Walks range in length from 1 to 26 miles and are graded for difficulty. Sunset ride lairig ghru descent mtb scotland youtube. Time to be confirmed we will be asking our friends and family to sponsor us and money raised for rags to riches romanian dog rescue will be used for a neutering campaign in romania to prevent even more dogs suffering check out the good work they do on their website. This is a shorter route covering some of the same ground, traversing the braeriach and cairn toul corries on the outward leg and ascending ben macdui directly from the lairig ghru, and following the shore of loch avon to the saddle to climb cairn gorm for the return. The cross country descent was reasonable consisting of a steep grass and heather slope. Guide alex kendall shares one of his favourite and most rewarding walking routes up into the lairig ghru. The first written account of being called the cairngorms is in an 1804 tour book. From the high point its sides rise sheer for another 1500 ft to 4 of the 5 highest peaks in britain.
Ive been following the weather for the past weeks at mwis and winterhighland and there appears to be a warming trend. The declivity slicing through the cairngorm range offers bleak but beautiful passage for backpackers whove solved the logistical conundrum of car sharing or public transport and got to braemar for the start of the walk to aviemore or vice versa. Lairig means hill pass, and mapmakers of the nineteenth century solved the problem to their own satisfaction by substituting for ghru the word ghruamach, for which they had apparently not the slightest authority. Mar 30, 2011 this comprehensive book is an excellent planning resource for those who wish to venture into the scottish mountains. For the adventurous there are the best of the areas rocky scrambles, and the classic throughroutes including the lairig ghru. The path slowly curves round to the left and eventually begins to descend once more, with glen. Entries will go live for the lairig ghru race at 1900 this evening, entry is as usual via sientries. The walk takes you through the heart of the cairngorms, reaching an altitude of 835m, with a distance of 31km 19 miles. The lairig ghru rises to a height of 835m, higher than most mountains in the uk.
Best time for the lairig ghru is probably early spring, after the snow is gone but before the midge explosion. The lairig ghru is a category c long hill race run over 43km between the police stations of braemar and aviemore. Wilderness guide alex kendall will be sharing his top 5 scottish winter walks. For any excursion out into the hills during a scottish winter you need to be fully prepared in terms of the possible weather and equipment needed. The lairig ghru was used as a drovingroute as late as 1873 haldane 1952 to braemar and farther south. The lairig ghru is the most famous mountain pass in scotland. There was only a thin covering of snow at first but as i climbed towards the mouth of the lairig ghru pass, where i was to meet terry, the snow grew deeper and i stopped to put on my snowshoes. Britains biggest mountain range is special in several ways. The cairngorm plateau disaster occurred in november 1971 when six fifteenyearold. Ive never been to the lairig before, but had read plenty about it. Sep 28, 2010 posts about lairig ghru written by northernwalker. We start with the lairig ghru in the heart of the cairngorms.
This one is the lairig ghru descent, a fast flowing ribbon of singletrack. The lairig ghru is scotlands most iconic mountain pass. The route and mountain pass partially lies on the mar lodge estate like many traditional routes, the ends of the route through the lairig ghru are like the ends of a frayed rope. The lairig ghru hill race posted on august 7, 2018 by last summer i wrote about taking a fantastic trip to the highlands of scotland and running through the cairngorm mountain range self supported via the classic lairig ghru and returning via the lairig an laoigh routes. It will be preselection for this year, this does not mean that i will be vetting you all, mind you i may have the time to do that given the current situation. Until approximately the 1870s men from rothiemurchus annually, in the spring, cleared the track of rocks that had fallen on to it during the winter. Its 500 meter deep trench cuts between the second and third highest mountains in the united kingdom. Walking in the cairngorms guidebook to 100 walks cicerone.
