Inner Cairngorm Loop: a noobs tale

[metalheart]

IiNTRO:

First off, this is going to be teaching yer grunnie to suck eggs but it was a bit of a voyage of discovery for me. If that bothers you, please move on...

I'm a fat aul mannie, okay. I've 'let myself go' and sitting round the 17 stone mark, it aint gonna be pretty.

I've been on mountain bikes on and off since the mid nineties. Got distracted recently by motorbikes (did the approaching 50 best get my bike licence then...) less exercise=weight increase... However been more mtb focused the last 12 months (there has been injuries and other external 'issues' that have stymied my best efforts, but I'm getting there).

4 years ago I went through a mtb/cycling renaissance and did shitloads, mostly solo. The idea of doing the 'around the outside of the Cairngorms OL3 OS map that I did as a much younger and fitter man (I did a couple years entering the SCUMB series back in the nineties) was bubbling up in my mind and after reading a thread on STW where a guy had done it pretty much all offroad (I'd done the Glen Feshie to Loch Morlich section on the road via Inverdruie in the past) it just wouldn't go away.

Problem was it took me 7.5 hours when I was younger and (race) fit, it wasn't going to be easy or happen any day soon.

The stw thread had it as a two dayer and that's the seed that took hold.

Fast forward 2 years and my interest is now well and truly peaked. The TD threads are popping up and Greg Mays blog swims into my view.

My folks were both seriously ill (in and out of hospital, etc., #fuckcancer) and a mate (who lives in Aviemore) suggests that we head to Loch Einaich for a bivi. Turns out it was an absolutely stunning couple of days so we headed out for the two hour cycle (nothing like jumping into the deep end, eh?) and arrived at the loch and set up.

My nights lodgings... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Absolutely beautiful and a very welcome respite from my parent(al) issues.

Up for breakfast and we were back at my mates house by 9.30am....

The camp/bivi site (Sandy fannying about) by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

But everything was carryed in a rucksack and even such a short trip it wasn't particularly comfortable and I knew it'd be better to get the weight on the bike and off the back.

So I decides to jump on the bandwagon and order some Ortleib packs....

[metalheart]

DAY -1:

Whilst waiting on my Ortleib stuff to show a lot happened. My parents both passed, my mum to her lymphoma (did I mention #fuckcancer earlier) and my dad followed 12 days later. I was busy and mind was elsewhere.

But through all this I had enlisted my oldest mate (we've known each other since we ended up in the same class at secondary school aged 12) in my madness (I sent him the stw ICL thread link and he bit, big style) and we busy getting us both kitted out and up and running. Its been an expensive business and I'm still not there as I've discovered the shortcomings in some of my existing camping kit. I'm not one for commercial plugs but my local outdoor shop (Craigdon Mountain Sports in Aberdeen) have been patient and very helpful to me so I'd like to give them a mention. Good people.

Anyway, Tuesday rolls up and my mate David shows with his bike and kit and we proceed to try and make sense of it all.

Mr ScotRoutes of these here parts paid a fleeting visit on unrelated matters and gave some sage like pronouncements and general encouragement.

We ended up with this:

Ortlieb Packs & Wild Cat frame bag by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Ortlieb Handlebar Pack by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Ortlieb Seat Pack by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Wild Cat Harness & Dry bags, Revelate frame bag by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Game on!

[whitestone]

Nice one. For somewhere that's pretty accessible Loch Eineach is quite spectacular, probably only Loch A'an can beat it and that's pretty awkward to get to on a bike.

Carrying stuff: it's a continual learning process, you won't get it right most of the time. Different situations require different setups and what works for someone else might not work for you, they are worth trying but don't get hung up on them.

Sad news about your folks.

[metalheart]

INTERLUDE;

Earlier on I mentioned that I'd more or less done the route before but that I'd done the Feshie to Morlich section on the road.

Discussions on and off fora lead ScotRoutes to volunteering to 'guide' me through the offroad version.

So approx three weeks ago (nursing a suspected broken rib) I ventured back to Aviemore to meet up and ride the missing section.

