Cairngorm loop grp depart 2016

[Justchris]

To make things clear. The gpx track I followed was Alasdairmc ripped from strava. As I left it to the last minute and couldn't upload the official zipped tracks. I assumed that as he had done the route a few times he knew what he was doing! But he did a lot of zigzagging crossing brown burn. In the daytime I am sure there was method to his madness, I am guessing he was going from shallow bit to shallow bit. A year later in the dark it didn't quite work out that way for me! All I can say was if no one herd it. It wasn't said!

I will actually be using the same track from Al next year. But this time it I am aware of its few idiosyncrasies.

Thanks

Chris

[NewRetroTom]

I'm in!

Justchris - I used to be in Chamonix, but have moved back to Edinburgh (well Penicuik) so the CL is now relatively local to me.

[AlasdairMc]

To make things clear. The gpx track I followed was Alasdairmc ripped from strava.

Is that the one where I missed a right turn in Abernethy Forest? Did you need to double back at all after a short but steep climb that you didn't need to do?

[Justchris]

To make things clear. The gpx track I followed was Alasdairmc ripped from strava.

Is that the one where I missed a right turn in Abernethy Forest? Did you need to double back at all after a short but steep climb that you didn't need to do?

Yeah! But that was easy to back track and figuire, due to a few tyre marks leading the way.

[Justchris]

I'm in!

Justchris - I used to be in Chamonix, but have moved back to Edinburgh (well Penicuik) so the CL is now relatively local to me.

I was near passy for a year and a half. Bet your missing it already! If your in Penicuik, I am just over the hills in Kirknewton. I will keep a look out for you!

[ScotRoutes]

FWIW, Invercauld Bridge (that's the road bridge to the East of Braemar) is currently closed to traffic. Initial estimates are that it will "several months" before it can be repaired. There has been a call for the Army to install a temporary bridge so that Braemar residents don't have a 100 mile detour to get to Aberdeen.

The bridge over the River Quoich (not on the CL route but might have made a decent detour) is still standing but no longer straddles the river as that has cut a new channel to the east of the bridge

[whitestone]

Looking on the map there's the Bridge of Dee next to Invercauld Bridge, is that open to pedestrians/cyclists?

Even a temporary bridge is going to have to wait until the risk of floods has receded.

[fatbikephil]

This one? - be ironic if this is still standing!


They'll get either the bridge fixed or a temp bailey bridge pretty quick as this is an important road link so should be fine by May. Otherwise we can always go round via Linn of Dee and miss out Braemar. Of more concern to the route is the upper Feshie - given the pics I saw of the Feshie from Wednesday I suspect the path is trashed in several places. Plus no doubt the river Brown section will have totally changed again....

[touch]

I think the only reason for crossing the bridge is to pass Braemar?
Worst case - we could just stick to the north side of the river and miss out on a restock in Braemar (or backtrack to it from a bridge further up - assuming one of them is still standing)

[ScotRoutes]

I think the only reason for crossing the bridge is to pass Braemar?
Worst case - we could just stick to the north side of the river and miss out on a restock in Braemar (or backtrack to it from a bridge further up - assuming one of them is still standing)

Except that the bridge at Linn of Quoich is now no longer a bridge....

[ScotRoutes]

The Allt Garbhlach in Glen Feshie earlier today




There was a wee bridge here last week - and those steps in the background came right down to river level.

[Gari]

Wow!, that's usually a pretty small burn eh?!
I was out around Carrbridge/Grantown yesterday and the amount of standing water in the Spey floodplain was quite something. I imagine the Geldie etc has a few issues too.

[whitestone]

Is that one of the burns downstream of the bothy between it and the road? If it is I don't remember anything that size. Just wonder what the track in the upper part of the glen is like.

[Trail-rat]

any word on the gully crossings on the singletrack up from derry lodge as well ..... those will have taken a battering - they were pretty cut out as was anyway.....

[AlanG]

I don't remember a bridge over the Allt Garbhlach on the Cairngorms Loop, I think that crosses it further upstream where the route goes a bit "off-piste"!
Further up Glen Feshie I'd imagine the track through the landslip area and the riverside singletrack just after will be gone by now.

[whitestone]

I've only been there the once (about six years ago) and only remember fording that burn - we crossed about here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=285092 ... &A=Y&Z=115 but the above shot looks like it was taken closer to the confluence with the Feshie. I don't remember a stone set path either so I suspect both it and the "wee bridge" are of more recent origin.

We've discussed the path higher up the glen before and I suspect that this location http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=286199 ... &A=Y&Z=115 is likely to have changed significantly. No doubt some of the other sections close to the river will also have been affected.

[Taylor]

I don't remember a bridge over the Allt Garbhlach on the Cairngorms Loop, I think that crosses it further upstream where the route goes a bit "off-piste"!
Further up Glen Feshie I'd imagine the track through the landslip area and the riverside singletrack just after will be gone by now.

Bridge is a loose term really, think three thin trees lashed together and your in the right area. It was right below those stone steps in the picture above. There's a picture on here somewhere taken by jase but I can't find it at the moment.

[ScotRoutes]

I don't remember a stone set path either so I suspect both it and the "wee bridge" are of more recent origin.

.

Correct. It's a couple of years old and was amongst a number of improvements made by the local estate.

Taylors description of the "bridge" is also pretty much spot on. Very much a home-made effort, but it kept the feet dry.

[Taylor]

There's also a section that was badly eroded between the "bridge" and the Feshie Bothy when we were there in October so I expect that part of estate road has disappeared by now.

[fatbikephil]

I think the GPX track misses out Ruigh etchacan bothy but the line it follows substantially dissapeared into the Feshie after Hurricane Bertha in 2014. The new path starts at the bothy and links with the main track up glen feshie. I remember the side 'burn' crossing in Scotroutes photo from my ride round the CL in '14 - you could get down to the river OK but the new path on the north side had been washed away - nowt like as bad as that tho! Hopefully COAT will get it sorted at some point...

[Wotsits]

Bridge is a loose term really, think three thin trees lashed together and your in the right area. It was right below those stone steps in the picture above. There's a picture on here somewhere taken by jase but I can't find it at the moment.

If this is the before & that above is the after, that's some erosion in a short space of time!

[ScotRoutes]

That's the one. You can see the bottom of the steps in your photo

[Wotsits]

This was the next picture on my phone so it could be the opposite bank?



& for ref both those pics were taken heading North after this one-

[whitestone]

Is that last shot the estate bridge over the Feshie just close to the main buildings and just north of the bothy? If so then it's been like that (or at least unusable) for several years.

[Wotsits]

Is that last shot the estate bridge over the Feshie just close to the main buildings and just north of the bothy? If so then it's been like that (or at least unusable) for several years.

I think it is Whitestone, i just put it on for reference as everyone seems to know where that is!