cairngormloop 1st september?

[In Reverse]

Oh, if anyone's got info on resupply / cafe stops I'd be most grateful.

[ScotRoutes]

There's a 24 hour M&S at the filling station in Aviemore. You almost pass it twice. Lots of other options there too.

Glenmore has 3 cafes plus one at Inverdruie.
Cafe and shop.in Nethy Bridge.
Tomintoul has cafes, shop and a hotel
Braemar has cafes and a shop. I'd recommend the Fife Arms for breakfast but it's currently being refurbed.

[In Reverse]

Much obliged.

[ScotRoutes]

From the Highlands Weather page..

Last nights coldest spots:

Braemar -1.3c
Balgowan -1.0c
Nethy Bridge -0.6c
Carrbridge -0.5c
Tarland -0.4c
Altnaharra -0.3c
Muir of Fowlis -0.2c
Tomich -0.2c
Balmoral 0.0c
Insh 0.1c
Aboyne 0.3c
Laggan 0.3c
Dalchreichart 0.5c

[In Reverse]

Ooof! That is significantly colder than what the BBC and weather.com are predicting as overnight lows for the weekend:





Might have to nip back home and pack some extra layers - the summer bag with silk liner ain't going to cut it if it gets that cold...

[ScotRoutes]

These forecasts are generally pretty rubbish. I reckon the BBC use the same data for the whole of the region. They certainly never reflect local conditions or variations due to the topography.

MWIS has a degree of manual intervention and can be a bit more trusted.

[Trail-rat]

I packed summerbag with addition of down layers to up the rating a bit. Still swithering to add in my lightdown quilt(quilt plus summer bag still less bulky/weighty than my3 season Bag)

I also figured the cool temps would get us to hud Chapin

[In Reverse]

4 starters yesterday. 3 still going and I think I'm at the back of the pack. Just stopped in Braemer for deep fried haggis, chips and gravy. Quite fancy a bitter shandy but pubs seem to be a bit thin on the ground.

Weather's lovely, wish you were here etc. Oh, the river crossings have been no more than a trickle. Here's the Fords of Avon yesterday :

[fatbikephil]

That looks somewhat lower than last years September group start

[Trail-rat]

Just got home.

Had dry shoes all weekend.

Last night was warm as owt. Didn't bother with a ground mat and spent most of night with arms and head out of bag. The high winds kept the midges away.

Destroyed a silly amount of kit. But finished

[ScotRoutes]

Well done. Almost midnight here and still 16C (it was 25C in Inverness today). At least the wind did you some favours

[Trail-rat]

every km from tomintoul to the turn up to fealar lodge was fought for. I assume it was the same for you In reverse.

there were times in glen bulig that it was A a dust storm and B granny ring just to make forward progress as the wind funneled down the valley !

[Trail-rat]

Windsock says I wasn't exaggerating /imagining it /just being slow.

[In Reverse]

every km from tomintoul to the turn up to fealar lodge was fought for. I assume it was the same for you In reverse.

Yep. That was a pretty much perfectly-angled headwind. Absolutely knocked the sub standard out of yesterday's progress . I'm a fecker for having long, indulgent eating stops on these rides at the best of times but I ended up pretty much stuck in the cafes in Tomintoul and Braemar - couldn't be arsed going out grinding into the wind again.

[ianfitz]

That looks somewhat lower than last years September group start

just a little!

[Trail-rat]

A couple of photos . I rode with another guy till Derry Lodge. he decided he had had enough and was heading to Braemar to get the bus which was probably for the best as he was feeling the effects of an ironman a couple weeks ago which meant that any slight effort meant his HR was hitting 160-170BPM when id be riding along side at 120 BPM.



Looking down the loch an Duin into the cloud

quick coffee and a bacon roll at glenmore before heading up An Lurg



Ian coming over the hill in the depths of the Lairig Au Laiogh





boy was i happy for those bars come sunday.... hell even saturday night when the wind picked up as i headed east to Abernethy



Up and going at first light meant i was treated to this view as i burst through the Braes of Abernethy



the obligatory finish photo. 6 minutes shy of 38 hours. Not a blistering time but its a time

[metalheart]

Terry, how is the inner loop riding atm?

I’ve been contemplating riding it as a day excursion (except not sure I’m properly fit for it). Did it (well except Feshie to Morlich was done on the road) 20 years ago in 7.5 hours and keep thinking I need to give it a try....

[Trail-rat]

Inner loops riding as good as your going to get it.

The geldie /feshie sections pretty much dry. And through the middles pretty dry too.

The downhills are riding sweet and the Derry rollercoaster single-track has been tidied up to repair the wash out damage so you can fly down
there.

Feshie bridge to feshiebridge would get the best of it I think , warmed up nicely for the an lurg slog and finish on a nice fast smash of glenfeshie.

Took a buddy round the loop earlier in the year from linn of Dee took us 11 hours....he suffered badly from.heatstroke

[In Reverse]

The lad on the fs riding the inner loop in reverse on Saturday (Simon?) looked fresh enough when I saw him at about half four just by the Fords of Avon - he only had the bit to Glenmore left.

I managed a chunky 11h 40m according to Strava, including a 21km section that took me 4 and a half hours through Glenfeshie where I punctured one tyre and lost the seal on the other (only had one inner tube ). Then got hopelessly lost in the dark.

[Trail-rat]

That the English bloke on the trek . We met him at fords of Avon. You really can't have been far behind us.

I forgot to say. I snapped a chain at the head of feshie. Hadn't changed gear or anything was just riding and it went ping/snap. Didn't have a spare link in my bag. I must have given them all away over time.

Did 180km on a Shimano chain that I reused the rivet on......that was in the back of my mind on some of the more stuff climbs where I had to stand.

[metalheart]

Thanks Terry.

I must add that my time was pre the installation of the water bars on Bynack (and Bynack stables was still there...). And it was bone dry...

Did it coming up for 2 years ago and it took two days...

[In Reverse]

That the English bloke on the trek . We met him at fords of Avon. You really can't have been far behind us.

Yeah, he said he'd seen you about 15 minutes before. I think I was just behind you for most of it from then on. Good effort on the chain!

[Alpinum]

From the Highlands Weather page..

Last nights coldest spots:

Braemar -1.3c
Balgowan -1.0c
Nethy Bridge -0.6c
Carrbridge -0.5c
Tarland -0.4c
Altnaharra -0.3c
Muir of Fowlis -0.2c
Tomich -0.2c
Balmoral 0.0c
Insh 0.1c
Aboyne 0.3c
Laggan 0.3c
Dalchreichart 0.5c

Kill those midges!