto

Go to avimore. Check out bothy bikes[/url] and buy some maps from them?

Are you wanting to ride and camp?

Or From Blair Athol the Beinn a Ghlo circuit is a very nice scenic ride but not hugely exciting trails 50 km and 1500 m of climb

thanks!

what about going from aviemore to benmacdui and descend to braemar? then sleep in braemer and the day after get back to aviemore…. does it make sense? which trails should I follow ?

thanks a lot mates,
b

Not a route I know but that would be a very big ride I think – lots of walking on the climb and unpredictable weather that high

If you want to do a big mountain carn ban mor is a good bet.

ok, do u have any idea about the mileage? does it start in aviemore? do you have a gpx link?

Grazie!

b

Other folk on here will know more than I do on this – hopefully some will appear to give advice.

Carn ban mor is on the east side of glen feshie around 15 miles south of avimore or 10 miles west of Ben MacDui. Its not a huge long ride – around 10 miles from the road end I think but the climb takes a while. Its a good track for most of the climb and singeltrack for the descent although the path has been repaired since I did it and may not be such fun now there is also some other good singletrack on the other side of the valley.

there is also a low level route from kingussie to braemar

If you search on here for cairngorms you should get some other ideas. such as
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cairngorm-loop-blog
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/aviemore-routes-can-you-check-these-please
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/aviemore-bigish-ride-suggestions
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/north-of-aviemore-scotland-recommendations
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tour-of-the-cairngorms-which-way-round

Google Cairngorms Loop.

Also +1 on speaking to David at Bothy Bikes.
Laggan Wolftrax is a short drive if you have a car and need to kill some time

Bumpity bump hoping someone has better advice for this chap

Bring insect repellent.

Indeed – smidge is very good and not unpleasant

2 great rides in that area would be Aviemore to braemar via Glenmore, Ryvoan, the Fords of A’an on the Lairaig an Laough. Big climb awesome descents.
Return via Linn of Dee, White bridge, Glen Geldie to Glen Feshie back to Aviemore.

That would be a cracker of a route – I was trying to think of something similar

Would recommend the Carnmore Bed and Breakfast in Braemar. Bike friendly and Whiskey lover. Don’t eat at the Fife Arms!

I have never done it but I imagine you could park a car at Laggan Wolftrax then cycle in to do a circuit of Ben alder. Then spend a night at Culra Bothy. Cycle back to Laggan the next day before having a blast around Wolftrax.

We’re all biking on Sunday at laggan your welcome to join us… Theyres about 20 off us going… We’re meeting at the. Carpark for 9ish

steelytail + 1.

Classic…

By starting in Aviemore itself you’ll even up the daily distance. Use the “Old Logging Way” which shadows the ski road as far as Glenmore then per steelytails route.

On the return thro Glenfeshie I’d stay on the East side of the river and on to the tarmac @ Achlean. From there continue on the road til you see the singletrack on the right between Lagganlia and Feshiebridge (look for two large boulders just off the bend in the road)From there you are heading for Drakes bothy @ 883 056. The track then leads around the East side of Loch Gamhna and spits you out @ Loch an Eilein – turn left then clockwise round the loch to the car park. Keep left out of the car park on to minor road then after 1km turn right at the cottage 894 093. Don’t turn off at any of the trail junctions, within 10 mins you will hit the road @ Inverdruie.

Best of luck.

@bobbyatwork, thanks for the invitation!!!! But I’ve forgotten to mention that I’ll arrive on thursday the 26th 🙄

Thanks to everybody for the great advices, I think I’m figuring out the plan.

[/2 great rides in that area would be Aviemore to braemar via Glenmore, Ryvoan, the Fords of A’an on the Lairaig an Laough. Big climb awesome descents.
Return via Linn of Dee, White bridge, Glen Geldie to Glen Feshie back to Aviemore.]

The one that I’m fancying the most is aviemore braemer and back, do you have an idea of the mileage? No gpx files available somewhere?

I hope to be helpful the same way when some of you decides to come down here in the alps.

B

what about going from aviemore to benmacdui and descend to braemar? then sleep in braemer and the day after get back to aviemore…. does it make sense? which trails should I follow ?

I’ve done this… I live nearer Braemar so we go the other way starting from the Linn of Dee and staying at Glenmore Lodge (or in Aviemore). Another reason we do it this way is that it’s surprisingly far between Braemar and the Linn of Dee on knobbly tyres 🙁

Last time anyone mentioned Macdui in Singletrack it ended up in a 10 page epic thread save-the-cairngorms-from-singletrack

My way of riding this and enjoying it is to travel light… I’m talking credit card light. The climbs and carry’s are killers and the descents are brutal so it would not be much fun if your carrying loads of gear (I realise other people think different to me but you’ll not be riding the descents with panniers or a big rucksack on, and even travelling light this route is two long days out).

