by bio-man » Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:42 pm
Date walked: 30/08/2008
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16th August 2008.
For the first time in two years, I was able to use my bike on a long approach and it was as good as I remembered!! Especially the return leg!! I parked at Blair Atholl station and cycled to the car-park at the beginning of Glen Tilt, then headed up past Old Blair to the start of the Minigaig. The deer gate at the end of the forest is padlocked, so i had to carry the bike over the large stile!! I have to that I struggled for most of the inward route, especially to the cairn after the tracks moves northwards from the Banvie Burn. I was starting to enjoy things by now and reached the Sheicheachan bothy in 90 minutes - 6 miles!! Afetr lunch and leaving the bike at the bothy, I headed off to the summit of Beinn Dearg. The route described is very accurate, the zig-zag paths are obvious and the path is clear but eroded. The terrain would be very muddy in wet conditions. The higher are prone to windy conditions and today was no different. The cairn shelter on the summit proved a welcome relief.
By aiming straight for the cairn before the summit, I continued on that line, reaching a stalkers path and onto lower down the outward track. IT took out some of the inward path, not much, but a variation. back at the bothy after 3 hours 45 minutes!!! Very long, but only because I spent over an hour of that time chatting!! Lots of positive feedback for the trek next year and 3 new sponsors!!
Onto the bike and was back in Blair Atholl in 60 minutes!! A return leg that woul have taken 2 and 1/2 hours!! Fantastic!!
Some traditionalists might call this cheating!! Not me!! Left a note in the bothy book about next may!!