[Closed] Loch Muick route

It's been quite some time since I rode that route however you can descend either way. Coire Chash is steep, narrow and full of water bars that you have to get over, the landy track (aka the lightening strike) is fast and loose. Either will drop you onto the loch albeit at different places.

Be aware that snow is forecast on higher ground at the moment.

Awesome route, either descent is fun, but you do have to be more careful with the water bars on Coire Chash.
A little bit of hike-a-bike involved though 😉
Some pics here...
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3456695504_c23faac200.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3456695504_c23faac200.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/swavis/3456695504/ ]DSC00376[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/swavis/ ]GavinBelton[/url], on Flickr

I thought I'd done a route profile but can't find it.. 🙄

Quite a few guys on here have done the route. Try searching the forums for Clova or Muick. You would be mad to use the landy track unless you don't do water bars. When you get down to the LOCH (not lock) you can go round the north side for the extra distance and different views or south side for speed. Either is easy

Hmm.. We did the waterbar route (on Stuartie_C's forum ride) and I'm not sure if the landrover track descent would necessarily be a worse option, fast and rocky landrover track with switchbacks versus steep, on the brakes singletrack with lots of bunnyhops? Maybe because I was on a short travel bike with the seat up high but I couldn't help wonder if the landrover track would have been more fun.

The trail on the south side of the loch between the waterbar descent and the bottom of the landrover track was good fun, although I fell off on it twice trying to do the trialsy rocky bits.

Here's the route map that 13FM is referring to.

It's a brilliant, if rather short circuit, but be prepared for snowy conditions in the next wee while!

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/4091024968_ea1d6dc2b5_o.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/4091024968_ea1d6dc2b5_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4091024968/ ]capelmounth[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[EDIT - blue circuit has the Coire Chash descent, which is excellent but gets progressively more difficult as you get further down due to arm pump and the continual bunny-hopping]

Cheers,
SC

stuartie_c, just been looking at your routes on flickr, look good, thanks for posting, but tell me, how enjoyable was the glas allt shiel? It's a fine track on foot, but not sure about it on a bike, is the track dotted on your map to denote hike-a-bike?

swavis - where about is that boilerplate as in the image you've posted above, never seen it in that area before, looks great - and you had some fine weather that day too.

Forestry is going on there just now,the majority of the routes are closed.The diversions are horrific as well,The Capel Mounth is shut for example.

The weather was indeed superb that day. I think it was in April, I did it a couple of times last year.
That photo was taken about halfway up the hike-a-bike section when you climb out of Glen Clova, just after the maintained footpath bit, if that makes sense?

Scotbike - the orange line is a different route over Lochnagar. The Glas Allt Sheil descent was mostly a walk for me and the others in the party. It didn't help that the weather was dreadful (the wind was blowing the waterfall uphill) but it would take more skill than I have to ride the whole thing. That said, I'd be keen to try it again on a good day to see how much I could manage.

but tell me, how enjoyable was the glas allt shiel?

I'm obviously not Stuart but from my own experience the descent from the top of Lochnagar down to the wee bridge before the waterfall is amongst my top 3 or 4 in the country. Below that reports are that it is too steep to be rideable unless you are a true god on a bike. The route I did was carry up to Meikle Pap from the LR track, up to the summit. Down the Glas Allt path to the bridge then take the track that contours back round to the LR track. This last bit is pretty boggy but mostly rideable if its been dry for a while

edit - damn you and your keyboard skills Stuart

Any local beta much appreciated

Thanks for the beta and apologies for the lock / loch confusion!

Cheers,
Phillip

swavis - spring time - my favourite time of year in Scotland, it seems to [i]fairly[/i] dependable decent weather. You lucked out there. And thanks, I reckon I know where those slabs are then - I've not really explored the massif from that side - this thread is making me want to have a look tho! My father used to do MRT in that area in the 60's and 70's - I remember him telling me about a (sadly unsuccessful) snowy new year's rescue in Glen Clova.

stuartie - ime that waterfall always blows uphill :-0 I love walking down that descent, when you can see across to the cliff on the other side of the loch. I didn't think that path would be too bikeable, tho be interesting to be proven wrong. It's quite narrow, but maybe those switchbacks would be ok on a decent day - I don't remember their being a lot of loose rock on there, and the path has seen a lot of consolidation over the years.

CaptainMainwaring - Once you leave the LR track, that's got to be one tough bike portage from the saddle (under Meikle Pap) to the summit! I've always thought that descent by the way of the head of the Glas Allt Shiel looks like it would be a good un - nice to have that confirmed. I've looked at that path before (the one that you used to contour back round) - sounds like a good move to keep the riding going and not be hiking down the Glas Allt. It's a bonny path by the cascading water but having your bike chasing you down it might just take the fun out of it.

Has anyone ever biked the round of the white mounth? [url= http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/white-mounth.shtml ]route here [/url] I think that would be ok as the tracks are good all the way, it's a long-ish day walk, you know the kind of walk that has long stretches that make you wish for your bike. Last time I did it, it was pretty good going - maybe a bit peaty by Carn an t-Sagairt Mor.

Getting totally inspired now. I'm up to Grampian tomorrow, maybe go and play in the rumoured snow this weekend.

Had a go at the Glas Allt Shiel a few months ago and like it has been said above you can ride down to the bridge no bother after that it gets very tech and steep in parts. Depending on your skill you can ride 95% of the path from the bridge down to the forest beside the loch.

Coire Chash is the better descent unless you suffer bad vertigo - big drop to the left... but its mostly heather. The lightening strike is a big landy track and is my route up to do the white mounth circuit - also called the horseshoe. Lightening strike can be ridden up, and the biggest carry is Broad Cairn. All the tops are worth a visit if the weather is good, or go quick and stick to the paths. Glas Allt is an amazing descent for the brave and good... only one corner I have not ridden. I would not bother with the carry up the boulder field near Meikle Pap, leave that to the walkers.