UKC

Going up to Scotland for some rock climbing and the odd classic rock tick. Thinking of staying in Braemar (any suggestions on a camper van campsite much appreciated) for a couple of days to climb The Talisman, Squareface and Mitre ridge. How far can I mountain bike into complete the Talisman and how long to the crag, and how far can i mountain bike into complete Mitre ridge and Squareface, an how far to the crag.

I have read that you can come in for all routes from the Cairngorm ski area is this way quicker?.

In reply to jon59:

A long way for Talisman from the ski area, even longer for Mitre Ridge and Squareface, I'd stick with going in from Braemar.

Biking: For the Hutcheson hut I reckon you can get to about here http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=303550&Y=797550&A=Y&Z=120&... without too much trouble - there's (quite) a few drainage ditches to hop across. This point marks where the track goes through a fenced off area of woodland. After this the gradient increases and it depends on how good your bike handling is. You'd be about an hour up to the hut, possibly the crag from this point.

Garbh Coire. It might be best to bike over the top of Beinn a Bhuird using this track - http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=307860&Y=795060&A=Y&Z=120 though you might have to push a bit on the way up. The plateau is generally easy ground. Leave bikes at top of coire and drop down to routes - there's a rake that gets to the foot of Squareface. Of course you get a big blast coming back

In reply to jon59:

Definitely head from the Braemar side in both cases. I agree with Bob's suggestion of where to dump the bike for Coire Etchachan, but just to point out that the fence has gone (to avoid confusion).

The way suggested by Bob to Garbh Choire is on paper the shortest, but I think the best approach is to cycle in via the Fairy Glen (Gleann an t-Slugain) from Keiloch. The track is a bit rough near the head of the glen, so a little pushing will be required, but once over the top, the path improves and you can get to 118979 at the stream crossing, if you are happy with a few drainage ditches along the way. Beyond that it's not really worth it.

In reply to jon59:

I've biked into both.
Would agree with bobs suggestion for talisman approach.
For Garbh coire we took the estate track to below the sneck and walked from there. A lot of drainage ditches but very doable.

In reply to jon59:

When we did Square Face and Mitre Ridge recently we cycled as far as Fairy Glen, at which point one of my inner tubes exploded and I discovered that my spare was for the wrong bike (oops). So we camped overnight, then walked in the next day. We were making a weekend of it so camped on the plateau, did another route, then walked all the way back out, pushing bikes from Fairy Glen.
Comparing notes with others, it only took us about 15 minutes longer (each way) walking from Fairy Glen to the stream crossing than it would have cycling. And on the return leg, pushing bikes took 40 minutes longer than cycling.

In reply to jon59:

Other way to Garbh Coire would be to bike from Keiloch (5 km E of Braemar) up the Slugain, push for about 0.5 km past the ruin, and ride to the stream near OS northing 99. That's about 2.5 km from both climbs; walk up path to the Sneck and either on up to top of Squareface or round into base of cliffs.

It's also possible to bike from Tomintoul up Glen Avon to immediately north of the corrie and about 5 km from the climbs, but there's only a sketchy path.

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Thanks guys, I wasn't totally sure about that - the track up on to the plateau came from STW forums so more mountain biking for the sake of getting to the summit than carrying kit. I've seen the track when descending the ridge further east but I've not been in the upper reaches of the Quoich Water.

I've seen an MTB route that goes to the summit of Ben Avon but can't remember if it goes up to The Sneck or comes down from it, it might even go on to Beinn a Bhuird then down the track I mentioned. I'll have to look it up.

In reply to Bob:
Was passed just a month ago by someone pushing a bike up the path from the Sneck up Ben Avon. Once up on the plateau he made reasonable time and then disappeared off to the east, so I presume there was some way back down at that side. Not that I approve of mtn bikes on the plateaux...
Having said all that - is Ben Avon of any interest if you're heading in to the Garbh Choire?

In reply to jon59:

Cheers for the informative replies guys, mountain biking it is then from Braemer.

In reply to jon59:

Just check the UKC logbook page for Garbh Choire which has this to say:

"Restrictions during Shooting (12 August onwards) and Stalking seasons (Sept - Jan). Contact Invercauld estate.

Best methods of access utilise a mountain bike for the initial part of the approach. Either take the good tracks via Invercauld if approaching from Braemar, or via Glen Avon if approaching via Tomintoul. It's often possible to make a day visit using this method, depending on conditions, but will still feel like a long, strenuous day. Time permitting, a less physically demanding approach is to overnight at Slugain Howff (Invercauld) or Pony Men's Hut or Faindouran Bothy (Glen Avon). (ca. 1.5hrs bike to Slugain; 1.75hrs to Pony Men's Hut; 2 hrs to Faindouran."

In reply to jon59:
Just to reiterate what others have said you can bike up Glen Derry to pretty close to the Hutchison Hut.

For Squareface i'd cycle in from Keiloch (short steep rough section past the ruins) and all the way up to the path junction abd the big boulder just below the sneck. About 30 mins walk from there to Squareface.

In reply to Aly:



+1

Did this a couple of years ago. 8 hours car to car for Mitre Ridge and Squareface. Steady pace but reassuringly faster than midge flying speed on return.