I'm open to discussion on what we want to do when? I think ride 2 is the classic ryvoan pass loop (extended a bit to get a mid-ride pitstop at Nethy Bridge), whereas ride 1 is a little bit of everything.
And nothing is set in stone...
Macretro - Big Day Oot Rides No.1
Inverdruie - Inshriach - Loch Einich
Distance: 22.4 miles
Climbing: 320m
Summary: A little bit of everything
Map My Ride Link
NOTE: Click on map below for bigger version.
Details:
This combines the first part of the
Cairngorms Big Loop from Singletrack Issue 22 with the classic run out to Loch Einich.
You start from Inverdruie car park, heading south into the forest. Skirting a small loch (apparently there are some deer paths off the loch worth playing on for a wee while), and then onto Loch an Eilein with it's ruined castle in the middle. Continue around the loch, and then head south, south west for a couple of kilometres past Loch Gamhna.
STW Quote: Although I wouldn’t normally recommend any out and back, this one has to be worth it. At the start of the trail we had agreed that there was to be no photo stops, no hanging about on this section, so we just rode. Skipping boulders, railing round puddles, crashing up rock fields and splashing through rivers, we had a ball.
A stop at the bothy before turning around and heading back towards the forest, turning right once we hit Loch an Eilein again, following the trail east until you reach a major crossroads at Lochan Deo. Turning south, you begin the trek out towards Gleann Einich and the shores of Loch Einich. There's at least one river fording to be done. A stop for photos and a snack when we hit the loch, and it's back the way we came.
Possibility of hooking right on the way back heading out towards (but not quite to) the Cairngorms Club footbridge, and then taking a left heading north on the marked path - looks more interesting than the fire-road highlighted above.
Loch an Eilein
Loch Einich - Description and Photos
Further ramblings for discussion
On paper at least, I quite like this one, you get a bit of everything. Forest, glen and mountain. And it looks reasonably retro friendly, and not too much climbing. Also option of extending it on the return leg, heading eastwards from Loch Deo up towards Loch Morlich - Could be quite nice.
Disadvantages - no lunch stop.
Macretro - Big Day Oot Rides No.2
Nethy Bridge - Glen More - Ryvoan Pass Loop
Distance: 21.3 miles
Climbing: 262m
Summary: Classic XC Loop
Map My Ride Link
Details:
Still need to thrash out the basics on this one.
Where do we start?
Nethy Bridge might be
good from an accomodation point of view. Or, we can start at Loch Morlich / Glenmore (parking, and there's a YHA there) - this would mean having a pub stop at Nethy Bridge. Decisions, decisions...
Which way?
The loop can also be done clockwise, or anti-clockwise. I'm leaning towards anti-clockwise myself, probably more retro friendly given the comments below.
STW Quote:
The main reason is that by far the best part of the route is the Ryvoan Pass. The southern side of the pass is much higher than the northern side. Going anti-CW it starts with a short climb, occasionally steep, from Glenmore Lodge. During this section the views are fantastic, and it is good to stop at The Green Loch, there is a couple of slightly tricky boulder strewn climbs. Good fun and quickly walked past if not everyone is into it. Then at the Ryvoan Bothy you start a very long winding descent. It can be very fast and very fun, and seems to go on forever. I have tried it the other way (clockwise) and it feels like a long haul up to the pass followed by a far too short very fast and rocky descent.
The other pass on the route An Sluggan is not that interesting, its mostly commercial forestry and not so pretty. However there are some good short singletrack paths on the eastern side of the valley, up from Badaguish. They dont really play any part in a XC route though unless you have a lot of energy left over.
The short singletrack on the eastern side of the valley mentioned above is the
Badaguish XC Course. Could be an end of day option
if we start/finish at Glenmore.
Ryvoan Bothy
An Lochan Uaine
