Gaick pass and Leathad an Taobhain

[al78]

I had a thought (dangerous) next year of getting the sleeper to Blair Atholl, cycling up the Gaick pass, staying overnight somewhere near Kincraig, then cycling down glen Feshie and carrying on to Leathad an Taobhain, continuing SW from the summit to pick up the Minigaig, and using this to get back to Blair Atholl. Assuming my fitness is up to it, this sounds like a good way to explore some very remote country in a weekend. How difficult is it to cycle through the Gaick from a technical perspective, given I am not experienced at mountain biking? Also, can you cycle to almost the summit of Leathad An Taobhain, the OS map shows a track that gets very close. I know I'll have to walk the bike in some sections.

[prog99]

You can get close to the summit of Leathad an Taobhain from the north (the obvious termination of the vehicle track). It’s a pretty relentless grind up from Glen Feshie but a bit of a blast backdown.

Not cycled all the way through the Gaick but know it’s perfectly possible,

[gaffr]

I have been through both of these on the off-road bike.
For your planned trip the use of the Cycle track from Blair Atholl to Dalnacardoch to get onto the Gaick pass trail.
When I went to the Mini-gaig on a round trip into Tilt, Geldie and back into Feshie I ignored the start of the Minigaig because I knew that it was kind-of wrecked at least for me biking up that.
My approach to Minigaig was Feshie up to the Sluic lochan and then up on the estate track to the end where there is ruined building and then pushed the bike up to the .912 summit.....easy ride to connect with the Mini-gaig down to Bruar and Allt Scheicheachan Bothy....connect to the Tilt etc....or Blair Atholl.

[WallaceJohnston]

A couple of years ago I walked in towards Leathad an Taobhain from the north expecting to follow the Minigaig track and was unpleasantly surprised to find it very overgrown and difficult to follow. I don't think it's used very much. I certainly wouldn't like to try to take a bike that way!

[al78]

A couple of years ago I walked in towards Leathad an Taobhain from the north expecting to follow the Minigaig track and was unpleasantly surprised to find it very overgrown and difficult to follow. I don't think it's used very much. I certainly wouldn't like to try to take a bike that way!

I've walked the Minigaig from south to north and can confirm that much beyond the summit of the pass you are effectively blazing a trail across heather, clumps of grass and patchy bog, there was no visible path until shortly before glen Tromie. I wasn't thinking of cycling that section of the Minigaig, I was thinking of joining it from the summit of Leathad an Taobhain and heading south, from memory that section is mostly ridable, the steep descent to glen Bruar would likely require walking or carrying the bike.

[Wandererssolo]

Some years ago I cycled (with a group of friends) the minigaig excluding the push up the steep path to the higher level. Near where it joins Tromie we cycled and pushed over heather and a relatively firm surface towards a shooting track above feshie. We stayed at the independent hostel there then cycled back via the Gaick then done the cycle track/road to Blair Atholl.

The minigaig was cycleable in large parts but in places was boggy. I suspect that the increased use of bikes off road might have changed the path in a negative way but it wasn’t any more difficult than many of the cycle tracks at that time around the Campsies area - just more isolated.

The Gaick was Landrover track except for the short stretch along the Loch near the top but that too was eminently cycleable if you were confident on muddy and lumpy single track. Storers book on Drove Roads was our bible at that time and there’s a picture of a stream crossing in the book that’s worth paying attention to. I have crossed that river with the water as shown in the book but I had to rescue a mate who got himself stuck in waste deep, fast flowing water when he tried to cross when he should have turned back. Conditions are everything on these rides.

[WalkWithWallace]

Not the Gaick Pass, but we cycled from Blair Atholl earlier this year and dumped our bikes by the Bruar shooting Lodge to do the two remote Corbetts. The video might give you an idea of what to expect as you use the Minigaig to return back to our bikes.

[al78]

Thanks for the info, it has given me the confidence that despite my lack of mountain biking skill I will be able to cycle most of the way up the Gaick, likely pushing the bike on the narrow single track alongside the loch, which is fine.

[gaffr]

A couple of images to show the path beside Loch an Duin at the Sronphadruig Lodge end of the Trail as found during my visit through in June '19.

The path beside the Loch an Duin seen from the Northern end approach.

The path beside the Loch an Duin seen from the Northern end approach.

[al78]

Thanks, that looks rideable, although wobble too far one way and I'll end up very wet.

[cosmokramer]

The Gaick is a doddle, Leathad an Taobhain I found hellish...the track out of Feshie becomes seriously steep once you turn SW and the 900m LaT summit is a pathless peat-hag moon landscape which eventually connects to a stalkers path down to the Bruar Water...plain sailing from this point onwards.

[jupe1407]

We cycled the Gaick Pass then came back via Kingussie, Newtonmore and back down the A9 cycle path a couple of years back. The track in as far as the ruined lodge is completely fine, boggy and rutted for about a quarter of a mile after that. Decent singletrack along side Loch an Duin then reverts to a good landy track for a few miles past Gaick Lodge then if i remember correctly crosses a wee bridge or maybe a mini-dam and become a tarmac road all the way until it joins the road to Ruthven Barracks.

You won't end up in the Loch if you fall off beside Loch an Duin, simply on your arse in heather, hopefully without the chainring taking a gouge out of your leg

[al78]

The Gaick is a doddle, Leathad an Taobhain I found hellish...the track out of Feshie becomes seriously steep once you turn SW and the 900m LaT summit is a pathless peat-hag moon landscape which eventually connects to a stalkers path down to the Bruar Water...plain sailing from this point onwards.

Thanks, I anticipate getting to LaT will be tough, there is no easy way to get to over 900 m altitude under your own steam. I assume the track that runs along the west side of the river past Glenfeshie lodge is rideable all the way, i.e. it doesn't have barriers across it that a pedestrian/cyclist can't get past..

[prog99]

No worries with that estate, it’s extremely walker friendly.

[cosmokramer]

Yep very easy riding along the Feshie, mostly tarmac too if I remember right...

The Gaick is a doddle, Leathad an Taobhain I found hellish...the track out of Feshie becomes seriously steep once you turn SW and the 900m LaT summit is a pathless peat-hag moon landscape which eventually connects to a stalkers path down to the Bruar Water...plain sailing from this point onwards.

Thanks, I anticipate getting to LaT will be tough, there is no easy way to get to over 900 m altitude under your own steam. I assume the track that runs along the west side of the river past Glenfeshie lodge is rideable all the way, i.e. it doesn't have barriers across it that a pedestrian/cyclist can't get past..