I’m planning a 2 day trip with a friend that has never been bike packing before, he’s reasonably fit but I just wanted to check if this route is novice friendly or if it’s harder than meets the eye/has some bad sections.

I was planning on going from Blair Athol up Glen Tilt and round into Glen Fleshie camping/bothying there and then back round to Blair Athol via Gaick Lodge & Sronphadruig Lodge. It looks like it should be OK from what I know of the route but there are a few sections I’m not so sure about… Am I missing long hike a bike/dodgy single track sections?

The section from the end of the track above Derry Lodge over to the head of Glen Feshie can be a bit of a slog – I’ve only ever done it at night which may or may not have a bearing on that!

It’s very much on/off the bike, you’ll ride for a hundred metres then have to skirt a bog/ditch/whatever. There’s the rickety bridge over the Eidart. After that there’s an Argocat track – don’t follow that, it’s really boggy, there’s a good bit of singletrack that weaves in and out of it. There’s a long descent into the glen. About 100m before you get to where the track fords the Feshie there’s a faint path to the right. This leads past a landslip to pick up the tracks in the glen.

The Gaick – there’s about a kilometre of ace singletrack skirting Loch an Dun then a couple of hundred metres of boggy path, apart from that it’s pretty much all estate track.

As Bob says – Tilt northbound is fine until Falls of Tarf, then you’ve some on/off (with high failure penalty) for a couple of km until approaching the old lodge. Geldie is good until the turn off for Geldie lodge, then it’s on/off past the Eidart. At Colins Howff pick up single-track not argotrack to Feshie.

(FWIW, there’s a bothy currently “under construction” at the Geldie ford)

You can ride Feshie to Tromie on a new track (almost complete at time of writing) – cross at the Creag na Caillich ford. From there through Gaick is all good other than a short bit beside Loch an Duin. Watch for high rivers though. They can make the route impassable.

If you get in touch with me nearer the time, I’ll update on any track condition/water levels I’m aware of.

The section from the end of the track above Derry Lodge over to the head of Glen Feshie can be a bit of a slog

Geldie lodge? I still get confused with those glens myself right enough.

My first instinct was to suggest reversing the route, I did Gaick heading north on the gravel bike, it was superb (as a gravel ride anyway). Long gradual landy track climb, brief bog trot, spicy singletrack, glorious long time trial down gradually improving (and at times tarmac) estate tracks to Tromie Bridge. I guess on MTBs it might not seem so fast or fun as on a gravel bike, but it’s still a lovely roll in.

Also means you get to enjoy Glen Feshie gradually getting wilder and debouching into the Geldie glen, rather than entering Feshie via the back door (oo-er etc.)

Finally, means you hit the (fantastic) singletrack into Glen Tilt as a descent rather than climb, I loved it on the gravel bike although it did force a few dismounts. Should be great on the MTB.

Take a look at the Outer Cairngorm Loop, we did it over 3 days, but that included driving up/down.

Gravel bikes too, but I’d happily have taken my hardtail.

Good tips/info here and will defo take you up on that @scotroutes – I forgot to ask about the best direction. The only reason I mapped it anti-clockwise was because I know Glen Tilt. I had a look at the single track at the end of it last year on a gravel bike and decided I’d come back on a MTB. I’ve been up to the bothy in Glen Feshie for a night but walked in from Kingussie side so not very helpful in terms of this route. The other bits don’t sound too bad… Geldie sounds a bit grim, maybe it would be better getting Geldie done and out of the way on day one leaving a reasonably easy day back to base?

Geldie-Feshie can be fine, just expect some pushing for bits. From Aviemore, it’s a good days ride to do Lairig an Laoigh, Fords of Avon, Derry Lodge, Geldie, Feshie and back.

How far up/down Feshie were you thinking of? There are various points to cut across to Glen Tromie.

