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Hey Guys
any particular high altitude rides that need to be done?
Have done the Burma Road and looking to do Carn Ban Mor, i understand its slightly more technical?
Wouldnt mind if anyone would like to point out some incredible singletrack supposedly abot.
I have some routes in gpx format aswell if anyone wants them
The picture shows top of Burma road,
wish we did it anticlockwise as the ascent looked a lot better to go down than the way we went!
Lairig Ghru gets my vote. Worth the mile-or-so of hike-a-bike, anyway.
I've seen the Lairig Ghru
but the morale seemd that it was pretty much mostly unbikable?
I can cope with a mile or 3 Hikeybikey if the descents worth it i guess!
Would you do it again? How does it compare to Carn Ban Morr?
Mostly unbikeable? Maybe they're talking about the entire length of the thing. The bit I've done starts from Lurcher's Crags. Start by heading up the fireroads round the west side of Cairngorm mountain. There's some kind of residential holiday hut thing (or maybe it's used by the MoD?) at the top of the road, and you cut across to the right. It's about a mile or so skirting round the mountain until you just hit a T-junction at Lurcher's Crags, and that's when you get on and ride. Totally rideable from there back down to the tracks at the bottom near Loch Morlich. It's the mile-or-so round from the residential huts that is the hike-a-bike bit. Lots of it is ok, but it's in fits and starts and it can be very boggy.
Disclaimer: this is all from memory, so any resemblance between the routes and waypoints in this description, real or imagined, is, quite frankly, sheer luck.
Carn ban mor is awesome, only takes about 2-3 hours mind you IIRC.
Would I do it again. Absolutely! I do it every time we go to Aviemore with the bikes.
Carn Ban Mor? Not sure I've done that. Maybe I have, cos we spent a weekend up there with a rather hardcore trail legend, and I have no idea where he took us. Lots of hills and rocky descents though 😀
I'll Have too make that Day 1 then!
We went once before last year but one week's not enough to get round the start of the routes! Let alone get into the nightlife!
Looking forward to this year and thanksa lot for your route help, makes our trip a lot more enjoyable. Planning a route from the fenlands 500 miles away is quite difficult.
Have you done any singletrack around glenfeshie? Supposed to be good
Not done Glenfeshie, but if you're up for a while it's possibly worth going for a spin at Laggan trail centre. That's very good indeed, and is quite natural-looking as far as trail centres go.
Lairig Ghru as an out and back is ace. Just climb until you get to the point where it gets too hikey bikey and turn round! The Ben MacDui loop I wrote up in the current issue is a belter. It's commiting but marvelously enjoyable on a sunny day.
Mealle a Buchaille from Glenmore is another enjoyable one. Bit of a carry up but great fun down to Ryvoan. Add on a loop of Loch Garten and you're laughing.
On Carn Ban Mor, you can head along to the next Munro on the plateau. I've heard good things about the descent. Not done it yet but Braeriach is on the list of ones to do.
Cairngorm is very much worth a trip across the top too. As with all the high altitude stuff, always treat it with respect and plan it like a hill walking trip. Plenty of spare clothes, survival bag, first aid kit etc and be prepared to turn back to come back another day if the weather goes south.
The singletrack off the top of the Burma Road back to Alvi Estate is worth the climb up. Craigellachie Descent is also worth a mention. Have a look at G2 outdoor's website for a video of it.
Dave in Bothy Bikes and Martin in Fat Tread will keep you right.
Cheers
Sanny
Carn ban mor is a cracker - so long as you don't mind the major climb. big landrover track climb, long singletrack descent.
There are some trails around the Badaguish area, but we're not allowed to talk about them 🙄
cracking article Sanny - read it at the weekend - must get up there this Spring !
Is the Carn Barn Mor route obvious from the top of the Landy track? I see there are a couple of paths marked on the 1:25000 map on the way back down. Anyone got a pic of the route on a map?
A full circuit of the Lairig Ghur and Glen Feshie is worthwhile trip:
But whatever you do, do NOT try and go right over the Lairig Ghru. We did it last summer ended up, knackered, staying overnight in Braemar as there was no way we could get back in time.
