Sounds like a bit of an ordeal Colin. Thankfully, all ended well.

On the subject of your Pink Floyd reference: It reminds me of the Woody Allen quote: “I don’t fear death. I just don’t want to be there when it happens”

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:07 pm
The Cairngorms Loop route now uses the old crossing of the Allt Garbhlach in Feshie. The estate have said they're not planning to fix the washout so I just avoid it now.

Ta Colin. Noted for future reference.

Hmm. Scottish winter Bivvy at Faindouran lodge? Certainly a contender... says he, gritting his teeth at the prospect of another hike a bike fest, but a lot more muddy this time. :shock: IF I were to head east down Glen Avon again I think I'd take my fat bike since it'd do a better job of bouncing o...

Thanks Verena!

It’s taken me a week to finally getting around to writing up an account of the three-day BAM trip in the Cairngorms I made last week. I left Braemar on Tuesday 8th June, headed to the Linn of Dee via the Mar Estate Bridge then made my way up to Derry Lodge. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/521409...

A wise move!

Superb account Trep. Thanks for taking the trouble to describe the whole experience in such detail.

I’ve used the Alpkit Tau lights to keep me visible to traffic over the last couple of years and can’t fault them. Good price, battery life seems good, USB rechargeable, multiple flashing modes and two different length rubber bands to provide a secure fit regardless of tube size. I use the smaller ba...

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 9:04 pm Good one Jimmy. Everytime I go riding round Deeside I always enjoy it. Re winter Bivvy, lets go with that idea - as if the bothy is full the woods will be an alternative.

Yep Phil. It's a lovely part of the country right enough.

Owing to various other commitments later in the month, I decided to get May’s BAM out of the way early. The Midge will be arriving soon enough so that was another very good reason for getting it done while the going is good! Incidentally, this was my second Deeside BAM in consecutive weeks and it’s ...

Will post this up as my official BAM post. Forest of Glen Tanar after a fine days riding..... (Jimmy G beat me to a Deeside Bivvy!) https://i.ibb.co/bFmdP8q/20220430-093845.jpg :grin: As it happens, I'm just back from another Deeside BAM, at Loch Muick this time. Had to get May's in early due to ot...

Thanks Wotsits. Very kind of you!

Cheers mate. A really enjoyable one, made all the more so for being mostly in mild weather and on bone dry trails throughout. However, I have to now red-facedly confess that my wife, clearly much better versed in native bird species than me, has not long ago informed me it is in fact a red grouse. :...

After crossing the Balmoral Estate bridge at Crathie, I turned left on to the A93 and, after about 350m, turned right on to the B976. It's then a steady road climb for a couple of kms before taking a left turn on to a forest track heading northeast up on to the moors. Eventually you'll descend to th...

Took me a few days to get round to writing up April’s BAM but, better late than never… I drove up to Braemar last Wednesday and parked in the Linn o’ Dee car park before exploring some nearby trails with a view to getting in a bivvy trip up that way at some point later this year. I enjoyed a casual,...

Nice one Phil. Great weather, great read.

Yeah, that junction does see a lot of ‘traffic’ at times right enough. I saw nobody that night, though, and in the morning saw only a lone mountain biker and then, when I was riding out, a Forestry Commission 4 x 4 heading up Glen Einich. I actually camped out on Thursday night. You certainly had gl...

Lying in bed on Monday night last week, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t chucked my down winter sleeping bag in the various Ikea bags containing my gear for a few days (two days gravel riding plus my March BAM) in Aviemore. “No problem. I’ll do it in the morning”, I said to myself. Er… needless to say...

I ticked off this month’s BAM on Thursday-Friday of this week. Lousy weather as well as miscellaneous real life commitments had conspired to prevent me getting it done earlier in the month. The weather forecast for Thursday looked less ominous than of late so off I went into my regular stomping grou...

Excellent trip report Verena. Well worth waiting for!

Moder-dye wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 8:34 am Jimmyg we're in Angus and I've been pretty shocked at the scenes of devastation in the local woods and lanes with hundreds of trees down and lots of big old beeches lost.

Very sad isn’t it and it’s hard to imagine the sheer scale of the damage until you see it in person.

Indeed!

I’m sure Storm Arwen back in late November is still fresh in everyone’s memories. As elsewhere, it caused a great deal of destruction among most of the wooded areas along the East Lothian coast. One such place was John Muir Country Park not far from Dunbar. A pal and I have enjoyed numerous fat bike...

I'm in again this year. Big thanks to you Phil for taking the trouble to sift through and tally up last year's reports.

Seriously impressive stuff. All the more so for having the drive and determination to complete the route twice in one year.