Alyth to Aviemore (almost!)

Recovery from the fastpack a few days ago was swift and a very positive sign that both fitness and leg conditioning are returning quickly.

Given my circumstances, I have a real advantage whereby I can plan outings around the best weather, rather than being confined to weekends or particular days and hoping for good conditions. Thus, following some biblical hail here in Dundee two days ago, the weather is shaping up again for a couple of really good days ahead. On further investigation, I could see that this forecast was solid for a good way north of here as well.

Some recent runs, particularly the Monega Hill loop a couple of weeks ago, put me in mind of previous attempts to complete a continuous trip on foot to Aviemore. I tried it once before on the same route but abandoned at Braemar. I hadn’t paced myself well and a combination of fatigue and lesser motivation got the better of me. I have since been resolved to rectify that and that was my intention for this trip.

The route was to be Alyth to Aviemore. Firstly, because they both begin with the letter A. No seriously, it is very difficult to start from Dundee but a 35 minute bus ride to Alyth takes you to an ideal start point for the journey, albeit with a number of miles of very quiet tarmac in the early stages. This however is a good opportunity to cover some extensive early ground without applying too much effort (hopefully!).

The route goes over the Hill of Alyth, then travelling on minor roads through Kilry and over the hill to Bridge of Brewlands. From there, it is another couple of miles to Forter and thereafter a further three miles to Auchavan. From Auchavan, the route continues off road, following the Monega Path up onto the Southern Cairngorm plateau, skirting past the munro summits of Glas Maol, Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc before descending back down to Loch Callater. A few more miles then take one to the crossing of the A93 before the last couple of miles down the old military road past the golf course into Braemar.

Braemar is the halfway point in all respects. The section to Braemar will be completed overnight, arrival roughly timed to coincide with the opening of the shop at 0700. This will enable a rest and calorie refresh before the second leg. It is also an abort point should things not be going well, although the bus and train journey from Braemar via Aberdeen back to Dundee is a long one!

The second half would follow the road to Mar Lodge, the track to Derry Lodge and thereafter the traverse over the Lairig an Laoigh to Ryvoan and eventually Glenmore.

The Lairig Ghru would be a little shorter but I really can’t be arsed with the boulder field unless I am in the mood and I certainly won’t be with about 50 miles under my belt by that point. Also, The Lairig an Laoigh route goes via Glenmore which does also provide a final abort opportunity cutting about 6 miles off the full journey to Aviemore.

The Old Logging Way would complete the journey from Glenmore into Aviemore although the bus will be very tempting at that point!! The plan would be to arrive in Aviemore in the afternoon to pick up one of the last trains back to Dundee.

Overall, about 64 miles but only about 2,150 metres or so of elevation so not too taxing on that score.

So, Saturday arrived and I stuffed my face during the day and tried to have a kip in the late afternoon. Then, it was across the road (quite literally!) for the 2230 bus to Alyth.

This turned out to be much busier than usual as there was some kind of music event in Camperdown Park which affected traffic and the number of loud, pissed people that got onto the bus.

By the time I was off the bus and sorted, it was 2330 when I set off, up through the town to the steep track that climbs the Hill of Alyth. This got the blood pumping and after the brief intermission of single-track down the other side, I hit the tarmac.

Now, as I alluded to earlier, I have always enjoyed this tarmac section which lasts right up until Mile 15. The quiet country roads are deserted at that time of night and on the long climb up to the top of the hill between Kilry and Bridge of Brewlands, there was just about enough moonlight to trudge the road without the headtorch on. The key on this section was economy of effort and I adopted a very deliberate walk/run policy, running short sections only to preserve my legs and to keep the average pace somewhere around 13 mins/mile. My heartrate stayed low, and I reached Auchavan in around three hours.

I ran right through Auchavan to Tulchan, my intention to refresh water and consume some calories before the climb up Monega Hill. So, I stopped at the burn below the start of the climb, wondering how I ended up back here so soon after my Monega Hill loop outing only a couple of weeks ago.

I felt strong as I started the climb and although I was wearing long sleeves, there was no wind and the temperature was perfect. I followed the familiar track up and over Little Glas Maol before cutting off to follow the Monega path at the point where one normally ascends Glas Maol itself.

