Linn O’Dee to Corrourmountain bike

A monday off allowed me to join up with a friend for the first ‘real mountain’ mountain-bike trip in a very long time. The plan was to head off from Linn O’Dee and do a loop to Corrour bothy and then back via White Bridge.

A quick modification to the start – heading up past the waterfall – most people take the direct route from the car park and miss out on this fabulously scenic stretch of single track

Lui blues n greens in the morning sun

After soaking up the aquamarine wonders of the Lui, it was back on landy track to Derry Lodge and then heading west to Luibeg

Carn a Mhaim ahead
The trail follows the burn

The crisp mountain air hadn’t cleared early morning brain fog apparently as took a wrong left turn fording across the Luibeg burn too early which led to dragging the bike across heather as the double-track on the map didn’t really amount to much on the ground.

Huffing and puffing dragging bike across heather.. but that view!
Carn a Mhain left, Sron Riach centre, Derry Cairngorm right

We regained the correct path below Carn a Mhaim, slabby and rocky. Glad of the full-suspension bike on this.

Slabby trail pointing to Beinn Bhrotain

The track begun to head down getting steeper and lumpier, a few close ‘over the bar’ moments. A big bang on the rear wheel sounded ominous but managed to keep rolling to the River Dee

Getting lumpier. There’s a few very lumpy and twisty bits, care needed.
Devil’s point to the left, Carn a Mhaim ridge right. A spectacular panorama
Crossing the footbridge across the Dee near Corrour bothy. Cracking view up the Lairig Ghru
Stopping at the bothy for lunch and repairs
Wheels up to Ben Macdui
Closer look at remnants of an avalanche
Corrour and Devil’s Point

Bike back in working order we headed south. I’d not done this on bike before but on foot my memory was that it was quite boggy, and certainly there’s a fair bit of that. Not a good place to cycle when wet, today it’s reasonable but my feet still get a soaking pushing through some unrideable sections.

Devil’s point
Heading down Glen Dee now on a more solid ground
Water refill break. Beinn Bhrotain behind
Old shielings

Although these ruins are with a few hundred years old, recent research suggests that this area was fairly active with human settlement many thousands of years ago.

Beinn a Ghlo to the south
Chest of Dee has interesting quartz veins underwater
Chest of Dee long exposure

Beyond chest of Dee it’s smooth track back to the start. 30km in total.

Looking back to White Bridge

Afterwards I looked into other reports of this route: quite a few folk reckon it’s better the other way around: push up from Corrour, but then the long slabby descent to Luibeg.

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