You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Anyone about?
Heading up with hardtail, was supposed to be a big gravel weekender but think I fancy sitting up a bit and maybe exploring a bit more low level singletrack. Think 'marathon XC' rather than 'gravel' in marketing speak 😎
Thinking of doing Burma Road but exploring some more of the singletrack en-route back from Carrbridge, and maybe also re-doing the northern portion of the outer Cairngorm Loop but returning via the hike-a-bike from Faindouran to Lairig an Laoighe (bring good shoes and sense of humour, think it could be an hour or more of on again, off again...).
Last day am hoping to do a loop from Braemar on drive home, sort of a diagonal line from Glen Derry to Glen Builg through Clais Fearnaig, Glen Quoich, Glen Gairn then up and over Cullardoch back to cars.
Nothing set in stone, just fancy some exploring, glad of some company and beers at OBI at the end of the day!
https://www.strava.com/routes/2835982827446348358
I was in Aviemore at the weekend. Just cycled back home today didn’t do any mountain bike stuff though. The place is buzzing, went to OBI for lunch and beers yesterday then some beers there outdoors at the beach bar last night. Was most excellent.
I have nicked your routes, thank you much appreciated. Is the north Cairngorms loop one hike a bike?
I am driving back over there tomorrow but the wife won’t let me out to play. She said we are all self isolating as she’s going in for an op at the end of the week and she has jobs for me to do. Hope to still get out for a quick blast over the Burma road and Ryvoan loops. Hope to try one of the bigger loops like the Cairngorm north one soon. Once I’ve finished my chores.
I have nicked your routes, thank you much appreciated. Is the north Cairngorms loop one hike a bike?
Yeah, there's a couple of patchy bits between Ryvoan and Tomintoul (river crossings and a few squashy bits) but mostly great. I did it on a gravel bike last time leaving Glen More at 5am so looking forward to seeing more of it in daylight this time!
Tomintoul to Faindouran is all very gravellable landy track although I've diverted off the main track beside the river to climb up to 700m and descend back into the glen. Faindouran to Lairig an Laoighe is apparently a solid hour of hike-a-bike, so be prepared! From Fords of Avon to the highest point above Ryvoan is a bit on-and-off too from memory.
So yeah, long day and maybe only for decent weather!
One of the nicest pieces of mellow singletrack in the area is along the north bank of the Quoich at the section where the river runs almost due E-W. It's not marked on the map. The best mountain biking route (up high) is from Invercauld Bridge, up Glen Slugain, the singletrack above to the normal route up Beinn a Bhuird from the SW, across it and down to the Sneck, up over Ben Avon and down the far NE side to Linn of Avon, return over Culardoch.
That was always on my list Chickenman, was conscious of the landy track all the way up Beinn a'Bhuird!
Have heard enticing things about the singletrack through Glen Gairn, plus recently I've been more in the mood for 'low down' scenery, looking forward to Glen Quoich 👍
I did the track down Glen Gairn from the Ben Avon path a couple of years ago. It's very bitty. Some nice bits of single-track interspersed with no obvious route and several crossings of the Gairn. As you get further down the Glen the path becomes more continuous and enjoyable. I saw my first adder sat in the middle of the track!