You don't hear the name 'Grampians' much these days, people just tend to use the more generic Highlands; however the Grampians neatly describe the area I've just ridden my bike round covering the hills of Perthshire, the hills around the Ben Alder area and the Cairngorms. As usual for a holiday my plans had been fairly fluid to make the best of a typically variable weather forecast. A couple of days of wet weather were predicted for Monday and Tuesday, followed by (apparently) wall to wall Sunshine. Monday ended up being fairly dry, signaling the inevitable difference between the forecasted and actual weather. So of course on the Tuesday it looked to be much wetter. I held off for an afternoon departure from Dunkeld in the Tay strath as I wouldn't have far to go to a small shed in the woods I'd scoped out that would allow a dry and bug free sleep, whatever the weather did. My route took me up and over Griffin and Grandtully hill through forest and wind farm - a route I've done a few times before so easy to follow. As it happened I seemed to be surrounded by large black clouds but in a break with tradition, above me it was pretty clear and even sunny!
Finally it dried up and the sky cleared. I figured on a fast getaway to try to get to my chosen bivvy spot before it clagged in again. The plan was to find the trail that I had failed to find on my July 2020 bivvy trip. I'd scoped it out properly and even put the route onto my GPS to ensure no repeat of the frustrating too-ing and fro-ing of my last visit here. Its actually fairly obvious and a good trail to ride down. I was going up of course and it was saturated thanks to the rain, but thanks to single speed I was pushing in any case. Finally I reached the forest track and reversed my route of two years previous.
This lead me to the woods of Dull (they were) close to my bivvy spot of July 2020. That year I'd actually been making for tonight's destination - a tin shed in the woods - but missed the turn and on trying to get in from the other side just decided to bivvy on the track. On trying to find the hut the next morning the track had stopped me at a large swamp. This time I'd figured a better way via a forest track and a fire break. Of course I'd no idea if this track was any good or covered in wind blow; or if the route to the hut along the fire break was also blocked with fallen trees or a bog. I hoped the hut would be a fine shelter from the elements but it could easily be a dump, demolished or occupied by drunken neds. The last was extremely unlikely as the track through the forest pretty rough and with a large climb. But I was experiencing that feeling you get when your in a slightly dubious situation, with the potential for it all to go horribly wrong, that seems an intrinsic part of bikepacking. However things were looking up! (in a break with tradition) There were no fallen trees on the track and the fire break I had to descend was also tree free, had a quad track down it and whilst wet, not too boggy. Thank god for sturdy boots and gaiters! Then the hut was revealed.
Being objective it was a bit rough and ready but compared to pitching a tarp in the soggy grass at the mercy of the winged menaces, luxury. Having said that my wanderings around between showers revealed no midges, despite it being fairly mild, totally still and very damp. Odd. I sat reading by daylight then candlelight, glad of my whisky to keep out the chill. Eventually I rolled out my bivvy and had a reasonable kip. I was variously disturbed by the sound of rain on the tin roof, the creaks and cracks the corrugated iron made as it cooled and contracted and then was rudely awoken by an ear shattering dawn chorus (bloody cuckoos!) I was still feeling pretty bleary and it was only 4am plus it was quite cold too. Eventually I nodded off again and awoke after 8. Breakfast was leisurely as I contemplated my onward route options before packing up and departing into a bright day. That said there was plenty of big clouds around, somewhat at odds with what the forecast had stated the previous day. Sound familiar?
I followed the track out I'd failed to find two years previous. It was actually dead obvious so I must have been day-dreaming that day (which had been a long one to be fair) and the best way into this place should I ever need it again. I stopped to fire the phone up and check on the progress of the HT560 and text Bob to say where I was going. Bob and Cath were in the general vicinity (i.e the Grampians) and we had a very vague plan to meet up if our paths crossed. A longish bit of road riding down to and along Loch Rannoch took me to that classic traverse from Bridge of Gaur to Dalwhinnie via Ben Alder. Climbing up through the woods lead to a certain amount of introspection of my previous visit on last years Highland Trail, as well as idle curiosity as to how this years lot had got on with the next section, it being my favourite of the route. It was much colder back then and my body was about to object to the high pace I'd set leading to my spectacular bonk and near bale out.