Just as well, its a bit of a rabbit warren of paths and trails. Sans GPS it would have been a completely different undertaking!

It also meant that I knew about the Glenmore Visitor Centre cafe. This was going to be a pivotal piece of knowledge....

Cheers, Colin. I'm definitely due you a pint!

[metalheart]

DAY 1:

So, this is it, its really happening. No more talk.

Met my mate in Ballater the back of 9 (picked up a sandwich from the baker, nothing like planning ahead...) and headed to the Linn of Dee car park.

At approx 10.20am we set off.

And the first wrong turn was just before the White Bridge. Yup, good going! The OL3 map doesn't include the car park and we hit the bridge way faster than expected. My 20 year memories weren't too lucid so we took a short diversion up the Glen Dee path:

The wrong path (duh) - Glen Dee by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

However that we quickly met a beardie River Dee Trust mannie dancing about the other side of the Dee and he quickly put us straight...

David, keen eyed and bushy tailed by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

The going was fairly easy, estate/landrover track interspersed with the odd 'river' crossing. Some with bridges

Stream crossing (with bridge, yay!) by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Some without...

Another river crossing, no bridge... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

All went swimmingly until we crossed the Geldie. Yup, we crossed the Geldie, duh! Fortunately my mate noticed this and made me drag out the map. Bugger, we missed the turn off. So back across the Geldie... And back up the road a ways to the junction and we're onto singlewtrack.

ScotRoutes had given us an update from Eidart the previous evening 'I hope your Marty Pellow is good'. Man, it was a muddy, gritty, peaty quagmire and very little of it was rideable (after dumping the front wheel into deep, deep black puddles and just about going OTB we decided walking was the better part of valour.

David wrestling with the bike over a stream by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Looks nice (but it wasn't) by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

And so it went for the approx 5k to Eidart bridge.

David on the Eidart bridge by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Water falls on the Eidart by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Water falls on the Eidart by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

So a spot of lunch and we struggle on until the route is rideable again.

Colin's Howff by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

We'd been advised to take the singletrack after Colin's Howff.

Back on the bike at last!

David, back on the bike at last! by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

And on to the Feshie road proper and making some distance again.

Glen Feshie road by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Everything was now normalised, route reasonably clear (although David had to stop me from crossing the Feshie, what is the fascination for me with crossing rivers unnecessarily?)

The route was becoming familiar from those distant, distant memories. And we passed the Feshie Bothy (under renovation). Learning our earlier lesson the map was being produced more frequently to check our progress. There was still a section I didn't know before we hit the route I'd ridden with ScotRoutes. But hitting the chasm fortold we knew we were still en route.

The Chasm, or so Colin warned us... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

This proved a bit of a struggle to get down and back up the other side but we struggled on and rejoined Onions Blue Route.

Theres a nasty cutaway you really wouldn't want to happen on in the dark. Luckily some kind soul has stuck some rocks across the trail in warning...

Who nicked me path!?! by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

And so on to the tarmac. And on to Feshie Bridge where, en route, we caught up by some dodgy Brummie geezer on a B+ Stooge. Nice to meet you Mike! We chatted, Mike headed to Inschriach Water Sports Centre (or something like that) and we headed to Drakes Bothy. After some tentative turns (I'd now hit the bit I'd done previously with ScotRoutes) we finally hit the singletrack and then bothy. It was empty but, hell, we'd brought the tent/bivi gear we were gonna use it! Plus Mike was planning on using the bothy. I'd wanted to bivi at Loch Einaich again but it was way too far off, David had had enough by now and there was a nice dry b othy to sit in....

So at 5.50pm, 7.5 hours after our start we finished the day. Not even halfway round and the same time as it took me 20 years earlier for the entire loop, good going! Aul age, disnae come itsel.

Tarp rigged, tent pitched and we retired to the bothy for a set and some food. We were both running water bladders and I drained mine just as we turned off for the bothy.... duh. So no brew... I did have a 0.5L bottle water I'd taken to ensure I had enough for the morning but had half that during the evening.

