2011 – pugsley – atholl > glen geldie and glen feshie
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frosty chain
Note the links at the bottom which are frozen – it took some effort to force them to flex the first time.
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frozen path, cairngorm backdrop
The forest in the middle distance is by Chest of Dee.
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watching....
Always difficult to capture in pictures; hundreds of deer lowed and bellowed all morning.
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third ford, geldie burn, 24" deep
This was a precarious crossing over the "stepping stones" on the left, using the Pugsley as support. The bike was trying to float away, which did not help. Two boots filled with cold water... The mountain-bikers on the other side had disappeared by the time I had crossed – not especially considerate, I thought.
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ruined building by geldie burn confluence
An NTS sign warns it is a dangerous building.
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footbridge over allt dhàidh mòr
The adjacent ford is at least 24" deep and very fast-flowing.
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ford and geldie lodge ruin
Another ford to splash through, 18" in the middle, enough to wet the hubs.
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rough track begins
Six miles of hike-a-bike starts, all rough, rocky, boggy and very wet.
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boggy track
Actually a good section...
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upper glen feshie
Watershed finally crossed, but the rough track continues for some miles.
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approaching the gorge of the river eidart
The waterfalls of the hidden river can be heard from some distance away.
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footbridge over the river eidart
This river would be impassable were it not for this bridge. The approaches on both sides follow steep banks and are very narrow.
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"new" estate road with deep fords...
The OS map is hopelessly dated – the estate road crosses the River Feshie twice here, the original route having succumbed to landslides at least ten years ago. The ford looked to be at least 36" deep and 60' across, not to be attempted with the Pugsley.
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route of old estate road, destroyed by multiple landslides
A narrow footpath follows the original route, precariously crossing several washouts.
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crossing landslide on old estate road route
One of several washouts; the burns swell hugely when in spate.
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old pine forest in upper glen feshie
A portion of the original estate track through an idyllic historic landscape.
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path along feshie where old estate road has been washed away
Again the OS map is wrong: the old estate road has been completely washed away, the new one involves fording the river again, and a narrow footpath clings to the bank of the Feshie.
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muddy track in glen feshie, approaching the only surviving bridge
The bridge above this one, shown on the OS map, has long been washed away, so that a long walk is required to reach the substantial bridge at NN850964.
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pugsley on the estate road west of the feshie
From this end it is clear that there will be no more bridges! About eight miles to Kingussie from here, in a hurry to catch the train.