I would suggest this loop, we did it in one big day. It was 99.9% ridable on Gravel bikes. I am glad we did it clockwise, coming down Glen Tilt was a breeze felt like we hadn’t put much effort in to gain the height. Assuming you are both relatively fit 2 days should be fine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5179613020
pics
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B2TA8er9kLwhTjoZ6

Was probably looking to make it as easy as possible – so if that means going further down then longer is OK. I know that the recent rain will have a bearing on what’s possible. Aiming for the last weekend in May

Was probably looking to make it as easy as possible – so if that means going further down then longer is OK. I know that the recent rain will have a bearing on what’s possible. Aiming for the last weekend in May

In that case heading past Stronetoper – Corarnstilmore – Drumguish gives you an easier ride and you can avoid fording the Feshie.

I bivvied at Cornarnstilmore a couple of weeks ago.

There’s a nice spot beside the pony bridge at Stronetoper too.

I would suggest this loop, we did it in one big day.

I wish you hadn’t posted that elsewhere Dave, it’s playing havoc with the plans I had already made for the Cairngorms in July! Loved all those sections and love the idea of putting them together in one route but can’t shoe-horn it into my existing hostel bookings.

Happily it means I can afford to explore a bit knowing that I can return next year and ride the stuff I really liked, and even better ride it unladen 😎

You can ride Feshie to Tromie on a new track (almost complete at time of writing) – cross at the Creag na Caillich ford.

How does this connect Colin? On Bing maps I see a good track from Feshie to the 2nd forestry block, then Strava heatmap shows most people following a fire break diagonally across the block of forestry to the hillside above the north bank of the Allt Bhran. Sketchy looking sheep tracks as far as the wee hydro dam then cross to get onto the hydro track?

Yep.

When I’ve done it previously, I took the more obvious top track across the top of the forestry. It’s a “sharp” climb and then a plummet down heather slopes to the Bhran. I’ve not been in to see the latest track work (it was still under way a few weeks ago) but the line is visible on Bing.

OP; I did your route in the opposite direction, think it was about 77 miles. One of my best days out on the bike, conditions were perfect.

Re Feshie to Tromie,

Last week from end of new track you still had about a kilometre of on/off boggy pushing/crossing the Bhran a few times to reach the weir at the Tromie end, fine in the dry weather we had but probably not pleasant in wetter conditions not to mention the water levels.

Anyone have any updates on what the rivers are like the now or how that new track is progressing?

Still planning on going for it this weekend, either the lower loop or the outer loop, clockwise starting from Blair Atholl

River levels are currently at the low end of normal, and falling.

There’s still a gap at the Feshie/Tromie watershed.

Looks like a good forecast. Take sunscreen. And Smidge

Thanks for that @scotroutes – I know all the bothies are still shut, are there any out houses or good bivvy spots that you can recommend? Taking a tarp and gore bivvy, was thinking of in/around the Feshie area, the spot at Corarnstilmore might not be far enough along now looking at it clockwise. If going for the outer loop I guess around Glen More would be the obvious spot for an overnight stop?

One of my favourites is the “pony bridge” over the Feshie just south of Achlean. Probably short if your day one distance though.

I’d avoid the immediate vicinity of Glenmore and Loch Morlich as it’s likely to be hooching this weekend.

There’s a good spot at the crossing of the Nethy if you’re heading up Bynack Mor for your return.

River levels are currently at the low end of normal, and falling.

Surprised to hear that! Has Aviemore dodged the recent torrential nonsense we’ve been getting in Perthshire, or do rivers really rise and fall that fast? Genuinely curious, I’ve never really thought about how quickly river levels react to weather conditions.

Genuinely curious, I’ve never really thought about how quickly river levels react to weather conditions.

Was on Ben Lui and a Chleibh yesterday, one 20 minute rain shower lifetd the river under the railway level by 4″ in one go, quite impressive! (you have to walk over a grate bridge, water was below it on way up, 3″ above it on way down).