Mike showed up about 7.30pm with tales of woe about his (non existant) brake pads and his plans to get replacements (which would take him into Aviemore and off the CL route). He seemed to have it sorted out one way or another though. We yapped, shot the breeze, necked a little whisky and about 9.00 me and David retired to the great outdoors for (hopefully) some sleep. Fortunately it wasn't that cold, it did rain but my crap mat and dodgy back meant it was on/off through the night...

[metalheart]

DAY 2:

A night of intermittent sleep meant that morning dribbled in with the light and we didn't really get it together and sorted out until 9.00am.

Davids palacial tent... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

The tarp rigged in 'anger' by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Packed up again, ready to go at 9.00 am sharp... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

No water, no brew up. But there was always that cafe...

We were now on what should have been familiar territory but no GPS meant I still made a couple of navigational errors (missing the signed right turn after the gate... and taking a right at the signed Loch Morlich instead of carrying on straight ahead) but the singletrack section was good and we were making progress.

Crossing Cairngorm Club Bridge by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

The detour around Loch Morlich was a nice diversion and it took us through the campsite. As luck would have it we passed a water point... We refilled the bladders and took a long cool drink before heading across the road to the visitor centre.

Lunch Stop - Glenmore Visitor Centre by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

It was now 11.00am, to late for breakfast and a bit early for lunch... Hell no! A large coffee and the soup and sandwich combo set up up for the day and after a quick check in with civilisation we headed off towards Bynack More for the infamous trudge (and water bars!).

Some beautiful scenery that we made sure we took ample time to savour....

Looking back down from start Bynack More by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Looking back down from start Bynack More by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Looking back up from proper start Bynack More climb... by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

On Bynack More by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

I'm not going to describe the route to the Fords of Avon as if you've done it you'll know. Its not pleasant going (did I mention them bloody water bars?) and it doesn't really get any better when its water logged too.

Looking back up to Bynack by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Approaching the refuge we met a couple with trailers (!) and their fairly young (barely teenage?) kid on the way up! Don't kn ow if to respect their tenacity or fear for their sanity. But they had already decided not to try the singletrack back to the Geldie and were planning to bail at Aviemore back to Blair Atholl by train to pick up their car. So maybes not that mental.... They did warn us, however, that the trail didn't improve any...

Fords of Avon Refuge Hut by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

We'd been a bit wary of the Fords, Mike hadn't been too forthcoming other than he'd taken off his socks and shoes to cross.... (he'd stayed at the refuge, didn't want to get soaking so early on in the day). We were running later than we'd hoped so no softy shoes off for us, just straight in and over. It wasn't too bad, and we were reasonably prepared for it and stayed reasonably dry considering....

Crossing the Fords of Avon #1 by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Crossing the Fords #3 by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

So, on to the Lairig and Laoigh.... oh man, this was horrendous, way, way worse than I had remembered. It was like walking along a stream most of the way. Me and David were both suffering the effects of our days on the bike (we normally rarely exceed 2-3 hours, my randone with Scotroutes had been my longest trip, 44km, to date this year we were pushing the boat out in that respect) and with loaded bikes we were making mistakes and just accepted we were walking. Mike had told me it got better after the saddle (and it did!) so just after it I decided we were stopping for a brew. This was David's introduction to water sourced directly from a mountain stream. I struggled to find my light stick fore the stove but david had a handy blowtorch(!)... Well, he did spend 5 years in South Afirca where apparently you have to burn your used bog paper when oot an aboot). So we got the stove up and running, a brew and some food. It was our first propoer stop since the cafe and we only had the decent path back to Glen Derry and about an hour and a half of daylight left.

Refreshed we remounted and made the section to the Lodge with about 20 minutes to spare.

At Derry Lodge. In the light. As promised ;-) by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Looking west from Derry Lodge by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

The rest is just along the landrover track back to the car park. We did the last half in the dark, grateful that I'd packed my front light though it was a really nice touch as we'd felt we'd been 'out there'!

Me at the end. Linn Of Dee car park by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

[metalheart]

REPRISE:

It was simply brilliant to finally get out on the route that had nagged at me for 4 years, catch up with an old mate and push ourselves out of the comfort zone a little.

