Monadh Mor & Beinn Bhrotain - bike n hike from Feshiebridge

[Sspaterson]

The route and moving time

This route can only be done when the river is low enough to ford. There are alternatives but cycling up the other side or crossing the last footbridge involves then negotiating a landslide and is quite an ordeal in itself without doing these Munros too. We could have started further up but cycling Glen Feshie is always a delight so we started from Feshiebridge car park.

Took just over an hour to get to the ford where the boots have to come off and sandals/crocs donned. Jaysus the water was cold. Thankfully not deep enough to come up the the motor of the e-bike. Was told once by the Bothy caretaker that if you can’t see the three stones at the far side, don’t attempt to cross. My feet were in pain from the cold but it was easy enough and soon had the socks and boots on for the grind up the hill track.

Enter if ye daur

This is a great track but steep in parts. Hubby (on non powered mountain bike) had to get off and push for bits and even I, on the e-bike had to push some bits.

The road is long

Nonetheless, we took about 1hr 30 to get to the bit where we dumped the bikes. Then plodded on to get to the summit of Monadh Mor in another hour. So from the van we were at the first summit in 3hr30mins, not bad going.

It was an easy, airy walk along the top before dropping down to the bealach between the two hills. The mist had cleared and the views were lovely. Wouldn't like to be walking all the way or be doing them in the clag, it's pretty flat and bleak up here but the views to elsewhere are fab on a clear day like this. We could even see all the way to East and West Lomond in Fife.

Devil’s point and Cairntoul emerging out the mist

The path is initially easy up to Beinn Bhrotain, then you get to a boulder field where progress is assisted by convenient wee cairns placed every so often. Once at the top, there is a trig point and a wee shelter. Stopped a bit out the wind to eat our piece and enjoy the views before heading back from whenst we came.

At this point it did seem to go on a bit and there isn’t much to see though in this weather it was still great.

Nothing to see here

Eventually I could see the bikes and we got to them about 4pm.

Yay, the bikes

Back on our trusty steeds, it was a bit of a plod back up then a whizz all the way down. To be honest, my hands were sore from gripping the brakes.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee

There are a couple of wee streams to cross. Rather than risk a fall up here in the wilderness we dismounted and pushed across.

Hubby approaches ford

From picking up bikes back to the big ford at the River Feshie took only 40 minutes. Still cold but it was quite refreshing on the tootsies.

Concentration and white knuckles

Ah bliss

Then it was another 30 minutes back to the van at Feshiebridge. A really quick way of getting these two in the bag, especially on an e-bike. Given my dodgy Achilles, dodgy knee, old broken foot injury, I’m glad I did it this way. And fit hubby did it on his mountain bike - major kudos (he’s a club cyclist so pretty fit).

[gaffr]

Hello, I guess crossing water with the electrically assisted bikes can be a problem and of course, I guess, impossible to shoulder the bike and wade across?
Yes, fine to reach some high level areas for access? when there exists an old estate land rover track that has already disturbed the fragile vegetation? I use old estate tracks especially in the Monadhliaths on my wee journeys.
There is an easier crossing instead, on the Achlean side of the Glen, to cross easily over the Allt Garbhlach.... see the Ordnance Survey maps both 1:50,000 and on the 1:25,000 editions....the old path is clearly marked. I think that the new crossing and track should never have taken place. Now after the heavy waters it is a complete shambles. The money would have been better spent improving the old marked path.
Do you always use the Mickey Mouse maps for your journeys?

[Sspaterson]

Ha! I never use Mickey Mouse maps for my journeys, always the OS map with much planning. The Strava photo is purely for illustrative purposes. I was aware of the easier crossing on the other side but the side we chose meant a very easy cycle with just the one river crossing which I knew would be easy after this dry spell. I also am not keen on cycling on paths rather than tracks as my MTB skills aren’t expert and I think paths are best left for walkers. But if there are tracks such as these then it makes for easy access to distant hills.

[gaffr]

Up here the paths whether specially constructed or just worn into a workable way of getting around over many years are available for use by all walkers and travellers....walkers, horse riders, dog walkers, folks with large camping packs and of course bikers.
When bikers are using these paths special attention is definitely required by bikers to approach bends in the paths with due care for obvious reasons to allow for spread out walkers to adjust for the bikers to pass safely bye.
When heading out for an anniversary celebration when close to the Cairngorm Club footbridge on my bike yesterday evening I had a very narrow escape on a bend when a group of bikers were spread across the trail and when travelling fast. I was tight in on the left side of the path.
When out for pleasure on the bike I tend to end up during the ride on several types path, track or trail at some time on the day out and certainly give way when descending to folks weaving there way upwards on a slope....much easier for the descender to get going again after a stop.
I really do think that good relations are worth fostering among all users of paths and trails.

[gaffr]

Thanks to the folks at the Bothy there is now a rudimentary bridge over the Allt Garbhlach.

[Sspaterson]

Ok I’m in total agreement with you regarding paths and trails are there for the enjoyment of everyone but your tone is suggesting I’m riding at hellbent speed down trails (I am not) and that I never give way to pedestrians (I do, every time).

I’m sorry that you were nearly taken out by a bunch of thoughtless bikers, I’d be just as annoyed. Did you say anything to them to help correct their behaviour? If not, why not? But please don’t use my walk report, which I put up to be helpful to others as a different option of getting to distant hills, as a place to vent your personal annoyances. In short, don’t tar us all with the same brush. In your first post your tone suggested I can’t use maps properly (the Mickey Mouse reference). I have been walking and cycling the hills and trails around all of Scotland all my life and have always done so responsibly. I pick up other folk’s litter, I follow the country code. Why have you assumed that I am not responsible and feel the need to give me a patronising lecture?