After rounding the slopes of Glas Maol, there is a nice runnable downhill section on good grassy track before a sharp right turn that takes the path down a little more before starting the gradual ascent towards Cairn of Claise. Yet another example of how the top always looks closer than it actually is but I was very much enjoying this night foray across the plateau. As I reached the crest, the sky had started to colour red and dawn was imminent.

The track from Cairn of Claise to Carn an Tuirc is another very runnable downhill section and it was about this point that there was enough light to switch off the headtorch.

The track climbs a little around Carn an Tuirc, the steep slopes down into Coire Loch Kander plunging away down to the right.

Then came the horror that is the descent to Loch Callater. Now, this is all downhill so you might wonder why. Firstly, much of it is steep enough to make for uncomfortable running, especially when your main goal is to preserve your quads. Secondly, it is rocky as f*!k so the risk of tripping on tired legs is high. Lastly, the track weaves its way down and around and it just seems to go on for ever.

The plus side were the views that could be enjoyed as dawn took hold. Thick clouds of mist hung over Loch Callater below and I could see that there was a thick mist over Braemar down in the Dee valley ahead.

There were a number of tents around the bothy at Loch Callater when I arrived, but no-one stirring yet at that point in the morning. I replenished water then set off for the three-mile run down the glen to the main road. This is an average downhill and I adopted the same walk/run rhythm that had served me well in the first 15 miles. The miles disappeared quickly and I was still very much grateful for the cool morning temperatures. At the junction of the A93, the road and river are crossed on before reaching the old military road. About two and a half miles along here took me past the golf course and into Braemar village.

My target had been shop opening and I arrived ten minutes after that time. Pretty good after 32 miles!

I acquired a sausage roll, a couple of bananas and a Coke and after devouring them and replenishing water, I was ready for the off.

This is where I aborted on a previous effort but today was very different. I had paced myself much better with a view to the second stage and I was ready to do it. So, after what was only about 20 minutes, I was off again.

This is a further road section of only about three miles. It climbs gradually before a nice little downhill to the bridge into Mar Lodge. The morning views up the Dee had been most pleasant as any morning mist had long lifted in the sunshine. It remained cool however and I was content to keep the long sleeves on until it was no longer bearable to do so.

I crossed into the Lodge grounds and eventually turned the corner to see the Lodge itself at the head of the drive. It really is a very imposing building.

Then, up to the minor road before turning off onto the path which climbs then eventually descends to meet the main track from Linn of Dee to Derry Lodge.

From the shade of the pines on the track to the open path, the temperature was now rising quickly and I was passed by a number of mountain bikers making their way up the track for a day in the Cairngorms.

It is about eight miles from Braemar to Derry Lodge and by the time I arrived at this busy confluence of routes, it was very warm. I replenished with water, changed into short sleeves and applied sunscreen. Most people seemed to be heading east towards the Luibeg Burn (the Lairig Ghru route) but I headed off up the path into Glen Derry.

This was a long walking section as the path climbs from the outset, up and away from the river. However, it winds through the old pine forest providing shade and some great views. It is also a rocky path and increasing levels of care were required on legs that by now had 40 miles of fatigue in them!

After a brief descent down into the bottom of the glen, the forest was left behind and a mile or so of flatter runnable path followed. The first clear views of the Lairig ahead reminded me of the very difficult rocky journey ahead. Before long, I was climbing, eventually passing the junction of the path to the Hutchison Memorial Hut in the coire above and to the left.

It is not a steep climb, but it is very rocky, under an increasingly warm sun. I was more than happy to reach the top of the Lairig and I sat for about five minutes to eat a little and enjoy the views in both directions. Ahead was now the very technical, albeit downhill section down to the Dubh Lochan and the Fords of Avon just beyond.

I made progress as well as I could on the downhill, trying to strike that uneasy balance between speed and fall prevention. I remembered the last time I was here, on a single day loop round the two Lairigs from Glenmore. That was a cooler day and only 30 miles and I had done this section on fairly fresh legs. This was a different story with 45 miles in the legs!

