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I am in Aviemore on Friday and plan to do an all day ride.
Intially I was looking at doing Carn Ban Mor, but have since read that it has been sanitized and so isn't worth doing anymore, is this correct?
If so anybody got anymore ride suggestions?
Yes, sanitised and not the trail it once was.
However, all is not lost.
Same landie track climb out of Feshie, across the plateau then continue N over CBM to the summit of Sgorr Goaith. Then you have a couple of excellent choices, both requiring a little bit of nav skill first.
1. Ride right to the summit cairn, then return to the coll/saddle just south of SG (and thus just N of CBM). Descend off-piste, W with a hint of N and if you take your time and keep eyes peeled, you'll pick up an old stalker's path within 3-400m. This trail rapidly becomes more distinct and heads NW and out onto a shallow ridge with very thin ground cover over grit. Follow this past some small cairns, down to a burn crossing and all the way to the forest and on to the tarred road. This is a great descent, about 800 vertical M and wholly rideable. Rocky near the top, peaty hillside trail in the middle and older, semi-built grit singletrack later as you approach the first of the trees.
2. Alternatively, head N off the summit cairn on the trail marked on the OS map and then head off piste for the link across to the obvious zig zag trail NW of the ridge, heading down to the forest edge and very roughly towards the glider field in the lower glen.
Both are excellent, proper big days out in the hills and are very rewarding, in slightly different ways. A word of caution though- as both contain sections at altitude and without a distinct path, it would be wise to only consider doing them on days with good visibility. When they will be outstanding.
Alternatively, if the weather refuses to play along, stay down in Rothiemurchus and Inschriach (Cake shop!!)or talk to Gordon or Dave at Bothy Bikes and ask about the local's trails at the back of the town.
Sounds good, will have to dig the map out tommorrow and see if I can follow those instructions.
Dont sposeyou have any gps log/griid ref or anything for the stalker path?
'Fraid not, don't use one of them new fangled GPS thingies. Use my head instead... I'm at work now and maps are at home, so GR impractical.
For option 1, look at the 50k OS mapping and you'll see a marked trail heading up from the forest into the coire west of SG summit. It goes up a lot further than the map shows, most of the way to that saddle with CBM. Although it's quite an open hillside, it is fairly obvious from above where the trail rises towards that saddle and therefore how to find the head of it.
Excellent timing for this thread. I'll be up that way next month.
Think I can see that on the map.
something like this?
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Rode Highlandman's option 2 last Sunday keeping to the NW bank of the Allt a Mharcaidh rather than the boggy looking NE one. A bit rubbish where it contours above the burn but otherwise excellent!