Hello!

Heading to Aviemore in May for 4 days of riding and would very much welcome some input on the routes please?

Mate and I are after some big days out with a mix of super tech and flowing singletrack.

I have done a bit of research on here, google earth, geograph and strava and have concluded the following:

Highlights
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> Laigirg ghru single track
> Descent off ben macdui to Hutchinson memorial hut
> Sgor Gaoith
> Glen feshie single track

Avoid
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> Avoid the chalamain gap by heading up the right of the roc
> Laigirg ghru below the pools of dee – boulder field
> Strath Nethy

Route 1 – Laigirg ghru afternoon ride to warm up
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Ride out to loch Morlich. Skirt round to the south and head to the ski road. Peel off and head over to the chalamain gap. Take the high path to avoid the boulders. Hit the Laigirg ghru single track and head up/south the saddle (is it worth this little and back?). Turn around and head straight back down through the forest and hang a left to come out near Coylumbridge. (is this a good way home?)

Route 2 – Ben Macdui – big day out/getting monies worth
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Head E out of town up the ski road to the ski centre. Peel off SW and cycle all the way to Ben Macdui (looks long but mainly rideable?). Head E then NE down to Loch Etchachan then E past Hutchinson Memorial Hut. Head N up glen derry to fords of avon. Keep going N and follow the path to Ryvoan. Head W down the fire road back to town.

Route 3 – Sgor Gaoith – scenic route
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Not to sure of the route for this one…
General plan is to head S to Glen Feshie then E up to top of Sgor Gaoith – probably up the fire road rather than the single track to the north. Then come off west of Carn Ban Mor – https://www.strava.com/routes/3076271334581089084 – (Mctrail rider reckons this is the best option) or head noth a bit and pick up the switch backs down from Creag Follais – https://www.strava.com/routes/3076277452052486714. Head back |home N through forest.

Day 4 – easier day
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Not sure – looking shorter day before we head home. May be do some more of the single track in glen feshie and a bit of a lollipop`up to Lochan and down the single track anti-clcokwise (path looks a bit iffy?)then head back up th forest. Will probably drive to drive to the trail head to save some peddling. Any suggestions?

That should finish us both off:)

Day 1 is pretty short even for an afternoon. Some short but nice Singletrack and mildly techy trails at badaguish opposite Loch Morlich could be added in.

Sgorr gaoith I’ve always preferred the landy track climb you describe. Couple of steeper bits and a long drag but is pedallable. I’d choose that over the more direct ST climb which will involve a fair bit of pushing more than riding.

PS Years since went as far up as Chalamain but from memory you’re not gaining much extra rideable LG descent. The traverse across from Rothiemurchus lodge and down LG (or ride up then down) gets most bang for your buck.

> Avoid the chalamain gap by heading up the right of the roc

I can agree with this! I went up there about 2 years ago and just as you get to the bottom of the gap there was a sort of snow bridge leading up the side and i didnt want to chance walking over it and falling through. Because of this i carried my bike through the pass. It was an experiance ill not forget.

PS Years since went as far up as Chalamain but from memory you’re not gaining much extra rideable LG descent. The traverse across from Rothiemurchus lodge and down LG (or ride up then down) gets most bang for your buck.

Yeah, but the descent to the LG from the Gap is definitely worth the effort

Right enough think my memory based on pushing up LG than up to Chalamain and drop back to ski road ie reverse of OP plan. This from same pal slash guide who took us through Strath Nethy – enough said!

I think you’re being optimistic about the climb to Ben Macdui. If I remember right the initial land rover track is steep but just about rideable but then it’s hike a bike up to the plateau. It’s then a mix of hike a bike to the summit. The descent is totes amazeballs. The path to fords of Avon is very frustrating, more hike a bike than you’d think. Lots of big lumpy rocks and very narrow through heather, if I’m remembering it right. So it’s a big day out. The second time I was up there was in August and we needed our winter gear after spending two or three hours in low cloud/drizzle got pretty cold and miserable. The descent was a lot less enjoyable.

Sounds excellent. Got any space in the car 🙂

You could always Tag a couple of these onto the Ghru ride…

https://www.trailforks.com/region/badaguish-20466/map/?activitytype=1&z=13.8&lat=57.19247&lon=-3.74191

Head E out of town up the ski road to the ski centre. Peel off SW and cycle all the way to Ben Macdui

Can you clarify, do you mean following the ski track all the way to the ptarmigam ( upper station)?
It is all rideable, just.

