Cairngorm Mysteries: Bikepacking to Discover River Dee's Source -

Bikepacking for adventure! We head back to Braemar where our previous mission into the Laraig Ghru was halted due to the deep snow. We ride out from Braemar to finish what we started in December! to venture into the infamous Laraig Ghru in search of the source of the River Dee. Two small lochans known as the "Pools of Dee" high up in the glen between 4 of Scotlands tallest mountains.

Our mountain bike ride in to the glen had peat bogs, river fords, some tough hike-a-bike but was rewarded with one of the most epic views we have had on any mountain bike trip. Huge butresses of rock towering high in this central glen of the Cairngorm mountain range created a amphitheatre of stone on a scale so large we just paused to absorb it all, in awe of this wild place. What a place to wildcamp. We tested our new Big Agnes Sleeping mats and a new gadget to help with their significantly larger volume.

On day two we rode our bikepacking rigs further out with Cairn Toul, Ben Macdui, Braeriach and the Cairngorm Plateau on all sides as we continued in search of the source of the Dee, 144km away from where it joins the sea on Scotland's east coast by Aberdeen.

There was still snow on the tops of the mountains feeding the rivers and streams. We reach the snow line made up of more sheltered spots along the way where the snow hadn't melted. Up there it still feels like winter. On the way to the Pools of Dee the mountain biking was tough with some challenging paths and rock features to overcome. But on the way out, with a little help from gravity we had some fantastic alpine style mountain biking opportunities that you wont find outside of these wild glens. It certainly tested us as well as our Pipedream Moxie's and our tyres, gears and bikepacking luggage. Come join us for the adventure!

Here is a link to part one of this adventure series:
   • The Bikepacking Trip We Couldn't Fini...  

The wonderful Mar Lodge Estate is by The National Trust for Scotland. It is Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve, find out more here.
https://www.nts.org.uk/venue-hire/mar...

If looking to know more about bothies in Scotland you can visit the Mountain Bothy Association website here:
https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/

For some great information on not only your rights of access but crucially how you can make sure you meet the guidelines for responsible access to the outdoors, for updates on bird flu and information on the deer stalking season check out the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website here:
https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/


Here is the playlist for our 7 part series on riding 700km in 7 days on the west Coast of Scotland:
   • ROAM Scotland Rally '22  

#bikepacking #mountainbiking #adventurecycling #scotland #laraigghru #cairngorms #braemar #cycletouring #cyclinglife #wildcamping #cyclingvlog #visitscotland

Our Bikepacking equipment choices: (No affiliate links at the time of publishing)

Navigation: @outdooractive_official Outdoor Active
https://www.outdooractive.com/en/

Bikes we ride: @pipedreamcycles Pipedream Moxie Mk1 - Most similar current model tailored for bikepacking would be the Sirius.
https://www.pipedreamcycles.com/

Bike Packing Luggage: AcePacbags
https://www-acepac-bike.translate.goo...

NEW Fork Bags: @TailfinCycling Tailfin Cargo Cages & Cage Packs
https://www.tailfin.cc/product/cargo-...

Tent: @MSRGear MSR Hubba Hubba
https://www.msrgear.com/ie/tents/back...

Water filter: @Platyhydration Platapus Gravity Works
https://www.platy.com/ie/filtration/g...

Energy : Active Root - @activeroot8925 Active Root (Original Ginger)
https://activeroot.co.uk/

Attributions:
The music in this video is licensed through https://www.Audiio.com
I highly recommend them, there is a great range of music and effects for making videos.