It’s an epic route in many ways and it’s one we plan and do spur of the moment if the weather is good… with the weather we are having this year I don’t think I’ve seen two suitable days in a row all summer 😕

If I haven’t put you off enough and you want more info send me an email. No gpx files etc as I’m purely old skool map and compass (with my Titanium and Carbon fibre)… 8)

I’d put that around 35 miles each day but the Lairig and Laoigh is a tough old trail so you can forget about trying to polish it off in 3.5hrs – you’ll be out all day 😉

Messiahs option would also be my own personal default however, the Cairngorm plateau is not somewhere to be caught in bad weather and or if you are poorly equipped / unfit / inexperienced. There are also 2 routes up and 3 routes off (all descending into Glen Derry) but without knowing your level of experience I’d be hesitant to recommend any of these options to you. Not trying over dramatise or put you off but anything ‘over the tops’ is definitely weather dependent – snow and hurricane force winds are possible,even in summer.

I’m old skool too so can’t give you GPS but happy to give you detailed directions / grid ref’s. Also, I’d book your accommodation now as its peak season. There are numerous small hotels and B&B’s but the bunkhouses are good and will allow you plenty of flexibility.

You can start straight from the front door here:

http://www.aviemore-bunkhouse.com/index.html

Braemar is ‘nice’ but much smaller than Aviemore and a bit of a time-warp on the accommodation and catering front. It’s dominated by two large Hotels usually rammed with coach parties catering for the 70 year old+ market. I’ve stayed here and it was basic but adequate:

http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/25347-Rucksacks-Braemar

Like Theblackmount I would stay off Ben Macdui unless you have good weather. 1300 metres is not a high mountain if you ride in the Alps but the weather here can and does change very quickly.
The old logging trail is great but you’ll have plenty of trail on the Lairaig an Laough to warm up on. there is a cycle route next to the road to Glen More.
The distances are not huge but you’ll be out all day and need a good level of ability to enjoy it and as messiah says I wouldn’t recommend carrying gear on the Lairaig either. Definitely a tour to be done with just a bike and a small pack.
Staying on the east side of Glen Feshie is best.
You’ll definitely need a map to get round this. I don’t know where you can get GPS trace for these routes.

don’t forget to look out for the wild Haggis 😉

Slight hijack but I thought I heard that the Carn Ban Mor descent had been sanitisied, is this true, is it still worth doing?

Steely: I thought the old logging way and the trail next to the road to Glenmore were one and the same – non?

>I heard that the Carn Ban Mor descent had been sanitisied<

It’s been repaired. If certain members of the outdoor community didn’t straightline it with their back brakes locked perhaps that wouldn’t have been necessary…

Thanks everyone, the big loop epic option y clear and it’s our goal. We’re used to the alps, big climbs and tough descends, we’re bringing anyway kinda of lightweight bikes considering they will be two big days with 120 of travel front and rear hoping it will be enough. From all your messages I’ve understood that the weather is what we should take in consideration the day we start. Assuming it will be bad bad weather and the loop won’t be feasable which kind of routes could we do around aviemore? In this case we will sleep overthere in both days.

Thanks again 4 your help and patience.

B

The route described by Steelytail isn’t weather dependent in Summer unless you count wind and rain as a problem. Going over the summits is a different matter.

Ah, ok so in that route no munroes… It sounds like a good deal

Benedetto, the weather plays a huge part of our rides here.
Blackmount, The logging trail on the south side of Loch Morlich is a cracking bit of single track. The cycle path on the north side of the road is well a cycle path ;o)
I hope you get a good weekend. Call into Bothy Bikes for more rides in the Aviemore area. 120mm will be fine you.
Have a good one.

Steely tail: Re read my posts, I didn’t refer to the old logging trail South of Loch Morlich. “The old logging way” is, as I understand it, the cycle path which shadows the ski road:

http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/resource/docs/publications/10062010/CNPA.Paper.1553.Map%2021%20Aviemore.pdf

Anyway…

No Munros Benedetto but the high point of your outbound trail is only 100 odd metres short of Munro height and very exposed. This is nothing in Alpine terms of course but the weather up there can be highly localised / vicious. I’m sure you’ll be fine just check locally the day before.Enjoy…

Benedetto, you will love the Highlands but just remember that above 1000 feet (300m) you are effectively inside the Arctic Circle where weather is concerned.

Be prepared for midges, read about them here: http://2010.midgeforecast.co.uk/index.php/info/midge_facts/

Drink the water from the rivers (burns) and try to make sure you swim in them as much as possible – a naked dip in soft burn water is a fantastic way to refresh yourself after a hot day out in the mountains.

Bring some sunscreen because when the sun does shine it can be very strong in summer.

Be prepared to be amazed at the length of the days; it will still be light at 10 pm and later.

Edit: are you already here?

Habitat hostel in Ballater recommended… and there is a great Italian restaurant across the street… non of that deep fried stuff..

I’ll arrive next friday, I’ll sleep in Aviemore and I’ll be at Bothy Bikes in the early morning to get maps an last indications from David! About the midges: my little knowledge of your language made me think you were talking about midgets!!!!!! Blood thirsty midgets! But it lasted few secs ’cause you posted the link… So insects repellent needed. Which one of the old logging trails should take? Blackmouth or steelytails’s?

This is a good route…..

Click Me

Smidge is good for the midges but if your camping I would also buy a midge net for your head.

Have Fun

They are both the same!
Take the cycle path parallel to the road to Glenmore this is the logging way we were meaning.
Hope you have a good one.