Its ironic that I chose this route as being a nice gentle introduction to bikepacking that we should cruise round with plenty time to spare. We ended up taking a 7.5 hour day and an 8.5 one and we ran close to (and over) daylight on both. Okay the ground conditions were mostly to blame (the weather gods otherwise let us be) and my slightly blaise over reliance on dodgy 20 year on memories and insistance this was getting done old skool (no GPS). Although to be fair, we don't have one between us so it was kinda moot! It turned into a little epic which we both got a hell of a lot out of and I'm really glad we did it.

I was also disappointed that it needed my mate to keep us in the right route (and more than once), I should have been better prepared. I had said I didn't want to sanitise it (I didn't ) but I should have noted the major junctions. Hey ho, no harm done, just a river (too many) to cross....

LESSONS LEARNT:

Water management: jeez man, I just messed this up. Didn't really think about it until I drained the bladder dry. Bladders don't readily allow to monitor usage. I need to make better provision (and get a decent 'vessel' for bivi time/morning).

Nutrition: I need to be properly prepared. Reliance on picking something up en route was a bit slapdash and meant I ate my breakfast for tea... Luckily my research had pencilled in the cafe and without this I would have really struggled. Need to be better prepared in the future...

Navigation: 20 year old memories are not enough! I need to do proper studying of a route and a GPS is now definitely on the cards as I can see the real benefits.

Packing: okay, its only going to come with experience so I'm not going to beat myself up about it (thanks for your comments whitestone) and I've spotted shortcoming in my existing gear (specifically my sleep map is too bulky, too heavy and not even comfortable, it'll get replaced). The packs moved about a bit as they lost their 'new' shape. The front was easier to fix, tightened up progressively. The rear was rubbing on big drops and I had to stop to add an extra roll on the closer and tighten a strap here and there. It'll definitely take more trips to sort out....

And lastly, don't underestimate the effort required or the route. We were fine, but we experienced no mechanicals, punctures or offs and we ran close to the daylight allowances (where we needed them).

It was good fun though. having invested in the kit i/we'll definitely be doing it again

[Mike]

Nice to meet you both! Im back home now after my little trip around the Cairngorms........sub standard me that wasnt easy, 4 days with wet feet and 200 miles with some monster climbs/pushes. Really enjoyed it and once my brain is working properly ill write it up and post some pics. Cheers guys for letting me have the bothy,but you really could of stayed in there :0) however there were some really odd noises coming from it during the night. I passed that Couple with the lad and trailer at the Linn of Dee before i caught you up. I said he must be mad with all that pushing ahead of him and how much stuff was loaded on it?? Anyhows glad you both enjoyed ya trip the weather couldnt of been any better for Oct hey

[benp1]

Nice write Metalheart, and congrats on doing it

If you learn something on every trip you're onto a winner

[GregMay]

Nice one :)

And no snow, can't go wrong with that.

[metalheart]

Thanks guys.

It was good to put theory into practice and experience things for real. I have a lot to learn but I'm pretty pleased with the results. And definitely up for doing more. I'm beginning to develop a lost of routes to do. Something to keep me occupied during those long winter nights...

Aye agree, no snow a definite boost!

[metalheart]

Mike, glad you made it back in one piece. You get new pads or did you have to beg some spare brakes?

As I said, we had dragged the gear around with us and we needed to use it. Trial it out if you like.

Hope to meet you out on the trail again some day soon

[Mike]

A trip into town and some new pads from bothy bikes I got some oil to and gave the bike a right looking at I didn't get away till 1ish

[metalheart]

Thought I'd let you see the damage resulting from the two day trip (due to inadequate frame taping and lack of packing experience):

Front - damage - unwashed by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Side - damage - washed by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Front - damage - washed by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Fork - wear by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

Glad I decided to take the old bike and not the brand new!

[Mike]

SNAP. and mine was taped, the inner legs of the folk got a right hammering from the strapes on the pods and the front of the crown/bottom race got it too
My poor stooge, i may have to exchange her for the ti version that way the paint wont get ruined , coz theres none