More carrying than biking.
Stu.
There are some trails around the Badaguish area, but we're not allowed to talk about them
Really? Why not? Is the centre precious about who uses the trails in there? Surely right to roam would allow use of the allegedly excellent singletrack which may or may not be in that rough vicinity.
There's a great, if slightly short feshie route in the vertebrate graphics Scotland book
[i]Really? Why not? Is the centre precious about who uses the trails in there? Surely right to roam would allow use of the allegedly excellent singletrack which may or may not be in that rough vicinity.[/i]
This was discussed on here a wee while back, perhaps druidh was off STW when it came up...
Our wonderful access laws, of course, allow you to ride pretty wherever you want responsibly, doesn't mean that all great riding spots should be blabbed about on internet forums.
The trails near Badaguish were built by the local club as a race course (with relevant permissions). Am sure the local bike shops will be able to give more advice on current condition of the trails.
PaulGillespie - Member
Is the Carn Barn Mor route obvious from the top of the Landy track? I see there are a couple of paths marked on the 1:25000 map on the way back down. Anyone got a pic of the route on a map?
Yes it is totally obvious. As long as you get the path left off the LRT (just a very small cairn), you can't go wrong
[ Our wonderful access laws, of course, allow you to ride pretty wherever you want responsibly, doesn't mean that all great riding spots should be blabbed about on internet forums.
The trails near Badaguish were built by the local club as a race course (with relevant permissions). Am sure the local bike shops will be able to give more advice on current condition of the trails. ]
I missed that thread too clearly. So it is just a voluntary hush hush to keep the trails in good nick, rather than grumpy landowner access issues? I enjoyed riding in there in the 2009 SXC round, and see the series is going there again this year.
Magic video. Planning a variation for the Spring. Feshie and geldie on the way out then Derry and Falls of Avon for the return leg. Big day out but potential to be a classic. Will be an Alpine start but that's part of the fun! Iainc - glad you liked the write up. The route isn't ever going to be everyones cup of tea but if you like big mountains, it's hard to beat.
Cheers
Sanny
On Carn Ban More, where the descent splits (887,972), which fork do you take, or is it obvious on the ground?
It's obvious which trail to take, one is very faint indeed, you'llprobably miss it. The obvious trail is smashin!.
should it be a last day job then incase one of us breaks a leg!
Here is the plan if anyone thinks there is better options please tell:
Day 1: Ryvoan pass/Loch morlich with some rothiemucrhus
Day 2: Burma Road, maybe doing the singletrack off the top if anyone can give me a grid ref where this starts?
day 3: Cruise dwn to Badaguish and do some of the "secret" singletrack, i have a map from boty bikes showing the main canadian trail etc.
Day 4: Carn Ban Mor sounds like a beauty so we'll give her a go
Day 5: Lairig ghru/Glen as the chap earlier posted 🙂
day 6: Craigellachie is a possibilty or is it too hikeyikey?
Anyone is welcome to cycle with us if theyt are down.
Best pubs? We lived in Pappa Rocks last time but might look for somehwere new with some atmosphere 🙂
Pixelmix; several months ago someone (local to the area) made an objection to the use of certain trails in the area - despite the fact that Bothy Bikes sell maps for it...
I have that map
if its suitable to upload it?
Day 1 - sounds good
Day 2 - not the best in terms of biking, but good day
Day 3 - Great
Day 4 - ditto
Day 5 - not did it
Day 6 - carigellachie is only a 20-30 min push/grind to the top followed by a mad 5 min descent!
Pubs? the Old bridge inn, superb.
You'll have a great time, but If I was going all the way up there, there's no way I'd NOT be doing Laggan Red!. My fave trail centre.
cheers mate
we did go last year and we biked from aviemore down to laggan. We went up and over the corrieyairack to fort augustus whiihc was brilliant (despite the low cloud meaning the next day we had to bike back on the A9!)
However we were so shattered we never got round to go to laggan, and we stayed in the bunkhouse which i have to say we found quite unhygenic and the lads wouldn't be too keen on going back :L
Thanks for your help though 🙂