Hit the Laigirg ghru single track and head up/south the saddle (is it worth this little and back?

Do you mean up to spot height 835 by the Pools of Dee?
If so then we really need @scotroutes or someone to comment, as I think it has the potential to suck deeply ( soz, couldn’t open the komoot link you sent)

Good point. I’m talking about the track that follows the funicular, then a footpath to the west of Cairn Gorm. I don’t know about the path I think you’re looking at. The second time we did Macdui from the south and spent a lot of time clambering over a boulder field.

Thanks for all the feedback.

@bri-72

Looks like route 1 could be a good idea on the last day when we are ****. With you on the landy track ascent.

@stevenmenmuir

So very BIG day out and take winter gear too! I am super keen for the descent to the hut so am prepared to take the hit elsewhere on the ride. Unless there is an alternative to get back to Aviemore? Don’t fancy the boulder field up to the pools of dee:(

@thegeneralist

Will have a look at Trail forks

No i mean the trail up Miadan Creag an Letch-chon not ptarmigan.

Yes, to the spot height of 835m. From what others are saying sounds like it isn’t worth it.

I would definitely try and do it on a good weather day, the whole experience will be more rewarding on a blue sky day. The ideal way to do it would be as a point to point from Aviemore to Linn of Dee but then you need a way back.

No i mean the trail up Miadan Creag an Letch-chon not ptarmigan.

Aah, right gotcha. Imho that will be mainly HaB. Any reason not to go up via the ski centre?

The entire route from ski carpark to cairngorm summit is rideable if you’re fit ( and aren’t pushing 3 bikes!

See the first few pictures here.

Midgie and Waterbarmageddon on Cairngorm

The last couple of pictures are descending your proposed ascent. I’ve done it a couple of times and liked it, or at least until the midgies descended.

Ahhhhh yes I see what you mean @thegeneralist. Yeah does look a bit HaBy. Will head up your way.

After booking a hotel I did think that a point to point would work very well @stevenmenmuir. Maybe an option for next time. Hope for a blue sky day, plan for winter conditions:)

Aha. I had a biddova Google and found an old thread from when I did Macdui the first time round. Some much better details on here of the route I took. And also some much better photos! Which is odd because I was on my own 🙂

A drive, a Hillwalk, Two Cycle Rides and then drive home

And if I’m honest, the photos of the descent do seem to make it look mainly rideable up…. perhaps my memory fails me and it wasn’t as gnarly as I recall.

Brill thanks. Will have a detailed look later.

Beinn a Bhuird is a good route, not an all dayer but a good 5 hours or more and the descent is great. Start at Lynn of Quaich Car Park, head NE towards Invercauld then head NW up Gleann an t-Slugain. Follow the singletrack upwards until the fork (NO 114 993). then either heather bash hike a bike straight up the shoulder onto Cnap a Chleirich, or continue up to the col at the head of Glas Allt Mor (NO 117 010). follow the Plateau to North Top, hug the Corries head wall, then find the descent (NO 087 993). Then its rocky rubbly top and single track with water bars for about 5-6km to test your at speed hopping ability. Join the Landy track and ride out along Glen Quoich before dropping through the woods to the Devils Punchbowl for a swim and back to the car park.

For super tech and a couple of hours in an afternoon, start from the Loch Muick carpark and head along the Loch to the bridge. Head up the steep landy track and keep going to the head of Corrie Chash (or the the top of Broad Cairn – rock steps all the way.) The awesome descent (Trail Forks – Streak of Lightening) is then the single-track (NO 258 809) back to the Loch shore at (NO 274 818). Steep and Rocky – Scotty Loughland describes it as one of the best descent in Scotland. (https://www.trailforks.com/trails/streak-of-lightening/)

Now then @thegeneralist, thanks for the pointer to the write up. I see what you mean re: my route 2 up Macdui. Your route /way round looks much better than my proposal.

Will dofo do that on the way up.

I would also be tempted to do your route on the first or last day actually. Parking at the ski centre instead of road climbing.

How long did it take you?

How long did it take you?

Would appear to be 2:30 moving and 5 hrs total. We had a leisurely lunch on top and then 4 puncture stops 🤫

https://strava.app.link/DSlYmUIKMyb

Sorry, talking bollocks. That was the family cairngorm trip. No idea about macdui. Probably about 3 hrs 30.

