Some pics from a route I did with stuartie_c today…….

Full route: Invercauld – Culardoch – Loch Builg – Glen Avon – Faindouran Lodge – Fords of Avon – Lairig an Laoigh – Glen Derry – Invercauld.

Pics turned out a little blurry, pity. Cracking ride though, lots of nice singletrack but a big day out.

Some more here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/teamshortbread/sets/72157624019498286/

Why am I stuck down in the crappy south of England? I need a new job.

Very envious.

edit – just planned that one out on the map – looks good but quite a trek in a day. I might use it next time I'm up seeing the olds, but I'd have to drop in via Tomintoul which might make it a 2 dayer – no bad thing….

Surrey Hills don't seem so great anymore 🙁

It's all good. At least in Surrey you don't get frozen feet in May wading through rivers full of snow melt 😉

Dude, looks like a bloody good day.

Great pics 8)

Your pics are better than mine Dan!

Love the Fords of A'an crossing one, though it doesn't quite convey the bone-chilling cold of that river.

As real as it get's in the British Isles

hope your mate recovers from that massive leg gash.

looks awesome. off up to glenco/skye/torridon/gairloch etc next friday. can't frickin wait!!

Cheers Stu – I thought the pics would have been a little sharper, I'm pretty goosed though so maybe my vision's a little blurry tonight!

If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake. That's my back yard, that is.

notlocal – deciding where to ride must be pretty tricky for you! Loads of brilliant routes in the Braemar area.

I had a stonker of a day out too and I'm jealous of those. 😆
Quality stuff Dan, might have to pencil that one in for June sometime.

Am seriously considering doing part of it on day 2 of the ride at the end of May – big yomp up Bynack Mor but it's down to Fords of Avon and from there we were only on/off/walking/riding for 30 mins or so. From the top of the Lairig an Laoigh to Derry Lodge is all singletrack, much of it of the sweet variety 😉

Proper mountain biking, thanks for sharing. Must pop up there for a long weekend sometime.

Oh yes please. Was the original plan to head to Tomintoul via Abernethy Forest?

Cracking day for it. You have me jealous.
Forms of Avon can be ridden.

Gav – yes, more distance but riding and scenery not as spectacular so planning the above option now.

Messiah – props! I didn't fancy a faceplant in the icy water!

i love scottish ride posts………awesome
and snap

Great pics looks like a whole lot of fun.

A Cairngorm ride without a visit to a cake shop, are you mad?

Thats a great route, but we've always ridden it the other way around, ending with the big downhill to Invercauld. Good effort, I'm not surprised to still see snow up there.

Looks like that is the best way round for that ride? I did it a while back clockwise and the section from the start of Lairig an Laoigh to Faindouran Lodge was a bunch of arse. More rideable the way you did it?

Great pics in any case, need to head up north soon.

Garry_lager – yes, I'd reckon so as the worst bit of the route was the section between Faindouran and Fords of Avon. Much of it was rideable but it wouldn't have been much cop as a descent the other way. The way we did it is undoubtedly the best and I'd be gutted to ride up the Lairig from Glen Derry rahter than the in the opposite direction.

McMoonter – no cake shops en route as you'll know! Massive portion of fish and chips in Braemar helped restore our calorie deficit though. The big descent to Invercauld is good, but it's fireroad, and the Lairig descent makes the route I reckon.

Agree. The section towards the Ford of A'an was pretty tough in places.

Still, it beats "Dirty Dancing: The Musical", I expect. 😉