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Hey guys, awesome thread wish I'd seen this before now as I have a couple of months off work and I'm looking to get in some big rides in whilst I'm off.
I'm currently thinking of heading up to do the Neeps loop of Loch Muick, but wonder if anyone has been up recently and whether it's still a do-able ride given all the pish weather recently and also whether I could tag in a ride up to do Broad Cairn as part of the loop?
If the Muick loop you're describing is the one with the Capel Mounth descent it'll been fine.
Myself, Rachael McD and Ben Glencross met yesterday for a Mamores day out. The MWIS forecast promised good clear skies at munro level...hmm.
Route was basically up the rd by Mamore Lodge, left up the pathless hill at the deer gate before the Grey Mares trail then along the summits to Binnein Mor. Our final short climb to Binnein was thwarted by heavy cloud and high winds that whipped up suddenly just after the bealach so we traced down the ridge, cut left down the mountain switchbacks and rode the path around the lochan and down to the one that ends on the banks of Loch Eilde Mor. Then a mile or two to Kennels and finished on that.
Wow. Once up at the top I was in a constant state of awe, giddiness and fear. The most epic views I have ever had while on a bike ride, the most intimidating ridges I've been along, but truly inspiring 🙂 We picked our way along from the first peak, to Na Grugaichean, then the unnamed peak and started toward Binnein Mor top but were forced back before we reached it as high winds and driving rain whipped up out of nowhere making it impossible to see what we were doing. The top descent was more vertigo as a cairn marked the steep switchbacks as they vanished off the top of the ridge before contouring below the corries. Once down the steepest, the riding was sublime. Tight, narrow, rocky, trialsy in many places, and what felt like miles of natural rock slab riding! (makes Dalbeattie look like a miniature rock garden in comparison).
Ace.
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Those wee kiddies trails called Kennels and Grey Mares both visible way below us! [URL= http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/glasgowdan/Mamores%20Aug%202015/DSC_0918%201%20Medium_zpsgrkm5vvq.jp g" target="_blank">
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You can just make out our path on the right of this ridge! [URL= http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/glasgowdan/Mamores%20Aug%202015/DSC_0933%201%20Medium_zpszdhog58x.jp g" target="_blank">
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Miles of this
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My beautiful Casio!
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Ace. Proper ace.
Fantastic stuff. I remember a few years ago looking up to the Binein Mor ridge from Sgurr Eilde Mor and Binein Beag thinking it looked a possibility. On that occasion I'd left the bike nearer Loch Eilde Mor and walked up as I knew the two summits were in no way for bikes (steep boulder fields and scree)
I then realised that the ride down from the upper corrie would have been great.
That thing of never regretting a ride but regretting not riding sometimes gets extended to regretting not having lugged the bike on the shoulder up a massive hill walk.
Has anyone been up Fraochaidh, near Ballachulish? Beinn a Chroin? Is Ben Lui any use on a bike?
Beinn a Chroin
I'd be very interested in this as I've looked at it a few times. It looks like a goer.
Well the best thing to do is just go for it one day with a view to walking a munro while carrying a bike and anything else is a bonus. I'm just on the hunt for stuff that's under a 2hr drive from home. Getting lost and exploring I can do, but driving all day does my head in
Hi Dan
Told you Binean Mor was good! 😀
Anyone tried Creag Meagaidh? I'm thinking of the route going over Carn Liath and Stob Poite Coire Ardair on the way around Coire Ardair. Descent from 'the window' might be problematic so I'm wondering if there's an alternative descent.
No other way,but you can swing back round the ridge after Meagaidh. Also the best way to climb it is to start about 3/4k down from the centre,much more will be bikeable. There is a logging road that goes int the glen and I have done it as a through walk. Much more time on a bike than if you do the midge infested wet hike a bike that the route up Liath is from the main car park.Another alternative is to follow General Wades road from Gergask,although that would leave you with a pig of a bike out,or two cars. If you pm me tonight I will dig out the grid ref of the shorter one.
I'd be very interested to know that route up Carn Liath. Cheers duckman. I'll be getting the train up and riding from Dalwhinnie or Newtonmore. Haven't yet decided whether to storm it in a day or stay up and camp, maybe try Laggan out while I'm up there.
[b][u]Lomond Ptarmigan.[/u][/b]
Granny was over today to watch the boy for a few hours, so I took a wee jaunt up Ben Lomond, seeing as the weather was so utterly perfect and I'd still not made it to the top with a bike!
I made the stop at the wee coffee shop in Drymen on the left just as you come into the village. £4.80 for a roll, proper coffee and some cake, worth a visit.