All that said, I was still moving with a relentless rhythm and eventually I arrived at the Fords of Avon. The water level was low enough to cross with dry feet ( it can be a wade in different conditions) and I was then happy to remove my pack and sprawl on the grass outside the famous Fords of Avon refuge. 

To be honest, I could probably have slept but there was no putting off the next section, probably the most relentlessly demoralising section of the entire journey.

The path skirts in a long loop to the east of Bynack More. However, it really does seem to go on for ever and it is rock hopping for the entire distance. There are a couple of short but steep climbs to focus the mind and test the legs and after what seemed like forever, I was up on the plateau, approaching the junction with the path up to Bynack More summit.

A long downhill then follows, all the way down to the bridge crossing at Bynack Stables. (There was once a stable here but both it and the horses are long gone). This was my last significant refresh before Glenmore. I filled and chugged an entire soft flask of Tailwind and forced down some other calories although I was very much at the stage of feeling sickened by the sweeter calories.

( Side note: I had brought two Flaming Phoenix bars to try on this trip. I am a huge fan of RealMeal bars but these are bloody awful. Basically, like trying to chew and swallow a block of hard-packed sawdust, with a flavour to match. Lesson learned!).

Whilst I had been mulling things over for a while, it was here at Bynack Stables that I resolved to halt the journey at Glenmore. The interminable miles on difficult rocky ground had taken their toll and it was hot by this point. In my mind, I knew I could make it to Aviemore from Glenmore as it is a very civilised track with an average downhill profile. However, it seemed like a needless grind that lacked commensurate reward and I decided it wasn’t what I wanted to do that day.

That decided, I only had to focus my efforts on the final five miles of so to Glenmore.

Once the main track is reached near Ryvoan, I applied myself to a determined effort for the final three miles. Although I was curtailing the overall distance, I still couldn’t bring myself to coast like a zombie in the last remaining distance.

So, I arrived 55.75 miles later at Glenmore, heaving with tourists as you would expect. In the right conditions, the Cairngorms are magnificent. However, there is nothing magnificent about Glenmore on a hot August Sunday.

I had about an hour to wait for the 1545 bus, so I acquired a Coke and crisps and found a vacant bench up by the visitor centre café.

Another brief sojourn was required in Aviemore before I boarded the 1708 train. I could end the story here but there was a final twist. Terrified that I would sleep on the train and find myself at Glasgow Queen Street, I fought the heavy eyelids all the way to Perth. However, I could see the ETA slipping away for no explicable reason and I only had ten minutes between trains at Perth.

Arriving with minutes to spare, I ran (kind of!) over the bridge and to the other platform, arriving just as the Dundee train was pulling out. F@*k!!!!!

It being a Sunday evening, there were no viable bus options and I had no choice but to wait two hours for the next train to Dundee which it turned out was also slightly delayed by a fault on the train. What joy.

So, it was getting on towards 2200 when I finally staggered through my front door. About 20 minutes later, kit cast aside, I finished a blissful shower and got into bed. I slept pretty well.

A few reflections to finish.

I like to set myself challenges but I actually have no regrets about not making it the full distance to Aviemore. I know I could have (easy to say I grant you) but it doesn’t really matter to me that I didn’t. That is reinforced by the knowledge that I won’t feel compelled to have yet another go. There are other things to be done. It was still a very challenging, varied and rewarding outing and I don’t think that 55 miles in a training setting is to be sniffed at.

Kit choices were spot on. I had no foot issues at all, not even a hot spot. The pack was very comfortable until about 45 miles when my shoulders and neck started to stiffen. I never really felt the five kg weight which can only be positive. With hindsight, I took quite a few pieces of kit which I never used. However, I wouldn’t do it any differently if repeated. Contingencies are exactly that and the laws of nature are such that the one time you scrimp on kit is the one time that you wish you hadn’t. These more remote and mountainous locations are not to be approached in cavalier fashion, even in the best of forecasted weather and especially as a solo runner.

I am writing this the morning after. Legs are stiff but surprisingly good and a solid night of coma-like sleep has done wonders. I can taper a bit now with confidence that I am well prepared for the challenge (more relaxed hopefully!) of the GRP in Andorra in a fortnight.