Route advice in and around Ben Macdui

We’re looking for a route to do this week and are looking for some advice.

I work in Aberdeen, so the plan would be to drive to Braemar straight from work on Thursday (I have Friday off), sleep over somewhere and ride all day Friday.

We were thinking of riding to the Corrour Bothy on the Thursday night ready for an early start on Friday morning up Ben Macdui.

Macdui looks fairly inaccessible though from that side though.
Has anyone done it?

The other option would be to go west from the bothy up towards Devil’s Point, Cairn Toul or Braeriach.
Has anyone done a ride in this area? Any route suggestions or advice?

We don’t mind hike-a-bike, but certainly don’t want to spend all day walking.

Cheers all,

Corrour is a shit hole.

Of all the places I’d choose to take a bike, those options would be fairly close to the bottom of my list. The best route up to Ben Macdui would be from Ptarmigan. I hear there’s a great descent from Loch Etchachan though, so perhaps an up-and-down from Glen Derry would be more rewarding.

Thanks for the review on the bothy Druidh.
Think we might avoid that then…

We’re not set on Ben Macdui, but we do want an overnight ride that we can start on Thursday and finish on Friday.
Any other suggestions?

Please go up the path from corour to Cairn Toul, would love to know how good a descent that is, i had the same dilema in the spring, opted for Macdhui from the North and descend into cairn Etchachan past the Hutchinson bothy, glorious technical descent with unparralled vistas, you could always aproach from Glen Derry and stay the night at the Hutchinson, then hike to the summit, descent is proper good.

fergals suggestion is the one I’d go for….

The Hutchison Memorial bothy was on the list as well.
How long is the ride to it if, for example, we parked the van at Linn of Dee?

How about this for a circuit:
– from the Hutchison bothy,
– through the Lairig an Laoigh pass,
– around Loch Avon and
– then approach Ben Macdui from the north
– descent back to Hutchison bothy and back down to the van at Linn of Dee.
Would that be doable? Or am I getting ahead of myself?

I’ve done Ben MacDui from both the Aviemore side and from Linn of Dee. The descent off the top past Loch Etchachan and the Hutchison Hut is probably the best in the UK bar none. Very steep and very rocky but 99% rideable. Absolutely definitely need a FS and plenty of spare tubes. I would suggest it would be almost impossible if you are travelling with kit for an overnight.

The route we did was a loop from Linn of Dee car park, past Derry Lodge up the Sron Riach ridge to the summit, then back via Etchachan. Total time just over 6.5 hours of which 4.5 hours ascent, including at least 1.5 hours carrying.

The path from the Devil’s Point down to the bothy would be I guess only 25% rideable, and the top of Cairn Toul is a massive boulder fest so would be a total nightmare.

I was with the captain – two of the party turned round and went home before we were half way up Sron Riach… it’s that kind of climb/walk/mountain-day-out.

How about this for a circuit:
– from the Hutchison bothy,
– through the Lairig an Laoigh pass,
– around Loch Avon and
– then approach Ben Macdui from the north
– descent back to Hutchison bothy and back down to the van at Linn of Dee.
Would that be doable? Or am I getting ahead of myself?

Hutchison is a good bit off the Lairig an Laoigh – I would say two hours to the turning, and another difficult hour up to Hutchison bothy, which you have to back-track to do anything from – nice fun descent though.

Lairig an Laoigh to Loch Avon is a walk – very difficult terrain to even push a bike so when we did it we ditched the bikes and walked it just for the views. Loch Avon up to Loch Etchachan is a scamble.

I am the person riding with rugbydick, what is the climb / carry like up the Srion Riach to the top? is it all a carry?

Not worried if it is, just need to set my expectations right. I prefer the sound of this as it is a circular route, not fond of out and backs.

But then again. I do fancy a night out so the hutchinson idea of going there, leave stuff there and go up and back out collecting stuff on the way out is very appealing.

to many decisions!!!

I would imagine a real ball breaker, what are your hairy arse credentials.

my hairy arse credentials are good – I have some minerals.

what is the climb / carry like up the Srion Riach to the top? is it all a carry?

“it’s a sair fecht fir a half loaf”

I consider muchsome of it rideable but I am in the minority.

Not a route for baggage.

I am the person riding with rugbydick, what is the climb / carry like up the Srion Riach to the top? is it all a carry?

