Whilst chatting on the winter bivi Pushbikemike mentioned that he fancied doing the Cairngorm's loop sometime in 2014 and both Jamiep and I agreed that we would also like to give it a go but today that got me thinking. Is the Cairngorm's mtb loop the best way to spend three days in the Cairngorm's or could it be improved on for bikepacking purposes or even do a different route alltogether? Just wondering that's all, anyone got any opinions/thoughts on the idea.

Is this the race one you're talking about? I'd recommend it, and as a three day route it would be great. I did it with about 25hrs moving time, so spread over three days it would be good fun.

Perhaps stop at Linn of Dee on the first night (incidentally the last loo for miles), then Ballater on the second so you only really need to do Braemar, Glen Tilt, then the last horrible climb. Incidentally, if you're not racing the loop then the push up from Glen Tilt towards that lodge just leads to a long undulating doubletrack, which could be avoided if you just went straight down the Tilt to Blair Atholl, and would be recommended if you were pushed for time.

I'll be keeping a eye on this

Thanks for the info Alasdair. After now plotting the route on view ranger the outer loop comes out at 130 miles with 13,600 ft of climbing. Looking at the graph I think Scotroutes could be right about reversing the route (mentioned in another thread) as it would give shorter steeper climbs but longer shallower descents, any thoughts on that?

Just plotted a new route that cuts out some of the outer loop but circumnavigates the Cairngorm Mountains Range using some of the inner loop and gives a 140 mile route with 16,000 ft of climbing in a clockwise direction. If I can work out how to post the route up I will, failing that it will be a good old fashioned photo of a map, :D .

And yes, a photo it is.
Outer loop in solid blue. Alternative looks to add more than ten miles but doesn't, probably more bike hike though.

Cairngorm Loop 002 by youngray50, on Flickr

First post here. I spefically registered here because I saw this thread.

Last year I did the Coast 2 Coast (St. Bees - Robin Hoods bay) in the UK and during that trip a new idea emerged...

I am thinking of doing the Cairngorm Loop(300km) and extend it a bit to visit the Dalwhinnie Distillery and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. I am not competing and we'll be doing it purely for fun and the scenery and hopefully some technical riding.

Does anyone happen to know what the riding is like compared to the C2C? Is it more technical? What would be the best time to do this? How can I avoid midgies?

All tips are welcome :D

How can I avoid midgies?

Go before mid-May or after September

Hi Ray, that loop thru the Laraigh Grhu and Glen Derry will be a fair bit of hiking, and I know how much you like that :D
There is a track that cuts from Glen Tromie into Glen Feshie, so one could do the Minigaig pass rather than the Gaick, cut into Feshie and then though the Rothiemurchus estate to Ryvoan, picking up the outer loop to Tomintoul. Over to brig 'o Dee then into Braemar etc, however there is a really good route over Lochnagar from the bridge, depending when you do it, that will take you down into Glen Callater. From there you can then head down into Braemar and continue on the loop through Glen Tilt etc. the only real climbs are over Meall Gorm etc and Lochnagar if you choose to go that way.
I can send you a GPX if you want a looksee.

Thanks for the info Gari, I will have a look see on the map then may ask for gpx file later.

Gari wrote:There is a track that cuts from Glen Tromie into Glen Feshie,

Hi Gari, any chance of a gpx for this bit please? Or just a squiggle on a map. I am also planning kind of the outer loop in the spring but wanted to drop into feshie again.

Ideally I would like to pop out at the ruin at NN843917 where the ponies usually hang out.

thanks

smcfarlane at gmail dot com

Hi Ray

I'm interested in your map, but it's difficult to read any detail.

If you have a gpx would appreciate it, or a more detailed map.

The track north of Bheinn a Ghlo - fascinated by that ? Is it all push/carry ?

Regards

ericrobo@talktalk.net

AlasdairMc recommends using Glen Tilt if your pushed for time so i'm assuming it's rideable. The map is a photo of the route plotted on viewranger which is why it's not great. I can't see how to make the view ranger route public unless you are a viewranger member already . You could log into cairngormsloop, click route map, at the bottom view in Google maps or download gpx.

s8tannorm wrote:

How can I avoid midgies?

Go before mid-May or after September

or just pick a weekend with torrential rain

Ray Young wrote:AlasdairMc recommends using Glen Tilt if your pushed for time so i'm assuming it's rideable.

He's spot on.

The track down glen tilt if 100% ridable, in all but snow of course.
From the falls of tarf, where it looks like your main track turns east(ish) up to fealar lodge to follow the Cairngorm loop ITT route. To follow glen tilt You cross a big Iron bridge and then its between 98% and 100% double / farm track and almost downhill slightly.

Hi Restlessnative, I can email it to you if you PM me your email address.

Hi Gari, might as well send me the gpx whilst your at it, youngray50@gmail.com. Many thanks.

Soon as I get home later this eve Ray.

The track north of Bheinn a Ghlo - fascinated by that ? Is it all push/carry ?

No! it's a fantastic ribbon of singletrack that traverses a steep sided valley - lovely stuff (if you can out run the clegs)

MynameisCasper wrote:Last year I did the Coast 2 Coast (St. Bees - Robin Hoods bay) in the UK and during that trip a new idea emerged...

I am thinking of doing the Cairngorm Loop(300km) and extend it a bit to visit the Dalwhinnie Distillery and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. I am not competing and we'll be doing it purely for fun and the scenery and hopefully some technical riding.

Does anyone happen to know what the riding is like compared to the C2C? Is it more technical? What would be the best time to do this? How can I avoid midgies?

Hi Casper
In total the loop probably has the same amount of technical/double track/bike a hike as the C2C route.
June probably the best time to go. A reasonable chance for a bit of sunshine.
As for midges, you just have to pick the right spot to pitch up. Bit of a breeze and dry ground should get away from the worst of them

Thanks very much fro the tip Chew.

@Gari, can you please send me the gpx file as well? cma at telfort dot nl Many thanks in advance.

I'll post the route I'll be making here as well.

Hiya PorkyPie

" The track north of Bheinn a Ghlo - fascinated by that ? Is it all push/carry ?"


No! it's a fantastic ribbon of singletrack that traverses a steep sided valley - lovely stuff (if you can out run the clegs)

Are you sure ? It looks from Ray's rough map that it may be just the Glen Tilt track meeting Falls of Tarf

Where does your singletrack come out then ?

Have you ridden it ?

Nothing shown on OS map

My OS map shows both single track and double track at the lower end of Glen Tilt for quite a few miles, sometimes on the same side of the river, sometimes one on each side.

Hiya Ericrobo,
Slightly confused now as to where you mean - I read 'track north of Bheinn-a-Ghlo' as the track heading north from Falls of Tarf towards Linn Of Dee here http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=29 ... 81192&lm=0
which is a fantastic ribbon of singletrack that traverses a steep sided valley :)

Aha ! Thanks for clarifying where you mean

That's the Alt Garbh Bhuide - the normal route from Glen Tilt to Braemar or vice versa. (in certain parts do not fall off !)

The one on Ray's map is just north of Bhein a Ghlo... I don't think there is a way