I think your descent option to Loch Etchachan would be far betterer, but as various people have said it’d be a helluva trog back.
Perhaps overnight in Braemar then come back via Gen Feshie or over Bynack More the next day?

Or stick a date on the Internet and then split a taxi back from Braemar !

I am thinking of doing both.

Yeah the return leg sounds bad after falls of Avon. It’s on the Cairngorm 300 bike packing route, how bad can it be?!?! Will report back with photos…

Is it OK if I chuck this in here. Partly as a suggestion if you need a shorter route addendum ( before the Gap perhaps) or the weather is too rancid on the plateau.

I’m also intrigued whether anyone has done it and if it’s any good? ( I have done it but was completely oblivious to the quality of the riding)

PS, only go tubeless. It eats tubes.

Ta. Will keep that in my back pocket.

Was blown away by the Cairngorms. Such an amazing place thanks for the the route advice. 2

In the interest of helping others here are my thoughts on what we did.

Day 1

Arrived after lunch so headed up to the caringorm ski carpark from coylumbridge. Then dropped down some switch backs before the road rejoined after the one way system. Nice bit of single track over to the gap and through to Larig Ghru. Then took the single track back to Coylumbridge.

The single track at Larig Ghru was ace defo worth doing. Seemed like a lot of effort to get there using this route. There is a nice strep section after the gap into Larig Ghru but after that you have to work quite hard over some flat tech before you reach the good stuff.

Probably easier to head to the Rothiemurcus lodge and come in at the top of the good stuff rather than d1ck about.

Day 2

Sgor Gaioth AMAZING!!!! Weather was helped too.

Headed south to Feshiebridge. The single track lived up to the hype. Then up to Creag dhubh and down some more amazing single track towards Balnasvriten. Hot the road headed south to the only bridge and then south a bit more. Again more ace single track. Some washed away but you could get past on the river bed.

Opted for the access climb which was brutal. Steep and loose. Managed to ride all the way up but must have stopped 8-10 times. Can’t imagine doing that again anytime soon.

Once in the top took the access road over to Sgor Gaoith. Very welcomed fast rolling track with a grassy and rutted turn off which then turns into random rocks to climb to the top.

We then too the trail down to the west of the summit. You need to drop back down to the south and hit the cairn about 1k to the away and head west dropping about 800m to the road.

Incredible descent. Single track at the top turns steep and and steppy but very following. Then you hit a lovely smooth section which is ace. After that it’s a Rocky double track through a forest which some nice cool feature to hit.

Then we just headed north picking up the single track as we went.

Probably one of the top 3 ride I have ever done. Worked out as 70k with about 1699m of very and we took about 9 hrs with a few stops.

Day 3

Rode up Cairngorm and down Cairn Lochan.

Took the access ride up. Again brutal but easier than the day before. Pushed the last bit from Ptarmigan to the top.

Descent of the top of Cairngrom to the south was ace. Tricky to find the path as it’s a bit faint but nice and steep. Very fun.

We bashed around the horseshoe passing a few walkers on the way. Some HaB and places you don’t want to fall.

We rode down back the base station. Found the track a bit annoying. Very loose and water bars and ditches every 5m. Was hard to get any speed up and got a few pinch flats on the way down even when going super slow.

We took the path just below the road back down. Was ace. Bit washed out and over grown in places but pretty much ridable until you cross the road and after the boardwalk when it turns to a river bed. Easier to just take the raid at this point.

We decided to tag on the Larig Ghru trail so headed over to Rothiemurcus Lodge to avoid the fuss from Day 1. Was a nice was to get ther3 with some cool uphill and flat tech.

Then we just blasted back to Coylumbridge.

Day 4

Completely **** so did Laggan in the way home. Love the black trail.

Love the Cairngorms. Will defo go back.

MrChrist

Do you have Strava link for Sgor Gaioth route you did ?

Cheers

Excellent. Sounds like a top trip. Need to do sgurr gaoith at some point.

Also just in case anyone happens across this thread in future, just want to agree with @bjhedley ‘s directions on Bhuird. Anti clockwise is definitely the best. Bloody amazing route

@maddyutah here you go.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/FSstf9IYaAb

Send me a friend request:)

@thegeneralist defo add it to your to do list. Mega day out. Still smiling thinking about it.