Can anyone help ID a trail, I read about it I think last year in MBRs trail of the year.. but no longer have the mag. It was an out and back ride, in the Highlands, that went up to a Dam, then back down a natural trail on the other side of the valley… ring any bells with anyone ?

I think it won trail of the year.

Glen Tilt?

Keiran’s path and Devils staircase?

Ciaran Path

I reckon black water dam

How far into the highlands? Glen Finglass? Was it a hydro-electric dam?

Kingshouse – Devils Staircase to Blackwater dam – Cieran path to Kinlochleven – Devils Staircase back to Kingshouse.

That’d be my guess.

My photies are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/stirlingcrispin/DevilsStaircase_050409#

Yep – Definitely the Cieran Path. Uncle Kenny says so:
http://www.mountainbikescotland.com/MBR6ofthebest.html

Ciaran Path rings a bell… worth doing then ?

too right. totally doable on a rigid singlespeed, …enjoy

real men use fixed cross bikes.

one of my favourite routes in scotland. well worth it.

Did it on cyclo-x a couple o years back, a little bumpy but very enjoyable.

Ciaran path would be my bet having just read the latest wide open mag. Go have a look at that si, some pictures should jog your memory. See you in the morning.

It’s the ciaran path.

It’s rubbish- no flow, no real gradient. Has mincecore written all over it, though there are some techy bits.

cheers all… that certainly looks like the one.

It’s rubbish- no flow, no real gradient. Has mincecore written all over it, though there are some techy bits.

Sorry, I’m crap at detecting online sarcasm.. is that sarcasm ? I’ve read its supposed to be amazing…

Nah – spokecycles has strange tastes – he enjoyed doing Ben Nevis which I see no point in at all. hours of carrying / pushing your bike to ride down a long staircase

Sorry, but I just don’t get the Ciaran Path. Did in September last year in great conditions so should have been brilliant. It actually seemed to be a succession of very steep bits covered in loose rubble, so doable but not very pleasant, followed by short rubble covered ascents where you needed to push. I reckon it took about 4x as long as it should have done if it had been a normal downhill track.

Also remember the bridge over the burn does not exist any more, so in spate it would be really dangerous to cross as there is a big drop to the left IIRC

Devil’s Staircase though is the dogs danglers so worth doing Kingshouse to Kinlochleven and back

This one:

Pap of Glencoe, Loch Leven & Mamore Lodge by alanach_d, on Flickr

cheers, Thanks for that.

I guess my original question should have been broader too…

Planning week long trip to Scotland – near Fort Bill- what natural trails are on the must do list ?

Cheers

spokecycles has strange tastes

i concur.

imo, the ciaran path has a bit of everything. and when coupled with the devils staircase, makes for a great day out.

Sorry, but I just don’t get the Ciaran Path. Did in September last year in great conditions so should have been brilliant. It actually seemed to be a succession of very steep bits covered in loose rubble, so doable but not very pleasant, followed by short rubble covered ascents where you needed to push. I reckon it took about 4x as long as it should have done if it had been a normal downhill track

Totally agree. Would have been my personal nomination for ‘Disappointment of the year’.

If you have the legs for some big miles, start at Kinlochleven, ride to Fort William via the WHW then to Spean Bridge via the Leanachan Forest Trails. Then ride up to the Lairig Leacach, descend to the Abhain Rath (technical loose singletrack) then follow the river to loch treig. From there you climb back up to Loch Chiarain and from there you can descend the Ciarain path proper, the section between the loch and the damn is initially very good, with about 1km before the damn which isn’t so good.

Then you could follow the descent discussed above ^ to Kinlochleven. I make it about 75km.

Alternatively, for a shorter route, you could descend to the Abhain Rath and then cross it, following the landrover track past Lochs Eilde Mor and Beag towards Mamore Lodge and follow one of the obvious descents to the village from there.

The word from the true mountain hard men I know is that the best descent in Scotland is the one in Glen Shiel. 😉

sounds interesting monkey boy……more info if you please ?

I agree the Ciaran path was the big let down for me last year,In exellent conditions too,Big loose rocks at the top, two or three nice sections (steps) in the middle but no flowey stuff at all.

We have better trails in the Lakes than that!

I preffered the Devils stair case loop,or Torridon is much better imho

Do you mean me or hungry monkey?

The Glen Shiel one is Bealach an Sgairne into Gleann Coinneachain. I haven’t ridden it myself, was in the area with the camping gear on my back and chickened out, especially since I’d have had to regain the height via Bealach na Sroine anyway.

I think the guys I was talking to hadn’t ridden in Torridon by that point, so dunno how it would compare to the descents there. Doubt its as fast or flowy as the Annat descent.

no flow, no real gradient

Who cares about gradient? If you’ve got an average all-day bike then too much gradient just means more braking and less fun as far as I’m concerned, give me a gradual descent where you can actually attack corners and go fast. Nothing more mincey than hanging off the back braking all the time I reckon 😉

sounds interesting monkey boy……more info if you please ?

If you meant me, i meant this –

Kingshouse – Devils Staircase to Blackwater dam – Cieran path to Kinlochleven – Devils Staircase back to Kingshouse.

Doing this has… technical climbing, easy climbing, fast descending, technical descending, loose descending, cafe/chip shop/spar, a bit of pushing, good surfaces, water crossings, short sharp climbing etc (all in no particular order)

it is a bit ‘bitty’ in places, but there is loads of variety in there, and i think its ace. plus you get to cross a dam (slightly illegitimately)

anyway, horses for courses. i thought the DH tracks in morzine were crap, but plenty of people enjoy them (spokescycles…).

sorry, you can never find a monkey when you need one then 2 come along at the same time
13th, sounds like a spring road trip is needed……….now where did i put those maps,
cheers for the info, ill defo check it out
hungry,
couldnt agree more, top day out with a bit of everything, finished with the d.s. “backwards” for the first time last year ….certainly more fun than riding back up the glens on the road

as for the cairan path, did you ride it cos a magazine told you too, gavgas ?

if I remember correctly it had been described as one of the best trails ever!

I do ride trails on good recomendations,and it would be fair to assume the writers were well informed,how wrong I was! 👿 😐

Rode the Ciaran trail last weekend – really built up in my mind to be the greatest thing ever.

Granted it was raining and chilly, and the path was river for the most part and the top part was axle deep mud, but setting that aside, it is a +1 from me for “disappointment of the year”.

Last km into the village was a great track, but the top 7km was cack imo.

Just didn’t get it. Maybe have to try again in the summer but wasn’t that impressed – much better tracks around that area than that one.

Old thread about Ciaran Path