Only just, but I did put some wheel tracks in the snow
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Nice - where's that? I wish I didn't live so far south...
Lochnagar, between Braemar and Ballater. First time I've done it but definitely not the last. The descent from the top down Glas Allt must be about the best in the country - 5.5km, 750m descent of pure singletrack/rocky heaven.
Heck I was riding in a thin sleeve-lees jersey yesterday in Somerset!
Where did you start from and end up, Captain? I've been trying to work out a route round about there for a while. Belter of a picture!
I don't care how big the hills are or how free the access is. You can keep that weather.
Looks brilliant. What was your route?
Parked at Easter Balmoral - turn up the road to the distillery then go left at a little crossroads and there is a parking area just on the corner. Head towards the building and turn left in front of it. This road leads to a gate to a landrover track - after about 200m turn left and you are on the long track heading up the east side of Lochnagar (goes on to Loch Muick).
Take the obvious path to the right up to Lochnagar - this is about 50/50 push/carry, but you do gain height very quickly. When you get to the bealach at Meikle Pap follow the path on round towards the corrie. There is a fantastic stone staircase all the way to the plateau. Short rocky descent to the point where you can choose either to carry on up and round to the summit or just head down the very obvious path down Glas Allt.
Brilliant path, all upgraded with cyclable rock ladders and pretty well all the water bars are jumpable. We ran out of time as one of the group was struggling, so we ended up peeling off left 3/4 of the way down to take the path that contours back round to the Meikle Pap path - this was 95% rideable as the conditions were pretty dry. Had intended to drop right down to the loch, turn left and head down to pick up the track at Inchnabobart that heads back to Easter Balmoral, or turn left at Allt na Guibhsaich if we fancied the extra climb. The bottom section of the Glas Allt track from the waterfall is very steep but according to one of the other STW posters is mostly rideable with care. Definitely want to do it next time - any volunteers?
It would be much easier to do it from the Loch Muick car park, but if you are coming from the Braemar direction it is about and extra 45 mins from Easter Balmoral/Crathie to the Loch Muick car park, and you don't get the fantastic views into the Lochnagar corrie
Didn't manage a ride yesterday, but it was warm enough to pick the kids up from school in shorts and t-shirt. You can keep snow up north for a while thanks.....
For a 750m vertical descent over 5km and gobsmacking views I am more than happy to put up with a little coldness. MTFU 🙂
I've ridden down from the Meikle Pap col before, which was fun, but it was only as an access ride to get at Eagle Ridge (got rained off though). Also did this ride a few months back, which includes some of your route in reverse - great riding down to Glen Callater. I'd be keen to do some more exploring up there (got two weeks holiday coming up soon...)
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For a 750m vertical descent over 5km and gobsmacking views I am more than happy to put up with a little coldness. MTFU
Yup I would gladly take that deal too. Sounds awesome.
Simper, simper, I don't like the cold
Bloody Southern Jessies.
Very jealous, I love riding in the snow. Only happens about once a year here now, bloody global warming... I have Australian cousins who have never seen snow 😯
CaptainMainwaring - Member
For a 750m vertical descent over 5km and gobsmacking views I am more than happy to put up with a little coldness. MTFU
Yep, a true southern softie here. 😉
Just curious, is it normal for it to be snowing there in October? And when does it warm up and stop?
IdleJon - yes it is. Not unusual to see a touch of snow on Ben Rinnes on Speyside in September and it's quite a bit lower than the snowy pic CaptainManwaring posted. I've also seen snow on the Cairngorms in late June so on the mountain tops there's potential for snow almost all year round. It's a British climate though so very variable - you can't predict exactly when things warm up or get colder!
Given the weather we had on Saturday I'm not surprised you had a wee bit of snaw. I'd rather have had that than the 60+mph winds on Saturday. I'm fair jealous, looks a top ride.
It's a British climate though so very variable - you can't predict exactly when things warm up or get colder!
Down here in South Wales, the only predictable thing is rain. Lots of it.
We get about 1 or 2 days of snow of any sort per year - normally in about Feb.
We really have only just finished summer here - yesterday felt like a pleasant late summer day.
Aside from the odd day of rain it's been pretty dry up in Fife for the past 5 weeks or so....whenever I've been to Wales the weather has been utterly gash though!
The Sun has this pic of Cairngorm today:
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It's so warm in Somerset this evening I've been wandering outside in a T'Shirt. Mad island we live on.
Apparently its going to be a mild winter - according to the met office anyway....
Now where did i put the snowboard?
Apparently its going to be a mild winter - according to the met office anyway....
Ah, but according to the Rowan trees buckling under the weight of their berries in my back garden, it's going to be a proper winter like we haven't had in years...
Didn't the MET forecast a scorcher for this summer. I rarely trust them to get it right more than one day in advance, but to be fair to them, its only a calculated guess.
Didn't the MET forecast a scorcher for this summer.
Not really - they said there was something like a 64% chance of it being a better than average summer I think.
Stuart, do you know if you can reasonably get from the end of the Dubh Loch up beside the Allt an Dubh Loch to the path from Glen Callater? If so you could get 2 top descents by doing Meikle Pap up to Lochnagar, down Glas Allt, NW along Loch Muick and past the Dubh Loch then down to Glen Callater.
Alternatively there is allegedly a path from the top of the bealach between Carn an Sagairt Mor and Carn an Sagairt Beg down to the path shown on the OS map at the 727m point which then drops down into the Feindallacher glen.
If you fancy some exploring I am currently unemployed so would happily join in.
Stuartie-c when are your hols? I might join you for a midweek jaunt up that way too.
There is a cold front slowly making its way down with the end of the summer on it I think. Tomorrow it will be 0 up here and 17 down on the south coast just ahead of the front!
I wouldn't swap the weather here in Moray for anywhere else and given that I travelled the world as the son of a serviceman and then did 23 years myself I've experienced an awful lot of it. That doesn't explain whether I'm a glutton for cold pish weather or whether the weather here is nice and I'm not telling.
Captain that doesn't count. Strike it off the list. If your bike can't stand unsupported in the snow it isn't a snowy ride! I had 17 last winter. By this time in Oct I had done 2!
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TLR - it's the climb up Ben Aigan. October last year with Chipbutty of this parish.
2nd one is top of Glen Feshie before you head back down through Inshriach and Bhadan Dubh.
DeVs, thanks for the correction. I am obviously guilty of Sun type exaggeration 🙁 . Not sure I've got the fitness or madness to try a Munro in those conditions
Captain, McM.,
I'm on holiday for the next two weeks, starting Saturday. I'm busy until the middle of next week but have no plans after that. Lets keep an eye on the weather and decide nearer the time.
SC