Looking ahead to a largely snow free Ben Alder, somewhat different to the winter wonderland this area was on my ski trip in March
Looking across to the West Highlands with Ben Cruachan in the far distance centre. It occurred to me that the fast folk on the Highland Trail would be passing through this area as I took in the view.
I was in no such rush so the boat house veranda at the end of Loch Ericht provided a fine lunch stop whilst a light sprinkle of rain came through. This persisted to the boggy approach to the cottage, which was very boggy, not helped by the passage of 70 bikes four days previous. I guess I've been lucky through here the last few times as it's been pretty dry above and below.
The descent was the usual blast and lo and behold, I passed a chap doing some work on the trail a few miles up from Culra. Whilst Ben Alder Estate is stinking rich, they do carry out regular maintenance of this path, solely at their own expense. I'm not aware of any other mountain path in Scotland that gets anything but token maintenance, mores the pity. Mind you he gave me a funny look so I wonder if they are aware of the Highland Trail coming through. The steeper part of the descent is getting a bit loose these days and it's down to this routes growing popularity with bikepackers.
Now what? I knew of a few bothies and huts hereabouts but getting up into the woods of Inshriach or the Baden would make for an easy day tomorrow. There was plenty of daylight and for once I was riding in pleasant evening sunshine. So off we go. I went up to loch Cuaich and a good track over to Phones Lodge. I noted its been done up over the climb but the bit by the loch is still a nice basic landrover track. I think I need to start a campaign to preserve these as they are getting thin on the ground thanks to windfarms, power stations and stalking access needed for cars rather than argocats, leading to most estate roads being motorway standard.
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That all said from Phones lodge you end up on a corker of a track. The old military road is a nice set of parallel lines through the heather and for the most part good going. As with all such tracks there are a few soggy bits but this is all part of the fun.
I'd an idea to stop at Luibleathan bothy but a curl of smoke out of the chimney put me off. It might have been fine or it might have been idiots in residence but I was keen to get a few more miles in, in any case. So I cracked on, on this fine track, the Kingussie chippy my destination. After a fine fish tea (and a beer, drank whilst sat on a park bench, it's come to this!) I headed back aways and into the forest above Drumguish, on the Cairngorms loop route. There are a few bothies around Newtonmore but this would be in the wrong direction now. Jack Drakes hut in Inshriach was another option but it's pretty well known and likely to be occupied. Instead I headed for a spot I'd passed a few times and figured would be a good 'un. It was - a bit grassy and tussocky but I found a reasonably level bit and pitched up. Again there was not a midge to be seen so I figured on a fine night. Then the mozzies appeared. Oh for f**** sake, not again! There were only a few and fortuitously I had head net, smidge and my nano mesh mozzy tent thing so after a lot of faffing and running around I got installed into the bivvy eventually. Then the rain came on....
The sky had completely cleared by the time I'd started to pitch up but suddenly clouds rolled in from the east and a light rain started. I read and drank the other two beers I'd bought and then got my head down. The rain kept on and off for a few hours eventually clearing out at about 3 am. I knew this as uncharacteristically, I couldn't get to sleep. The rain didn't help, or the incessant buzzing of the mozzies, plus my bladder drove me up and out three times, requiring a large amount of finesse (faffing) to get out of the bivvy, out of the mesh screen, into boots and jacket and then reverse. Finally when the sky cleared, a snipe appeared with its siren warble which seemed to calm me and sleep followed.
A clear dawn is always a good thing. I packed up in double quick time but fathomed that the nearby track was mozzie free thanks to a bit of a breeze (it wasn't and I got stung several times) so made and ate breakfast and contemplated my onward moves. Given the improving weather it occurred to me to do another night out and head to my pals place in lower Speyside the next day. But to be honest the thought of another night getting savaged by those sodding buzzing, flying, stinging things was far down my list of wants. So a quick text to let them know I would be there mid afternoon and off I went on the fine route up through Inshriach forest, Rothiemurchus and Glenmore. I noted two tents outside Jack Drakes Bothy so this would have been of little use to me - hey ho. I had a proper breakfast of fried things at the cafe and hammered Ryvoan pass in the now warm sunshine. Of course this meant I had to stop at Nethy Bridge to lie around on the grass eating ice cream and pies (in that order) Further rumination suggested I should give the Speyside way a go to just past Grantown. As advertised there were multiple gates but most are new self-closers, two were being held open by a school group out on bikes and the remaining old style walker gates had field gates next to them which were unlocked and open enough to squeeze through. A bit of nosing got me on a trail at Cromdale bridge to miss some more road out and I finished with a leisurely twiddle down the road to Blacksboat.
