Cairngorms Loop 300 - September Group Start?

[fatbikephil]

That just past the bothy? There are tracks in all directions and whats on the map doesn't match whats on the ground so a fine place to be confused, especially at that juncture.... In fact the track on the OS map (and the original gpx route)takes you for a swim in the Feshie.....

The latest GPX shows the best route on the ground but this year I seem to have lost the ability to follow a line on the GPS....

[In Reverse]

Not sure where the bothy is/was tbh - it was about 11pm and very dark. Think that is the bit with the river crossing though - I ended just thinking "bollocks to it" and straight-lining it across and doing a scramble/bike drag up a ridiculously steep river bank then pushing through a big field of long grass and shrubbery. Couldn't see anything on the ground. Type 2.5 fun.

[whitestone]

Last time I got to the Linn of Dee woods/car park just as it got dark - well once in the woods it was going to be dark so lights went on. That was 8:30pm or so, I got to the Red House by about 9pm. Thus the Geldie-Feshie watershed was definitely in the dark - the line on the ground as far as the Eidart is fairly easy to follow, there's nothing else there so if you are on a track you are on-track! I thought it was going to be unrideable so actually walked most of it but with decent lights (or at least lights on anything but lowest setting ) you could probably ride a lot of it.

After the Eidart I ended up following the quad track, bad move, but it's quite awkward to find the singletrack. Ironically the bit I found easiest to find was the section leading off to the right to the landslip gully.

Once past the bothy I was mostly concerned in staying away from the edge of the river - having seen Colin's shots of the collapsed sections of the track I didn't want another bath. I crossed the Alt Garblach a couple of hundred metres up from its junction with the Feshie - Cath and I had crossed at this point a few years earlier on a ride around the Glen so it was partly familiar - it wasn't the most obvious of tracks though.

Three hours or so from the Red House to Aviemore, that's with walking pretty well all the way from the end of the double track until after the gully.

[Borderer]

Huw went back and did it again properly this time - 18:23.
Hats off.

[ScotRoutes]

I've not seen his gpx file yet but praying he didn't balls it up again!

[sean_iow]

Chapeau to Hue both for the time and for haven't the enthusiasm to go back again so soon.

If he rides it much more then navigation will be easy for us, we can just follow the groove he'll have worn in the route

[fatbikephil]

Good man - new record! I take it he won't be joining us in a fortnights time then....
Looking forward to this - the Cairngorms were looking good in the sun this afternoon, viewed from afar. It would be nice if we got good weather...*sigh*

[Borderer]

Chapeau to Hue

Huw

[sean_iow]

Chapeau to Hue

Huw

Sorry, I knew that, that's the phone changing his name

[Borderer]

Chapeau to Hue

Huw

Sorry, I knew that, that's the phone changing his name

I have a friend called Natan - my phone always changes his name to Satan, so it could be worse

[sean_iow]

I'll ensure there's an accurate/updated GPS file available before the event.

Do you know when you are likely to send this out? My last day in work is next Wednesday before the long trek north. I use my work laptop as my machine and will need that to transfer to the etrex. The laptop is sometimes at home but that depends on how I get to/from work*.

I assume there are no major changes so the paper maps will be close enough as back-up, and if reduced to paper maps it's only to get round back to the start anyway as I'd have no way to record the ride so couldn't claim an official completion.

*I have to plan what to take when so the days I ride the laptop is already in the office, this level of forward planning is lost on the boss who doesn't understand why I need notice to go on a site visit. His lack of planning does mean I have done surveys on houses in my lycra before as everywhere is within riding distance of the office but I'm not wearing my shirt and tie on the bike

[ScotRoutes]

Sean, there are no major changes, it's just that there are a couple of river crossings where folk take slightly different lines. Anyone following the current gpx route will be OK and anyone going slightly off it at these points won't be penalised.

[sean_iow]

Sean, there are no major changes, it's just that there are a couple of river crossings where folk take slightly different lines. Anyone following the current gpx route will be OK and anyone going slightly off it at these points won't be penalised.

Thanks. In my mind I was thinking you were going to alter the line to avoid a double crossing?

And that the revised line at the other rivers would mean only ankle deep crossings in warm slow flowing water in the sun... but there is a chance I dreamed that bit

[ScotRoutes]

Thanks. In my mind I was thinking you were going to alter the line to avoid a double crossing?

Feshie? That's the way I do it. Either option will be fine.

I have some concerns about the Allt Garbhlach in Feshie too but I was down there last week and the estate have tidied up the North side path so it's not as bad as before.

[whitestone]

Huw went back and did it again properly this time - 18:23.
Hats off.

Went out for a shakedown ride on the bike I'll be using next week. I did 70km and 1200m ascent at what turned out to be very approximately the same pace as Huw's CL pace - chuffin' hell Doing that for four times as long is seriously impressive.

[Borderer]

Huw went back and did it again properly this time - 18:23.
Hats off.

Went out for a shakedown ride on the bike I'll be using next week. I did 70km and 1200m ascent at what turned out to be very approximately the same pace as Huw's CL pace - chuffin' hell Doing that for four times as long is seriously impressive.

He's fit as a flea that bugger. Not a pick on him. I have kept an eye on him since I drew him in the HT550 sweepstake one year. He does some impressive rides alright.

[FLV]

I'm in too, won't be troubling the front runners, not how's time though!!

See you all there

[stevewaters]

Apologies if this has been posted before but does anyone have a list of food/re-supply opportunities for the route and any other milestones/gotchas to be aware of ?

[ScotRoutes]

Steve, there's a list at the foot of the "Planning" page on
https://www.cairngormsloop.net/

FYI, Huw has withdrawn from the group start.

[stevewaters]

Steve, there's a list at the foot of the "Planning" page on
https://www.cairngormsloop.net/

Thanks - Doh! I read that page down to the Car Parking last night. - Not sure how I missed that info !

[JoseMcTavish]

Really wish I could join you for this, but please feel free to stick up some tracking links at the weekend to keep us entertained. Unless Colin has got you sorted out for Trackleaders? For avoiding the Feshie crossings, I noticed an old picture looking back to the first crossing the other day which I have expertly annotated to show the difference:



This is slightly deceptive, as the lovely trail on the high road is now hemmed in by young pine trees either side, but is still the better option as long as you don't mind the landslide crossing...

[ScotRoutes]

No one has asked about using Trackers so I've not set anything up for the group.

FWIW, Huws time of 18:23 has now been officially recognised and is on the website.

[stevewaters]

I will be using my InReach Mini.

Here is a link to my mapshare page: https://share.garmin.com/swaters

[sean_iow]

Here's mine for Spotwalla

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id ... howAll=yes

It will probably show Nashville at the moment, no idea why it does that It should show the trip once it's active, hopefully, but I'm never 100% confident it will work.

[JoseMcTavish]

Mine's the same, zooms in on Nashville, then flies across the Atlantic when the tracker's active. I find with Spotwalla, that if you just ignore it it works fine. I always spend ages messing about at the start of a ride I'm tracking, thinking it's not updating and re-adding the share address. The last one I just turned on the SPOT and forgot about it and everything had perfectly tracked at the end.