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Whats the track like, I'm wanting to try out my cross/touring bike with panniers. Road tour for a couple of nights would have been something new but the campsites seem to be closed so I thought I might head out to the bothy instead.
Do you mean Culra bothy to the N of Ben Alder? That's nae bother on a tourer - good estate road most of the way and then a good path. Easy bridge to walk over. Is it open, though? Went past it before Christmas and recollect signs about asbestos or something?
If you're talking Ben Alder cottage then that would be miserable from Dalwhinnie on a tourer (via Bealach Dubh, Cumhann). You'd be dismounting at every water bar, and there's a lot of them.
Not done it from the S (Loch Rannoch way) if that's what you were looking at, although recall hearing that the path wasn't v rideable.
ArseI was looking at Dalwhinnie to Ben alder cottage, youve saved me a rotten day by the sound of it 🙂 I was going to go along the lochside.
Culra is closed I think, i'll have to think again.
Ruigh Aitchechan? Would depend on your tyre choice I guess.
Culra bothy is 'officially' closed due to asbestos. There is some chat about rebuilding.
GL descriptions of the routes in are about right. From Rannoch you'll get to the Loch end by rough track and then it is portage up the loch side. From Corrour you get forest track to the hydro scheme at the lodge then up the Glen with bad portage to nip over Bealach Cumhann. The descent from there would be okay on a MTB but the rest is somewhere between crap and awful.
In summary why bother when there are bothies so much better suited to approach by tourer or even MTB? E.g. [b]Ruigh Aitchechan[/b], [b]Bob Scotts[/b], Glen Dubh Lighe, Invermallie, Glen Buck, Luib Connel, [b]Inshriach[/b], [b]Ryvoan[/b], Glen Dhu, Corryhully, Rackwick, Resourie, Kettleton Byre, [b]Melgarve [/b](I could go on).
(edit - bold ones might be linkable into a wee tour now I think about it)
As above, from South the track stops maybe 2km short, but in sight, of bothy, whereupon its a push/carry.
From North Dalwhinnie it is a track until maybe 4km short of bothy, then 2-3km of path with mucho water bars and last 1km is rocky loch shore carry.
Time for a rethink by the sounds of things. Inshriach sounds possible but a glance at the internet suggests its now a glamping hut, am I looking at the right place?
Definitely not glamping. The link you're looking at isn't the bnothy
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Would a GR help?
yes it would, thanks
Email me?
Culra bothy is 'officially' closed due to asbestos. There is some chat about rebuilding.
There was some chat on this a few weeks back on the Mountain bothies facebook page. The consensus is it that is properly dangerous at the moment, although one room may be intact for daffties to use. I think when they inspected it they ripped panels off so there is actually exposed asbestos fibre of the worst kind.