winter is coming. - tattie holiday trip to Aviemore and back

[Trail-rat]

As locals to the cairngorms would know - the mountain weather service issued a warning for wind last thursday.....

We parked bob the berlingo in Braemar at about 10am and kitted up for a ride over to Aviemore - up geldie and down feshie taking in the singletrack.



a slight respite in the trees after the longest 10km slog up to linn of dee on the road in 50mph gusting headwinds.



vaguely exciting colours in the glen.



As an asside - i often see photos of this buliding marked as "geldie lodge" - dont get mixed up and head for geldie lodge that is marked on the Os map - you will only find a ruin. This is about 6km before and is just marked as a pink square. It also has dangerous building signage how ever any port in a storm.



The first of many of the defining obstacle in our ride this weekend.....



To Eidart Bridge







camera swapped hands for a bit.





entering the head of feshie.





Down the side of loch an eilean

We arrived in aviemore at 6.30pm - to which i feel a fraud as it was our holidays we had booked a BnB - the Ardlogie if anyones looking for a nice place to stay in Aviemore at a good price with a good breakfast. - we have stayed theri before , Kirsty and Kev are top folk and bike friendly + they have a hot tub and are only just up the road from the old bridge inn.

Day 2 was a short right straight into the wind up to loch Einach and back down just to keep the legs turning , a visit to Bothy bikes for issue 100 of ST mag and a new merino for Mrs T-r. Worth noting the guys in there also now have the full apidura luggage range in stock on display -then to the mountain cafe for a late lunch !





Saturday was less than idea- woke at 4am totorrential rain - sounded like someone was in the en suite shower.

then on the way to Ryvoan we noticed the snow line had come down considerably to about 700m- meanwhile the temperature was about 10 = melt water = high rivers - and consideringat one point today we had to ride down glen brown ......we were going to be getting wet.





Crossing 1......















Stopped for some nuts just at the top of the climb to loch bulig and spotted this on the hill side opposite us......







see that stick .... its there for a reason.....



Storm in the valley - snow on the tops on the opposite tops to Cullerdoch Twas nice where i was.



the final descents.....



Should have packed lights for the final road run back into braemar.

Back at the car by 6.20

[Bearbonesnorm]

This is ace ... none of this micro sleeping int' garden with a bottle of Evian nonsense.

[whitestone]

True Indiana Jones style that

[Trail-rat]

just for the safety sams.

id already been out sans bike and jumped up and down on it holding on firmly to the larger upper branch....

i was satisfied it was going no where before i took the bike out.

[benp1]

That photo is vaguely exciting. There's a fair amount of risk with that too, must have been bloody awkward with one hand!

That photo of the bog with the stick next to it is fairly amusing too

[fatbikephil]

I take it that was the ford over the Nethy just up stream of the lodge? Fair play mate but I tend to default to the bridge just down the road a bit!
Funny 'cos the rivers in your shots of the first day were proper low - don't think I've ever seen the Feshie that low at that crossing
Cheers for posting

[paramart]

love the pic heavy reports, fantastic views and terrain well done

[ScotRoutes]

I take it that was the ford over the Nethy just up stream of the lodge? Fair play mate but I tend to default to the bridge just down the road a bit!

It is - and so do I, particularly because I like the bit of singletrack you reach not long after the bridge. In fact, I think it's one of my favourite bits of singletrack in the Gorms.

[Charliecres]

Great pics! I think we met you crossing the rickety bridge north of Ruigh Aiteachain. We then met Taylor and Wotsits at the bothy. It was a busy weekend in Glen Feshie!

[Mariner]

I miss Scotland so much room so many places to ride - but not the midge.

[Trail-rat]

aye that was us charlie , that really is a 5 star bothy isnt it ?

I would have used the bridge but for 2 things.

1. I was riding from memory and hadnt resorted to reading the map on my bars yet.

2.The river although inconvienantly deep wasnt "too strong" id already had my socks and shoes off and walked through and got the ends of my shorts wet - how ever the rocks under the water were slippier than the tree and carrying the bike through the water was proving to be difficult.

Aye we were going to meet taylor and wotsits at the pub on the friday night but they ended up in the winking owl and we ended up with fireside seats at the Old bridge inn..... it was a good old mexican standoff :D

[Teetosugars]

Yet another reason to remind me how much I hate living in Cheshire!

[voodoo_simon]

Great trip, lovely photos. Can't believe I planned a trip earlier in the year to go up that way for Autumn but put it on the sideline

[Richard G]

Those pics are so pretty. Really makes me itch for a decent macroadventure.