The plan was to do the Ptarmigan way down. It had been a good few years since I walked this and I basically rode it blind, forgetting what was coming (probably just as well!). As I was on my own I could set my own comfortable pace, stopping only to answer the occasional comment from the hoardes of walkers ("you're making us feel bad as we can barely make it without a bike on our shoulders!"). 50 minutes after leaving the car park I was at the start of the plateau and hopped on to do some pedalling. Plateau my árse! 25 minutes of very nice technical pedalling got me to the final kick and from here the time went by quite quickly. As I got up to the last wee steep I felt a right spring in my step and almost started jogging with the bike-hat adornment, making it to the cairn in a surprising 1:28. There was at least 40 people sitting up top in tshirts enjoying their well earned drinks. The views were amazing.
I stopped long enough to put on the elbow, shin and knee pads, full facer, goggles and all that junk I'd been carrying up the hill, and decided to plop down the Ptarmigan side as the main path was far too busy. I didn't get far before the carrying downhill began. Ok, there was a fair bit of carrying as the steeps up here are simply too nasty to ride down. You could trials hop down if you had the skills. Sadly I don't. The first half of this route was a pain to be honest, not a load of riding, lots of carrying and then some climbing! There are a few stepping stone bogs that were interesting. The rideable bits were lovely, rocky, natural feeling berms on a lot of the corners, boulder gardens that could be floated over if straight lined etc.
The latter part of this route gets very narvy as the bracked hides most of the trail, contouring round the side of the hill there's an epic steep slope to your right all the way to the loch. The hairpins are often rideable but many were not as they really were too sharp (and I'm usually one of the decent ones in the group at the steep tight hairpins). You would be riding a rut and have a 150 degree corner with a rock on the inside with no way to even nose hop round as there's no room for the back end. Added to the exposure I made as much of it as I could. The good bits were good, sublime, excellent riding, the rest was hard work. If I was going up again and wanted good riding I'd do the up and down tourist path. If I wanted the better views, more interesting path and perhaps just a day out I'd do the Ptarmigan again but leave the bike at home!
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Another run up Binnein Mor this weekend, though as the weather wasn't mental we made it to the top, and there were some fine views indeed! A rare day on the summits then 5.4km back down to the loch.
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Went up Ben Macdui on Saturday. It was a fantastic ride. The descent back around Coire an Lochan is just wonderful. I made it down with the very last of usable daylight - this may have made me a bit quicker and more committing on that descent. The reason I was late back was that I decided to run over to Derry Cairngorm and back. I noted what a great descent it would be to ride down to Glen Derry from there. Another time.
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Macdui is more impressive from the other side.
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I so enjoyed that ride back to Coire Cas, I'm wondering if there's something similar up that way that I haven't done yet. In particular, what's Braeriach like? Is it worth a carry up? I'm back up to Aviemore on the train in the morning with no plan as yet but half thinking of doing the Coire an Lochan descent again and head for Chalamain and Lairig Ghru but I'd prefer a few more munros.
Anyone done Braeriach from Chalamain?
I've done Braeriach from Glen Einach. I crapped it a little as I climbed up the steep section to the saddle as there was a lot of hard frozen snow. I ended up wedging myself between the hillside and the snow and gradually edged my way up. It was then mostly a push and carry to the summit as the going is loose. I fancy going back with the fat bike. I enjoyed the descent but the Lairig Ghru path was a bit stop start until I met with the path up from Rothiemurchus Lodge. It was still a good day out!
I rather fancy going up Carn Ban Mor then heading across the great moss on the fat bike before reaching Braeriach and doing all 5 4000 foot mountains. I did MacDui and Cairngorm last month and they were brilliant! The descent of Cnap Coire Na Spreidh was excellent although it gets boggy for a bit when you traverse to the low car park.
Oh and the descent from Derry Cairngorm into Glen Derry is wonderful. I wrote about it in the subscriber only section of issue 101. 😀
Only ridden Chalamain on the path in order to get to the hill above Utsi's Bothy and not travelled through. It would go though if you don't mind a carry over rocks.
Has anyone ridden the descent to Corrour Bothy from the Devils Peak end of the range?
Personally don't think Braeriach is worth it from any direction. The path up from the lairig Ghru is pretty loose, eroded and straight. If you want to do it from that side I wouldn't bother with the Chalamain Gap, just go up the Lairig Ghru.
The descent to Corrour from the Devil's Point would be pretty much all rideable but didn't inspire me to go back having run it recently.
Cheers Spin.
Sorry for the tardy reply. The beta for the Corrour descent is what I was after. It means I can now do the traverse over the great moss by fat bike and not be faced with a long carry down to Corrour.
Sanny
Glasgowdan- Binnein Mor looks pretty technical. I'm going up with a reasonably good rider in a couple of weeks and fancy it. He could do Ben Lomond but it is likely to be his first mountain and I don't want to scare him off. Would it be suitable do you think?
