This one just disappears into a bog

I think “Mirk Fell” is a clue to this 🙂

An Caorann Mor – the track from Cluanie to Alltbeithe. Sucks you in by starting great, then deteriorates into an unrideable, boggy, heathery mess once it’s too late to turn back.

Second that.

The other one that sticks in my memory is Tomintoul to Linn of Dee via Fords of Avon although admittedly the route guide said we’d be cursing our bikes for about 8 miles.

I bet the bloke’s family were pi55ing themselves at the funeral… [:?]

Thanks for the lesson in sanctimony. I found the idea laughable rather than the alleged bloke’s demise…

I can vouch for Househusband’s routes involving some “interesting” terrain, even though it looks do-able on the map!!
My own personal epic is thinking that Glen Nevis was ridable!! 6 miles and 3hrs later of having to carry 2 bikes (GF had major sense of humour failure), we finally got to something ridable!

Minigaig Pass.

Big push up from Glen Bruar, wee bit of a path which soon disappeared as the mist came down. Dead reckoning by compass which picked up tantalising snippets of rideable trail down to an endless bog by the river leading into Glen Tromie.

Top day!

cheers, I have indeed been thinking of trying this as an alternative to the downhill to Kirkland! BTW, looking at the map, I see the top of Cross Fell is 893m, making it nearly as high as the highest Lakeland summits!

Of course, I’ve been warned off other BWs which turned out to be good …

Simon, there is a track for about 100yds then it dissapears into boggy marshland. I have checked my gps info and we averaged 2.5mph for 2.5mls. We had to bail on the route we planned and decided to walk up and over to the top of crossfell which meant going through the scree

The bridleway N of Crossfell that comes to the Alston road, turned out to be an hours hike but was followed by a v. bumpy down hill.

Which one is this? GR

Great thread! Have done the one toward Ben Lomond that househusband mentions and the also the one that TJ did.

ScoobysM8 – how did you get from Tomintoul to Fords of Avon? Up Glen Avon? If so that’s pretty straightforward! From then on to Linn of Dee isn’t too bad either – MTFU!!!

Shortbread – thats at least 4 of us done that one! Next time I go in that area I’ll put up a sign “no singletrack this way”

Was that Gleann Chomhraig?

druidh – yes

Cool – I’ll mark it as such!

Which one is this? GR

I think they mean Maiden Way & Meg’s Cairn (NY 651344 to NY 677424)

Ahh yes. We discussed that on the ride.

Maidens Way isn’t worth the effort IMO, but certainly not unrideable for the most part (unless you choose wet and soft conditions 😉 ). That one round the back of Cross Fell is a blast though- whilst all the main tracks are huge hardpacked things that you could hardly miss in a zero visibility snowstorm, that one crosses a couple of km of largely featureless bog without a single marker. As a bonus, if you’re lucky you might fall down an old mineshaft, otherwise you can make do with peat hags and waist deep bog. Good route in winter if you have skis or a sledge though, holds snow pretty well- there was some up there last week still.

[Hijack] The Littlest Hobo- be interested to know if you saw any snow patches round there- a couple of the shake holes seemed to be pretty deep still last week and there was a couple of small fields melting fast. Notice any? [/Hijack]

Two chaps I know cycled four or five miles on full-on DH bikes to check this out:

http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/trails-around-the-world/europe-trails/trails-europe-united-kingdom/trail/PRD_167202_4539crx.aspx

It turned out to be three muddy jumps in a wood…