Lazing around followed but rain swept in which kyboshed Barby plans (this was entirely un-forecasted, even whilst it was happening!) Just as well I wasn't sleeping out as I'd have likely had a colossal sense of humour failure. The next day finally looked like it was going to be a roaster so.... I lazed around all day chatting (we did go for a brief bike ride) and we finally got our BBQ in the late afternoon.
So homeward bound at last. I'd various ideas to extend my route and throw in another bivvy but I actually fancied getting back to Dunkeld in a oner as it's a great route - back road to Tomintoul then the Cairngorms Tour route to Blair Atholl, fun riverside path to Pitlochry, finishing with back roads and cycleway of NCN7/78. It's also 90 miles but that seemed a fine way to end a good trip and would allow me a lazy Sunday to recover. As it happens this was a fortuitous decision...
And it was sociable. Tomintoul seems to be bikepacking central these days. A chap was just leaving as I arrived and 6 more turned up as I ate an early lunch on the village green. Heading up the glen, after fighting my way past a large family group on bikes with two dogs (which were wholly out of control, thank god for 29+,) I slowly reeled in the chap who had left Tomintoul as I arrived. This turned out to be Steve who was on the Bearbones forum and recognised me (well my bike anyway), doing the full Cairngorms Loop. We chatted for a while and he tapped me for some route info until my antisocial singlespeed cadence took me away up the climb out of Glen Builg. The sun was blazing....
Loch Builg looking across to my March Bivvy spot
Ben Avon - similar sky to March but snow largely gone - I think we are heading for an entirely snow free Scotland this Summer
Heading out past Linn of Dee presented a stiff headwind (I passed a further two bikepackers along here) which was somewhat at odds with the gentle easterly breeze forecasted. After an easy and dab free crossing of the Geldie I paused at the ruins of Bynack Lodge for a late lunch - I actually took the trouble to boil water and do a freeze dried meal and coffee, sat in the cool shade of a Scots pine looking at the fine view.
On the singletrack descent I met another ascending bikepacker who is also a Bearbones forum poster. Again we chatted for a bit about our respective routes before I headed off on the fab descent (again!) This was much easier than in 2020 so me and the Jones have put that experience to rest. Another guy on a Genesis longitude was filling his bottles at the burn by the path end and rolling out to Bridge of Tilt I came upon a guy wearing a BB jersey who with his partner had just done the Cairngorms tour. Bikepacking central indeed!
So much for my excellent Lake winter boots. I'd gone with these in view of the weather and the terrain and they'd been ace. They are so much more comfy than the Shimano MT91's / XM9's and despite being advertised as good down to -10 are in fact fine for plus 15 and only a bit warm at plus 20. I'd finally found my perfect cycling footwear. Except on leaving the Blair Atholl Spar shop I became aware of something catching as I walked. Both soles were coming adrift and flapping uselessly about. Most annoying and it had only just happened as they had been fine on the various scrambles across side burns on the Tilt descent. Just as well I didn't opt for a longer route as I'd have had to bodge them. I'll send them back for a replacement or repair and hope these are just a Friday afternoon special.
Anyway I had around 25 miles to do in the warm evening sunshine. After a bit of old road I picked up the riverside path from Killiekrankie to Pitlochry. This was a hoot as it was ped (and dog) free so I could let rip with impunity. The final easy miles down the road to Dunkeld provided a great way to reflect on and finish up a fine few days.
A fairly light load out this week although I really should have gone with the deschutes and mesh inner as this would have allowed a much nicer sleep on Wednesday. It will be midge world until September at least now so this will be my go to for the summer bivvies.
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