If not are there any decent alternatives in the area?
Thanks.
Aviemore advice...
Weekend booked in summer, looking for at least one decent day out if the weather's good, what are my options going up from Aveiemore side?
How's Macdui from that side? General advice seems to be that the descent down to Loch Etchachan is the best but think that would be better from the Linn of Dee side, whats the descent back down to the ski centre like and do you have to do it as an out and back?
Bynack More looks a goer but probably an out and back also, not that that's an issue.
Or could go up Macdui, down to Loch Etchachan and then carry on down to Glen Derry, then go up the glen around the back of Bynack More and get the last descent back to Glenmore lodge? Could even go up Bynack More if still feeling it by then.
Any of the descents off of Cairngorm worth it?
Anything else?
Etchachan descent from the north, back over Bynack mor shoulder is the way and is a bit of a flog, the descent is also rubbish now it has been modified, worth it for Mcdui though, but don't underestimate how long this will take.
PS. Bynack mor is ok but not worth the extra, i did it before the descent was ruined as an out and back from Glenmore it was worth it then.
Hi all
Binnean Mor. hmmm. Not sure i would take a newbie up unless you are confident in their technical skills. Carn Ban Mor but then riding the plateau past Sgur Gaoith then taking the tiny zig zag trail from the weather station down would be a great choice.
I reckon MacDui out and back heading out beneath the northern Corries then returning via Cairngorm is a cracking day in the mountains. I like to descend via Cnap Coire Na Spreidh to the old plantation then it is a few minutes of bog trot.
Alternatively, you could do the same route, head down Etchecan, down to Loch Avon then carry out up onto Cairngorm. LOTS of carrying but I reckon it would go.
Any questions. Just ask! :-)))))
Food for thought. I presume for the Macdui/Cairngorm route you mean ascend via the path up the ridge to the west of Cairn Lochan? Then come back down the same way but hang a right at Lohan Buidhe and follow the path to top of Cairngorm.
Then main ascent back to ski centre? Can't see any alternatives on the map but does't mean there aren't any.
Cheers for the info.
Whilst not quite at Munro level, I've been eyeing a nice looking high level ridge ride on Arran, I'll be sure to get some pics up when I finally get a chance.
Nobeerinthefridge
Can I come for your Arran trip please? E mail in profile.
Cheers
Sanny
Whilst not quite at Munro level, I've been eyeing a nice looking high level ridge ride on Arran, I'll be sure to get some pics up when I finally get a chance.
Awaiting that ride report with interest 🙂
Sanny, I've seen you climbing, are you **** coming! 😆
Seriously though, I'll drop you an email.
Email sent Sanny.
*Caveat - It was a last minute plan Sanny, sorry!*
Seeing as the weather was looking good on sunday, decided to head over to Arran as I'd spotted what looked like a good descent off of North Goatfell last time I was there. Turned out to be a peach! Steep, switchbacky start, uber fast water bar popping session in the middle, then a cracking techy rockfest at the end all the way down to Corrie...
Not quite a Munro, but 874m from sea level is more climbing than some munros I've done, so I'm claiming it!. As ever, pictures don't do the views justice...
[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7569/26805437772_31b4d48022_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7569/26805437772_31b4d48022_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GQGSLd ]Goatfell[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/ ]nobeerinthefridge[/url], on Flickr[/img]
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[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/26294855653_46262aaf0b_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/26294855653_46262aaf0b_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/G4A1ue ]Goatfell[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/ ]nobeerinthefridge[/url], on Flickr[/img]
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[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/26865470586_35dd736315_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/26865470586_35dd736315_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GW1yqJ ]Goatfell[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/ ]nobeerinthefridge[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Sweet Goat Fell trip and pics.
Give yourself 26 bonus meters for a sea level start and finish!
*like*
I'm off to a cottage in Duror near Ballachulish in June for 10 days and I'm hoping to get some rides in locally.
Is there anything I really shouldn't be missing in the vicinity?
I have ridden Snowdon and Cadair Idris and wouldn't want anything more techy as I'll be on my own.
Cheers
@nobeerinthefridge Walked up Goatfell, North Goatfell, and then down Glen Rosa today. Wondered whilst walking if anyone had taken bikes up there. Apparently they have! . You must be mad, but in a good way 🙂
Nobeerinthefridge
You git!!!
When are you going back to show me it?
No, really, you git! 😆
A few tips from this year so far-
Ben Lomond - they're doing some "maintenance" to the lower section once you get into the trees. It looks like they're spoiling the majority of it so get this in while you can.
Binnean Mor - This is by Kinlochleven and it's a bloody cracking ride. The ride up is 70% rideable, along the estate road then up the singletrack. The switchbacks are good but the ride from the summit back to the switchbacks is mediocre, if you're not worried about summiting I'd turn back there. Then go down one of the Kinlochleven local trails back to town.