Trek the lairig ghru hillgoers guided hill walking and. The lairig ghru is the most wellknown highlevel pass in scotland. Guided walking tours in the cairngorms with braemar. Last sunday i spent the day in the cairngorms again. Historic throughroutes joining speyside with deeside in the days before roads, they nowadays form the basis of a stunning circular walk, a unique wild journey that offers all the challenge of a big hill round, yet without. Compare and book a certified guide for your lairig ghru hiking trip with. There is no easy escape from it once it has been entered. The cairngorms are a mountainous region of scotland, named after the. Cutting through the mountainous core of the cairngorms, the lairig ghru passes beneath the crags of cairn toul and braeriach, places where the snow rarely melts even in. May 06, 2018 author tranature quiet moments in nature posted on may 6, 2018 may 11, 2018 categories nature, photography, poetry tags cairngorms national park, carpe diem crossroads 8 first snow, carpe diem spring retreat 2018 light of, fpj photo challenge, haiku, lairig ghru, photography, poetry.
This route is a fullon hikeabike route and will take ages and it wont be an experience enjoyed by everyone. Lairig ghru via the chalamain gap and white bridge. At the split i started to head on my cross country section and in a few minutes i dropped below the fog and got a view of lairig ghru. The pass makes for a long day walk, or one of the finest twoday backpacking trips to be had in scotland. I had used up my reserves and it was a weary hillwalker who eventually limped into the car park in the gloom of evening. We did a loop last year starting at loch morlich, riding up the trail adjacent to the ski road, through the chaliman. B ulldozed by glaciers through the heart of the high cairngorms, the lairig ghru and lairig an laoigh are two of britains grandest and bestknown mountain passes. Whether you are planning a walk, scramble, climb or ski tour this larger format guide has all the information the independent mountain lover needs. This classic race takes place in a spectacular setting and follows an historic drove road rising to 2733ft between some of the highest peaks in britain. Lairig ghru hill race sunday 28th june 2020 a long distance hill race, between the police stations of braemar and aviemore, with 43km of spectacular scenery, run over an historic drove road rising to 2733 ft. The 18 mile route through the lairig ghru was used by drovers, thieves and soldiers. Lairig ghru is one of the top walks in scotland, cairngorms, and one of the worlds best walk, treks, hikes and climbs. Lairig ghru mountainbike descent 2016 kenny wilson. Take the higher route on the way up for a super descent down the lower route.
Scot mountain holidays, based in boat of garten, has solved the lairig ghru transport problem by offering between may and september a twonight selfguided package, including transfers to the start and from the finish of the route. The pass gives a rich variety of woodland and mountain scenery. Its main watercourse is the lui water a tributary of the river dee, which it joins about a halfmile downstream from the linn of dee. Glen lui from gleann laoigh calves glen gordon 1925 is one of the major glens on the mar lodge estate, in aberdeenshire, scotland. I wish it lasted the rest of the day, but the descent to the lairig ghru was laborious and the long walk back exhausting.
Jun 02, 2007 after 2km it curves northwards to the lairig ghru. From there, its a descent into wonderful mountain scenery, as the glen opens out before you. Dec 05, 2014 the path to scotlands famous lairig ghru mountain pass. Ben macdui via faicaill ridge scramble with a descent into lairig ghru during my vacation to scotland with my wife jane, i took a day to do a little solo mission. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. For those looking for a more gentle alternative, there are easy, sandy trails wandering among the tall pines and along the banks of the great rivers spey, nethy and dee. Wild scotland scot mountain holidays have solved the problem faced by many walkers wishing to walk the spectacular lairig ghru pass in the cairngorms national park by offering a 2 night selfguided package which includes transfers to the start and from the finish of the route. Lairig ghru i wish so much i could have walked it all the way to braemar last september but the bridge near derry lodge was washed away. The lairig ghru is a high mountain pass that carves its way through the heart of the central cairngorm plateau, one of the wildest areas in the country. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The route which connects the two towns is, of course, the lairig ghru. The main challenges facing the backpacker or strong day walker, outside of winter, will be the rocky terrain, and storms.
The third and final ride from just one days biking in the aviemore area. Had most types of weather from gales, heavy rain, sunshine and snow. A return visit to the central cairngorms as a joint trip after my phenomenal solo circuit in may earlier this year. A wild camping adventure in the cairngorms walk with wallace. It cuts right through the heart of the high cairngorm splendour. The route and mountain pass partially lies on the mar lodge estate.
