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Beinn Dearg via bike

Beinn Dearg via bike


Postby Msp1987 » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:34 pm

Hello
I am thinking of doing Beinn Dearg tomorrow from Old Blair. The munro book gives two routes one up Glen Banvie and the other up Glen Tilt. I will be taking my mountain bike but my girlfriend only has a hybrid. Does anyone know the best/easiethe route for bikes?
Thanks
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby Sunset tripper » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:34 pm

If you follow the walkhighlands route you can cycle all the way in to the Allt Scheicheachan bothy and about 2k past it to the point where the path starts to zigzag up the hill. On the way back ie downhill if you have no suspension it can rattle your teeth a bit when you pick up speed but easily doable. :D

A guy had his bike up close to the summit a couple of years ago when I was there but I reckon he was a hard core cyclist. :D
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby fireman » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:42 pm

Agree with Sunset Tripper, certainly got back down a lot quicker when I did it, but felt like l'd been shaken to bits, also a "white knuckle" ride in some places
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby gammy leg walker » Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:23 pm

You could go from Calvine on the A9 there's a track all the way to the Braur Lodge Ruins
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby kaiserstein » Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:05 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:You could go from Calvine on the A9 there's a track all the way to the Braur Lodge Ruins

This was the way I did it using a hybrid. Good track
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby 007iron » Thu May 06, 2021 8:50 pm

Following reading this thread.......I tackled Beinn Dearg yesterday and decided on the Calvine to Bruar Lodge route as it sounded a better track surface for the bike approach.

Unfortunately however the track won the battle with my hybrid although at least my puncture was on the way out and only 3km from the van. :lol: :lol: :lol:
A cracking day out all the same!
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby al78 » Thu May 06, 2021 11:20 pm

The route I took was along the Minigaig from Old Blair, I left the bike at the bothy then took a direct route up along the Alt Sheicheachan, there is a path all the way IIRC. Just be careful on the way back, it is easy to pick up a lot of speed and you don't want to meet a walker at speed around a bend (basically go at a speed where you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear).
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby gaffr » Fri May 07, 2021 5:48 am

Cycles and I have been in this area a fair bit over the years. :D
When reaching Beinn Dearg. in June '83 the first time, I used my road bike in from Calvine..left the bike at the river and waded to get to the Bothy and onto the hill-path...same way on return. Again this way for a MBA area meeting but this time descent was into Tilt...off-road bikes then. Again, leaving the bike at the river, to get over Dearg for the Corbett Beinn Bhreac. On a long day trip from Feshiebridge and using the Minigaig trail on a borrowed off road bike got this area when descending from the Bothy into Tilt and then continuing via Glen Tilt, Bynack, Geldie and down Feshie for a round trip.
The off-road bikes are grand for burning up the distances on the approach to hills when prior to them becoming available much longer days out were needed.
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby Phil the Hill » Fri May 07, 2021 1:09 pm

I walked the two routes from Old Blair last October, not having a bike with me (and having totally failed to notice the bike hire at the campsite until I left). The Northern route past the rifle range was nice, and joins the other route higher up the hill, but it was a rougher track with at least 4 stream crossings by fords. I returned by the Southern route direct from the bothy, which seemed better for biking (particularly without suspension). The one stream crossing has a bridge. It would be best to leave the bike by the bothy, rather than cross the Allt and take it up the steepish and stony path beyond (though I met someone on a mountain bike doing just that).

I bailed out below the start of the hill, as I was too tired after walking in to Carn a'Chlamain the previous day, so I looked across to the Glen Bruar track on the way out, thinking it would be a good approach by bike for my return. It looked nice and flat, and should be a better surface as it leads to the Lodge. But a look at the map showed there's a steep climb over a hill from Calvine to start. I now have an e-bike hybrid, and am planning that approach route for the beginning of June, with a wild camp beyond the Lodge so I can take in Beinn Bhreac as well.
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby weedavie » Fri May 07, 2021 5:52 pm

The track up the Allt Slanaidh is a lot more forgiving than the usual route but does go considerably higher. It takes you above the top of the track up from the bothy. It's new and pretty smooth and ideal for descending on a hybrid. It's definitely not as pretty.
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby Gordie12 » Fri May 07, 2021 8:06 pm

Phil the Hill wrote:I walked the two routes from Old Blair last October, not having a bike with me (and having totally failed to notice the bike hire at the campsite until I left). The Northern route past the rifle range was nice, and joins the other route higher up the hill, but it was a rougher track with at least 4 stream crossings by fords. I returned by the Southern route direct from the bothy, which seemed better for biking (particularly without suspension). The one stream crossing has a bridge. It would be best to leave the bike by the bothy, rather than cross the Allt and take it up the steepish and stony path beyond (though I met someone on a mountain bike doing just that).

I bailed out below the start of the hill, as I was too tired after walking in to Carn a'Chlamain the previous day, so I looked across to the Glen Bruar track on the way out, thinking it would be a good approach by bike for my return. It looked nice and flat, and should be a better surface as it leads to the Lodge. But a look at the map showed there's a steep climb over a hill from Calvine to start. I now have an e-bike hybrid, and am planning that approach route for the beginning of June, with a wild camp beyond the Lodge so I can take in Beinn Bhreac as well.


The route from Calvine is very straight forward (I've walked it several times) and it's about 9 miles to the lodge. The climb at the start is fairly long but the steepest part is straight after crossing the A9 and within a couple of hundred yards you will find that you are still climbing but on a much easier gradient.
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Re: Beinn Dearg via bike

Postby Phil the Hill » Mon May 10, 2021 1:08 pm

The route from Calvine is very straight forward (I've walked it several times) and it's about 9 miles to the lodge. The climb at the start is fairly long but the steepest part is straight after crossing the A9 and within a couple of hundred yards you will find that you are still climbing but on a much easier gradient.


Sounds perfect for the e-bike :)
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