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Ben More - I went up the north side, because I'd seen that someone on Strava had done it. Absolutely gash, mostly unrideable grassy boggy steep slope. Don't bother.
Top temperature inversion, though. And brocken spectres.
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Oh, I'm heading up to Ballater in a fortnight. I was going to do Lochnagar again and Capel Mounth, anything else that's worth a crack? Won't be able to do any huge days out as I'm with family, so no Macdui.
Munrobiker, some good bite-size hits of fun available in that area, assuming you can travel a little? Not munros though...
Morven (morrone) looming over Braemar a good option, just over an hour peddle. I did the ridge outta Glenshee last weekend, small ride but a decent fix - just North of A92 then East along ridge down to bottom of A92 climb.
There are a couple of nice rides local to Ballater, Cycle Highlands may point you in the right direction, again smaller rides, max bang for buck type stuff.
If you can swing a slightly longer outing, Beinn a Bhuird and onto Ben Avon (spelling?) is a little more accessible than MacDui...another option is Mount Keen which is a Munro if you have that wee bit more time.
May also be worth tacking on Jock's Road to your Capel Mounth ride if you can add a couple of hours to the ride - well worth it IMHO.
Cheers
Wiz74 - I'm very familiar Jock's road, it's a belter of a ride (anyone reading this - ride Jock's Road, absolute maximum bang for your buck of any trail I've ridden).
Morven looks good, short enough to maybe do in an evening. Tempted to pop up to Ben Rinnes too.
Will look at Ben Avon, may be a bit of a big ride but very keen to do it one day. Thanks for your help!
Done Ben Rinnes too, good ride, could maybe drop family at Glenlivet enroute 😉 - if you are fit which you must be given the amount of big hill action you get through (i'm not), it is all rideable as a loop from the West to the summit then down the East side, if you are going to be pushing anyway, a straight up and down from the car park to the East is probably optimum. Hope you get some good rides in and the weather / midge are kind.
Munrobiker, with regards to Lochnagar, have you tried the route west to t'Saggairt Mor and down to Callater? Might be a bit tricky to fit into a shorter day though. however, if you can get picked up in Braemar, you can do it as a one-way route from the Loch Muick car park. That way, if time allows, you can add in the wee trail west through to the A93 in Glen Cluny for an extra bit of fun. It's short, but quite sweet. With more time still, add in Morrone.
Take it when you say Capel you're thinking of starting clockwise from Loch Muick car park, over to clova then up bachnagairn and finishing with Coire Chash to the lochside..? That circuit is doable under 4 hours.
highlandman- unfortunately I can't be picked up as I'll be the only one with the car!
That's the Capel route I was thinking of.
There's loads to do round there so I'll be back again, no doubt. It's a trek from Derbyshire but worth it.
Edit: I'd forgotten the midges. That's it, job's off, thanks for your help....
😉
Another local short (and one that rides well on a wet day) is to head to Linn of Dee car park, ride out to Derry Lodge, north up the east side of the glen, cross at the wee iron bridge then back down the lovely singletrack on the west side. Then retrace steps to the junction for the Clash Fearnaig pass over to Glen Quoich, then head south to the foot of the glen, marvelling at the extensive damage that the river has recently done to the landscape. Return west by tarmac to Linn of Dee; should take about 3 hours.
do loch callater off lochnagar luke - youll love it. - even if you start early and ride/push out and back from the carpark on the glenshee road
was up there last sunday in the wet again - even the wet slick rock has so much grip.
Let me know when your about - i might be able to bring a second car to the party and go for a straight through and out + drop you back at the car.
also - hardly any midges about so far this year - ive spent the last 4 weekends up there.
"Another local short (and one that rides well on a wet day) is to head to Linn of Dee car park, ride out to Derry Lodge, north up the east side of the glen, cross at the wee iron bridge then back down the lovely singletrack on the west side. Then retrace steps to the junction for the Clash Fearnaig pass over to Glen Quoich, then head south to the foot of the glen, marvelling at the extensive damage that the river has recently done to the landscape. Return west by tarmac to Linn of Dee; "
is also a worthy route - that western bank rides so well - best saved for week days or wet days - usually mobbed with day trippers.
Hmmmmmmm. Sounds good, looks big though! I've only got maybe 3 hours which would be pushing it. I'm up from the 4th to 9th July in Ballater but plans are likely to be very flexible as I have to keep the inlaws happy. Send me your number Terry and I'll text you my plans nearer the time and if you're off shift we could meet up.
If it's hosing it down I'll do the Linn of Dee - looking at it I've done that singletrack before on the way back from Ben Macdui and know it's good.