Sugar Bowl Car Park to Lairig Ghru Path

[dazza4994]

Hello,

Was thinking of doing the Cairn Toul - Braeriach Traverse and was wondering if anybody knew if you can take a MTB from the Sugar Bowl Car Park to Lairig Ghru? What's the path like?

Cheers,
Daz

[Border Reiver]

You could easily take it for a mile or so, but the Chalamain pass is full of giant boulders that are difficult to even walk over, then the path back from the Lairig Ghru to the pass would be a carry as well. If it were me, I wouldn't bother, some would do it though.

[monty]

Hi Dazza, As BR has said you could cycle to the Chalamain Gap. This is about 3km on good path so it is a goer. Then its a great fast 3km back to the car. I walked when i done it but you can see the path in the photos.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5683 (I walk quite fast so my time is quite quick)

[kinley]

Personally, if I was on a MTB I'd cycle from the west end of Loch Morlich up past Rothiemurchus Lodge.

I've walked out this way - this starts at 320m the Sugar Bowl is 460m. But you have to go through Chalamain from Sugar Bowl and drop 100m to the Lairig which negates the minor height advantage. It's only about 1.4km further from Morlich - with no Chalamain Gap boulders.

I've never been quite sure why the Sugar Bowl-Chalamain route is popular.

[Border Reiver]

Personally, if I was on a MTB I'd cycle from the west end of Loch Morlich up past Rothiemurchus Lodge.

I've walked out this way - this starts at 320m the Sugar Bowl is 460m. But you have to go through Chalamain from Sugar Bowl and drop 100m to the Lairig which negates the minor height advantage. It's only about 1.4km further from Morlich - with no Chalamain Gap boulders.

I've never been quite sure why the Sugar Bowl-Chalamain route is popular.

That's a good suggestion, I was on that path again a few weeks ago and it's much easier overall than Chalamain Gap. The return back to the car would be pretty much downhill all the way.

I think the poularity of routes is very dependent on whatever is written in guide books and outdoor magazines and the Chalamain Gap is the route opted for in many publications. I have to admit to following guide books for quite a few years, but eventually I became confident enough to decide for myself which route to take. I reckon if Trail or TGO recommended starting at say Loch an Eilean and going by Glen Einich as the preferred route to Braeriach, rather than from Sugar Bowl, enough walkers would religiously follow that route to make it popular. It is a better route in my opinion.
I also believe that big estates influence walkers with the information boards and maps they produce, recommending certain routes to hills, to manage the flow of human traffic around the estate.

[kinley]

I guess my favourite route would be to head out from Coylumbridge into Gleann Einich and take the 1920's trade route up Beanaidh Beag and ascending the Braeriach N ridge between Coire an Lochain and Coire Ruadh - then carry on out to Cairn Toul and return via the excellent stalkers path in Coire Dhondail.

The N ridge approach is excellent - a bike could be dropped at Beanaidh Beag.

19km distance 1400m climb walking. 17km 350m cycling (or walking).

If I was walking I'd probably just do Braeriach and as far on as I fancied nowadays.

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