Cairngorm loop grp depart 2016

[Justchris]

Has anyone herd back from Steve about the group depart on the last Saturday in April next year?

Cheers

Chris.

[whitestone]

Not me. There's nothing on the site yet either. Not sure how quick he puts the list up.

[touch]

I also sent an entry and have had no reply yet.

[Single Speed George]

trying to decide weather to do this , whats it like toughness wize, obviously a bit longer than BB200 (which i have done) but have longer to do it etc . i have done some stuff of a similar length so pretty sure i would be fine on it just curious if anyone has any knowledge of what it is like.

[AlasdairMc]

I've done it twice and have done the inner loop a few times.

You can either treat it like a full bikepacking route, which most of us do, or as a one day ride like Phil Simcock and Aidan Harding.

You've got 56hrs to do it, and this gives you until 6pm on the Monday - so you could conceivably do:
12hrs on the Saturday to 10pm,
10hrs rest to 8am Sunday
12hrs to 8pm Sunday
10hrs rest to 6am Monday
12hrs ride on Monday

I can't really think how you'd split that out in terms of stops as you'd need to be quite slow to hit that pace. Perhaps Linn of Dee on day 1, Tomintoul day 2, finish day 3?

The best I've managed is 37hrs but I reckon I could drop a lot off that - it's about 24hrs moving for me, including a massive bonk climbing into Glen Feshie that reduced me to walking.

Both times I've done it I've ridden into Glen Feshie, the first time camping just before the bothy as I didn't realise it existed, and then made a very long day of the second day, just pushing on until finished.

[Justchris]

trying to decide weather to do this , whats it like toughness wize, obviously a bit longer than BB200 (which i have done) but have longer to do it etc . i have done some stuff of a similar length so pretty sure i would be fine on it just curious if anyone has any knowledge of what it is like.

I believe conditions make a huge difference. Last year was a perfect first day. Second day almost impossible to pedal into the wind with the occasional white out. Alasdair said the year before he was worried about sun stroke. Tough is subjective. And also I didn't complete last year, so I am not so sure. But In my head, with the right conditions it's very achievable.

[whitestone]

Some long rests there Alastair - know something we don't!

This site http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/inver ... &year=2016 gives quite a bit of daylight for that weekend (weather permitting of course), the civil twilight hours are of most interest.

[AlasdairMc]

No, those rest times were built in just so you could do three 12 hr days with enough stop time after each one to sleep properly and even tour it.

[Zippy]

Also get used to wet feet/river crossings

[Tam]

I emailed on the 1st and Steve got back to me a couple of days later.

See you there!

[whitestone]

I emailed on the 1st and Steve got back to me a couple of days later.

See you there!

Likewise, emailed on the 1st, but not heard anything yet.

[GregMay]

I've heard back. Give the man time.

[padonbike]

It's worth a whole post in itself as to which has the most severe rivers crossings: the HT or the CL?

For me the CL is a very tough proposition with regards river crossings, especially that time of year as there can still be snow melt coming off the high mountains, which would affect the crossing at Falls of Avon shelter.
The crossing at Geldie to begin the final descent down Glen Tilt is tricky: I have turned back once, crossed in difficult conditions and got across it in tame conditions; the crossing lower down on the Tilt to make the the Fealar detour is likely to be be difficult if the Geldie is, but I've never noticed or crossed this in the past as was just going straight up and down the Tilt.
None of these river crossings are to be underestimated. Supply logistics greatly improve the longer you take!
I've not heard anything either about my entry - don't think anyone has.

[AlasdairMc]

I spoke with Steve today and he says he'll get the responses out soon.

I think the HT really only has one potentially bad river crossing in Fisherfield, plus the bottom of the Bealach Horn can be a bit sketchy. I can't remember anything else dodgy anywhere else really.

As for the Cairngorms Loop, there are loads of river crossings. The Gaick Pass, Fords of Avon, Geldie, Tilt and another on the outer loop. I've binned an attempt on the loop at the Geldie when heavy rain made it impassible and we had to exit via Feshiebridge.

[Justchris]

The outer loop dodgy crossing is the Avon push. About half a dozen miles short of Tomintoul. It's a was a 600meter push through a river bed come ford. Or it should have been 600m but it I had a dodgy gpx file to follow which zig zagged from bank to bank in the dark, with my gps beeping and flashing up "off route". Must get a better track to follow.

[ScotRoutes]

The outer loop dodgy crossing is the Avon push. About half a dozen miles short of Tomintoul. It's a was a 600meter push through a river bed come ford. Or it should have been 600m but it I had a dodgy gpx file to follow which zig zagged from bank to bank in the dark, with my gps beeping and flashing up "off route". Must get a better track to follow.

That's the Burn of Brown.

Stick to the North bank as soon as possible. Wait until you get to the old horse box and make a final crossing of the river before heading up the hill (that was the best way a couple of months ago. it might have changed due to recent river action)

[Justchris]

That's the Burn of Brown.

Stick to the North bank as soon as possible. Wait until you get to the old horse box and make a final crossing of the river before heading up the hill (that was the best way a couple of months ago. it might have changed due to recent river action)

Thanks Colin.

One of the reasons I am looking forward to the cairngorm loop is because I know know 90% of the route. But don't really. I remember Gaick lodge, well the old bit that was involved in the 18th century avalanche that killed a load of soldiers. the bog before loch an dun. Glenmore and ryvoan, anlurg. Feshiebridge. Don't remember fords of Avon or derry the roadie bits after Feshiebridge, most of the northern loop until the Burn of Brown crossing( burnt into my memory with frustration ). But I do remember that horse box. I remember thinking as I zig zagged from bank to bank, thanks to Alasdairmc gpx track, in the dark, that this ain't much fun, and what is that old box doing there. So much of the first and some of the second day was done on autopilot, or with the head down paying attention to a purple line, it's a shame I can't recall more, as I probably wouldn't be so bothered about doing it again, and try a different route.

[ScotRoutes]

The thing about that section of track is that when he water is low you can more-or-less straight-line it. IIRC, the OS map actually show the path going along the South bank. That's now mostly washed away or completely overgrown.

[Single Speed George]

Well put my name down and got an email back apparently 21ppl so far

[touch]

Yep, I just got the email too.

He has updated the list on the website now:
http://cairngormsloop.net/groupriders.html

[whitestone]

email popped through a minute ago. That's a gulp 26 riders now

[GregMay]

You'll be reet. It's a great route, probably one of the most forgiving ones.

[NewRetroTom]

Just sent an email to Steve...

Will have to see if I was too slow to get a place.

[Justchris]

Just sent an email to Steve...

Will have to see if I was too slow to get a place.

Are you not based in chamonix? Hardly worth your while for what will be a 24h or less ride for you.



Got my confirmation as well.

[stevew]

Sorry for my tardiness in responding to those early entries. I could make up some excuse about being offline for November as I was climbing in Nepal, and hate sitting at my PC in the evening after work, but it might not cut it. Catching up with life now though.

ScotRoutes, thanks for the route information in the thread. Alasdair, thanks for the hours breakdown piece.

I'm afraid plotting a gpx route in the Cairngorms to follow isn't that reliable in places, since the rivers have an effect on the route chosen. Sometimes I may have had to pick my route steadily around rivers if they were high, or they may have altered course since I rode straight through, especially through the Burn of Brown.

I understand it's tricky in the dark, but In those tricky places the gpx is a best guide, and it's probably best to follow 4WD tracks, good sense, or the force, to find the best way through.

Thanks all for supporting the CL grand depart