I haven’t got access to a map here in the office, but IIRC from the burn where the actual ridge starts it’s aboout 70% carrying. It’s tough but worth it and the views are great.

If you really want a night out your best bet would be to camp at Derry Lodge, do the loop, and pick up your kit on the way back for the ride out.

Messiah – thank you, your info has been good and helpful.

i think the choice sits now for :

1. hutchinson , sleep there and leave stuff and recollect ont eh way back down
2. the route you did as a circular leavign early in the morning.

Thanks for everyone’s input thus far, it’s been most invaluable.

So if we overnight in the Hutchison bothy, is the only real option an out and back to Ben Macdui?

Also, how long would the ride from Linn of Dee to Hutchison bothy take?

I consider muchsome of it rideable but I am in the minority.

Yup – a minority of one. Ossum skilz 🙂

So if we overnight in the Hutchison bothy, is the only real option an out and back to Ben Macdui?

Yes.

linn of dee to hutchinson hut – about 2 hours

Apparently there was snow falling up there the other week, be prepared!

Yes, we will be prepared for the weather.
And if it looks too bad, we’ll find somewhere else to ride.

Thanks for all of the comments. They are much appreciated.

linn of dee to hutchinson hut – about 2 hours

Close, I would say nearer 3, especially if kitted up to sleep at Hutchison. As I said above, 2 hours to the turning off the Laoigh, and then another hour up to Hutch.

To go to BigMac top from Hutchison would be a walk, and quite a stiff one at that.

Hutchison roof in the middle of this picture, path to Etchachan rising on the right – from Etchachan up is similar but mostly not as rocky (beginning and ending are… rocky that is), brilliantly scary fun on the way down but for me a deal breaker on the way up.

… and yes… it was snowing up there last weekend

I will take my thick shorts and a bin liner just incase it gets ‘nippy’ i can wear it as a water proof.

marionheck – Member
I will take my thick shorts and a bin liner just incase it gets ‘nippy’ i can wear it as a water proof.

Plus we will have each other to share warmth…

Wot no TJ? I’ve bought hobnobs special like.

Wot no TJ? I’ve bought hobnobs special like.

😀

Was speaking to someone from the RSPB reserve who said there was a weekend this summer when they reckoned they had 40 folk on bikes up and around the plateau/Ben Macdui.

Even if I misheard and she said 14 then thats still a lot, surprising what one little article can do eh? 8)

Thought I would deputise for TJ and to add to 13thfloormonks post: This will end horribly for mountain biking in the National Park if people will insist (especially en-masse)upon riding on the Cairngorm Plateau..if you have to ask “why not” then you’re not going to understand the reason!
But basically the environmentalists have much more clout than the biking lobby and don’t take kindly to walkers, let alone bikers trampling over a SSSI.

Chickenman

You’re several months too late for that debate. Do a search on the forum and you’ll find one of my favourite threads ever.

Messiah’s route up is definitely the one of choice.

Cairn Toul wouldn’t be heaps of fun. I headed over to it from Beaeriach just after Easter. A great day out but I turned back as it would rapidly become a walk over jaggy boulders there and back.

Oh and Bob Scott’s is nice to stay though can get busy. It also means Messiah’s route is more easily knocked off.

As already said, Loch Avon is one big humff along the shore. Pretty but a tough carry with the bike. You would be pushing almost the entire way to Loch Etchecan.

Around 40 bikers in the Cairngorms in one day? Wow! I wonder how many walkers there were at the same time. Ha! Ha!

>Corrour is a shit hole<

No its not – it was refurbished and it has a bog. It’s small though. As is the Hutchy hut – which is a doss.

And I wouldnt be going past Bob Scotts to get to either 😉

Why would Chickenman be ‘too late for the debate’ Sanny? 13th FM info wasn’t in the stw domain at the time…

I was with Capt and Messiah when we did Big Mac from Linn of Dee … some photos if you’re interested:

The big debate we had on riding on the plateau before led to me softening my attitude on this. I still think its unwise to take bikes up there and wrong to publicise routes but I am less absolutist about it.

It will cause issues tho if large groups or many folk go up there i am sure.

Around 40 bikers in the Cairngorms in one day? Wow!

I read it as 40 bikers on cairngorm in one day – a rather different proposition

I’ll rephrase that – only 40 mountain bikers on Big Mac / Cairngorm in a day. Is that all? Doesn’t sound like the end of civilization as we know it to be honest. 😆