This guidebook covers more than 100 hikes in scotlands cairngorm mountains, including the 18 munro summits of the region. It cuts through the cairngorm plateau, allowing you to bask in the peaks towering on both sides. Pay 12 bob, stand on an invisible line and get shouted at three, two, one go. The surrounding mountains on both sides of the lairig ghru tower above you creating a v shaped gap, with the massive ben macdui on one side, braeriach on the other. This is a serious walk and a good level of fitness will be required. The most difficult section is probably the rocky bouldery section before the pools of dee from the aviemore side, though it is just a rough path, nothing hard. Lairig dhru is one of the mountain passes through the cairngorms of scotland. The tail end of the lairig ghru is awesome as you descend into rothiemurcus. From the south the lairig ghru can be approached from braemar though glen lui, or glen dee, and from blair atholl through glen tilt. They both dissect the high granite cairmgorm plateau which is at about 1,200 metres 3,900 ft. The lairig ghru is the best known hillpass in scotland. Walking scotlands lairig ghru by martin rye section.
The lairig ghru has been on my list of walks to walk for a very long time, but its either a very long but lightweight one day walk, with tricky logistics at the start and end, or a backpacking twoday walk, with tricky logistics at the start and end. From the lairig ghru i climbed up to coire ruadh to the east of braeriach to look for wreckage from a raf bristol blenheim bomber that crashed here in 1945. The lairig is a famous mountain pass in scotland, stretching from the linn o dee to aviemore, taking in some of scotlands most dramatic landscapes through the cairngorms. This page was last edited on 4 february 2019, at 02. Really steep singletrack descent down to baddoch in glen cluny path.
The famous lairig ghru is an ancient route through the cairngorms which passes between ben macdui and braeriach. This guidebook contains over 100 routes for walking in the cairngorms. Even in the summer it shouldnt be taken lightly in a fog. Its probably the most comprehensive guidebook to walks in the cairngorms ever published. We offer a wide variety of guided walking, at low and high level, from a couple of hours to several days in the cairngorms and further afield. An easier proposition is a 12mile loop which leads to the start of the lairig ghru pass, starting from loch morlich. Jun 25, 2017 results for lairig ghru 2017 in braemar united kingdom. The weather seemed to worsen as we gained the height to the top, this was an effect of the pass acting as a wind funnel focusing the wind, cloud and driven rain directly into our faces. Read our lairig ghru description, browse our lairig ghru photos, find practical information for lairig ghru and join in with our trekking and hiking forums to find out why we think so. Find walking maps and guidebooks, self guided walking holidays and hiking tours. Then a rough descent at first until you cross the main lairig ghru burn get water here rothiemurchus forest to aviemore a long tiring flog through the forest with no water stations. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25. Once you hit the road at coylumbridge, there are 2 miles to the finish opposite aviemore police station.
Oct 07, 2008 next year is going to be a big one for scotland. We followed the garbh usige mor, skirted around the north side of ben macdui and dropped off down to the lairig ghru. Ben macdui is one of the top walks in scotland, cairngorms, and one of the. Jul 07, 2017 this guidebook contains over 100 routes for walking in the cairngorms. This route through the chalamain gap was a feeder to the lairig ghru, and likely would have been used by drovers trying to get to braemar from nethybridge.
I walked from loch morlich, past rothiemurchus lodge where i spent a week on a school trip in 1983, and into the lairig ghru pass. Its also one of the most dramatic mountain passes in scotland. Stoney on our trail run descent of the lairig ghru descending the lairig ghru a brief stop before the end near the start of the river dee reflecting on the run as we stop by the river dee in the lairig ghru we started to see familiar territory as we rounded ben macduibh and approached the river dee. So the parts of the route i thought would be tough were fine lairig ghru fords of avon crossing and the lairig an laoigh which i hadnt considered as being difficult was the hardest. As you enter the lairig, an optional detour follows the narrow path branching off to the left crossing a footbridge over the dee to corrour bothy. These routes keep low but should still be on any mountain walkers dream list. The lairig ghru dartmoor hiking two blondes walking. We had been hiking and climbing a lot and the weather was marginal with wind in the forecast. Solving the lairig ghru walk logistical nightmare fionaoutdoors. Mar 16, 2014 not having been right through the lairig ghru pass that splits the heart of the cairngorms for some time and knowing that it is particularly magnificent when under snow i decided to go that way and then curve round the high mountains and return via the more easterly pass of the lairig an laoigh.
