One for the Scottish experts, though people of non-Scottish provenance are welcome to respond constructively (cat, pigeons... :D)
Has anyone ridden the following circuit of Ben Lomond:
Start at Rowardennan, along WHW to Cailness (I know this bit). LRT East through Gleann Gaoithe and on to Gleann Dubh, through forest to Bruach Cadrainn Burn and the Moin Each on to pick up the bottom part of the Ben Lomond path, finishing at Rowardennan.
Any comments about quality of riding/bogginess/suitability for this time of year appreciated.
Thanks,
SC
sounds like a giggle stu, when do you want to do it ?
Got some pals thinking of it this weekend, hoping things will be nicely frozen. I'm planning being up north so I'll miss it but it's one for the future if it turns out to be a good 'un.
I've also been thinking about this one for a while.
Interested to here from anyone thats done it.
*pulls up a chair*
It is all nicely frozen around here at the moment. I rode the offroad way home and only had a couple of wet bits on what is a summer bog-fest.
I seem to remember the path after Bruach Cadrainn Burn getting a bit indistinct but you just contour round the hill until you hit the tourist path. It required a bit of pushing when i did it in summer.
Did you ride any of the rest of this loop slw?
It's ok but not a classic tbh..
If the forest roads / turf is frozen it will certainly be a pleasant enought few hours but that stretch of forest road through gleann gaoithe and gleann dubh suffers quite badly with frost heave - Like pedalling thro treacle
Similarly the singletrack that emerges across moin eich pretty much fails to deliver until you get to the tourist path. Final 2 kliks are good tho 😉
Stuart, I rode this a couple of years ago. The route was good aside from the section Heather Bash alludes too. I failed to find much track across Moin Eich and it was boggy old trudge! The descent down the bottom half of Ben Lomond was ace though and the climb up from Cailness will get your heart rate up 😉
I walked up Ben Lomond from Kinlochard last winter, thereby taking in the Gleann Dubh to Moin Eich section. As Heather Bash says, the section along the Rinzoorach Burn was very soft - despite there still being snow and ice on the Ben itself. The section from the forest edge to the Moin Eich had an indistinct path, wandering across some pretty bleak and tussocky terrain.
I started at Loch Chon then joined the OP's route to Ben Lomond. Agreed Moin Each was a trudge, and climb from Cailness was evil! I've not been tempted to do it again. TBH i'd rather push a bike up the tourist path and (considerately) ride back down.
Hi Stuartie, never routed it quite the way you're planning, but here's my tuppence.
Great fun descent to Cailness but pig if done as a climb; Bruach Cadrainn Burn and the Moin Each are relatively painless bogfest carries, and assuming not thigh deep in snow, now's as good a time as any.
Used to ride there regularly, either: loch chon>Bruach Cadrainn Burn>Moin Each>Ben Lomond>Rowardennan>Inversnaid>Loch Chon
or
Loch Chon>Gleann Dubh>Gleann Gaoithe>Cailness>Inversnaid>Loch Chon
🙂
Thanks guys - lots of useful info there.
Thanks for the help Stuartie / everyone,
Turns out that I cann't make it this weekend but will look into everyones advice a bit more, and then keep it on the back burner for another cold weekend.
CN
I will be up next week, looking to ride near Ben Lomond, anyone up for it? Sorry to hijack!