It includes 18 munro summits of the region and the smaller hills outside the main range. Walking scotlands lairig ghru by martin rye section hikers. Wind speeds in the cairngorms can easily exceed 90 mph in the lairig ghru, strong enough to pick up a walker and dash them onto rocks. The going was slow as i picked my way down and my knees felt the descent but otherwise it was uneventful.
This great gorge features some of scotlands most revered winter mountains and this image shows its western aspect. Not having been right through the lairig ghru pass that splits the heart of the cairngorms for some time and knowing that it is particularly magnificent when under snow i decided to go that way and then curve round the high mountains and return via the more easterly pass of the lairig an laoigh. Lairig ghru descent mountain biking trail in rothiemurchus. The pinnacle provides magnificent views of scotlands second highest peak, ben macdui, to the west, and scotlands third, fourth and fifth highest peaks to the east. The traditional lairig ghru path goes down through the forest on the northeast side of the allt druidh to a junction of paths at nh938075 where a right turn leads northeast to the west end of loch morlich, and a left turn leads in 1km to the cairngorm club footbridge, erected in 1912, and in a further 3km to coylumbridge, 2. I noticed on the mbr route card after my ride that they use the phrase self flagellation to describe riding the lairig ghru. We kept to the left just above the stream flowing next to the allt a choire mhoir which took the sting out of the steep descent and within 30 minutes we were down on the valley floor.
Ben macdui via faicaill ridge scramble with a descent into. Author tranature quiet moments in nature posted on may 6, 2018 may 11, 2018 categories nature, photography, poetry tags cairngorms national park, carpe diem crossroads 8 first snow, carpe diem spring retreat 2018 light of, fpj photo challenge, haiku, lairig ghru, photography, poetry. Thats what i like about the route, its different everytime. Time to be confirmed we will be asking our friends and family to sponsor us and money raised for rags to riches romanian dog rescue will be used for a neutering campaign in romania to prevent even more dogs suffering check. Lairig ghru descent mountain biking trail aviemore. Once used as a drover road, and by travelers for centuries, there is history in abundance as well as the scenery when hiking the lairig ghru. This one is the lairig ghru descent, a fast flowing ribbon of singletrack heaven. The popular towns of aviemore and braemar are linked by an exceptionally fine mountain track, and a journey on foot between the two centres makes for an exhilarating 28mile adventure. For others there are easy, sandy trails wandering among the tall pines and along the banks of the great rivers spey, nethy and dee. Like many traditional routes, the ends of the route through the lairig ghru are like the ends of a frayed rope. Nan shepherd and the cairngorms in midoctober i received an email from the awardwinning nature writer robert macfarlane to say he had just returned from a bbc.
Make sure you have water before entering the forest. It climbs to an altitude of 835 metres and crosses through the central cairngorms, one of the wildest areas in the country, and is a true classic walk. It is a very strenuous walk and only for fit and experienced hikers. The views of the valley were spectacular and although i saw a party in the valley as i descended they were gone once i got to the bottom, i had the lairig ghru to myself. After all, youll see more from the valley than up top in a whiteout. The lairig ghru path again gradually climbs up to its high point of 835m grid ref. Self guided lairig ghru logistics with the help of scot. Below is a picture looking south as i descended out of the clouds. Lairig ghru can give you an undiluted mountain bike experience that wont be forgotten so long as your body can take it. Up via white bridge isnt the traditional start to the lairig ghru though. To anyone considering riding taking your bike through the lairig ghru, i would suggest you think about it long and hard. However, as it links the thieves road to the lairig ghru, a longer and more nefarious history can be surmised.
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