[Closed] Todays grand day out

Is that the Glen Tilt circuit? That all looks familiar!

That looks wonderful, I've got ride envy, must make effort to follow in your footsteps - but next year! Note to self...

Looks good - very jealous as I've been sitting in a car all day 🙁

Looks superb TJ; a must-do?!

looks super

It's a lovely ride that - mile or so of tarmac at the start then all off road. I presume you did it anti clockwise?

I would argue that there's not much granny ring on it though, just some of the singletrack up from Shinagag.....as I recall, anyway!

I loved this bit - scary as hell if you look to the left!

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Kit - aye - Beinn a Ghlo or glen tilt circuit. I prefer to call it Beinn a Ghlo as thats the mountain one rides around. ( altho I have trouble spelling it

One of my very favourite routes - enough gnarl to keep you interested ( if not much) right out into the wilds, more scenery than you can shake a stick at - hard work in places tho - and I do get fed up of climbing - 5000 ft in a day is plenty for me

shortbread - depends how fit you are but I was in Granny ring for probably 1/4 of it - using the gears tho

Kit - thats the bit of gnarl to keep you entertained - altho I must confess that we walked some of that section - tired an the stoker was rebelling - so discretion the better part of valour and all that.

It's a long drag up to Fealar Lodge right enough. I think on a tandem I'd be in the granny ring all the way round!

Want a shot? Its all about momentum and sitting and spinning

Anyone who says you don't need a granny gtear I'd love to see you ride this without one

I've seen it singlespeeded. Not a 100% ride (short bits between Shinagaig and Daldhu were pushed) but pretty good effort all the same. But then I've never 100% cleaned that bit on a geared bike.

Still, it is indeed a classic ride and it looks like you had a cracking day for it. Chapeau!

Gracias!

There is always one nutter fat elvis - I meant for normal folk / mere mortals. we walked a chunk anyway even with a 22/34 bottom gear.

singlespeeding it is a damn good effort

Singlespeeders = attention-seeking social inadequates. SCIENCE FACT

Still, he done good getting up to Loch Moraig and getting all the way up from Daldhu to Fealar Lodge without vomiting up too much of his lunch!

*s****s*

Not sure I do TJ...not sure I could trust whoever else was on it with me!

Its a nice ride ride. Not that hard and kit, the bit by the river is fine. MTFU!

are you on a tandem? You absolute nutter! Thats class!

kit, the bit by the river is fine. MTFU!

I did, see photo 😉 Its not a particularly technical bit of riding, just gave me the willies!

TJ - looks lovely.

Nicky - indeed we were on the tandem - bit of a disadvantage in places. when the going gets soft muddy it digs in and makes it hard work - and when you are on and off the bike over a couple of hundred metres it ends up being quicker to walk rather than get on and off the bike.

Good fun and fast on the open descents tho - finished one of them with smoke and steam pouring off the brakes.

Stunning.

Another pic from my mate who was with us.

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That looks great. I've been wanting to do this route for ages now - just not been able to get a suitable time for myself and riding mate. I guess it's best done in the relative dry.

5000 ft of ascent seems an awfully big amount especially as it's only 4000 ft to walk over all three munros of Beinn a'Ghlo. I'm quite confused about amounts of ascent on a ride - I do tend to think in hillwalking terms ie. summits rather than all the undulations. The amounts in Kenny Wilson's book really do have me baffled.

We had a surprising amount of cloud out in Cowal yesterday. Weather was pretty good though. Damn cold on the morning ferry though.

Kunstler - the 5000 ft is what memory map gives - and it includes the climb from Blair athol to the end of the raod ( where you would park your car if walking) which is about a thousand feet by itself

It was fairly wet under wheel yesterday - there are only a couple of short sections where that really matters. You do have to cross the river Tilt tho which would be fun if it was in spate

Love that last picture TJ.

Kunstler, it was indeed lovely & sunny here in Dunoon yesterday. We were up Kilbride Hill & Camels Hump and the views were fantastic.
Where were you?

Rob

Kunstler - the 5000 ft is what memory map gives - and it includes the climb from Blair athol to the end of the raod ( where you would park your car if walking) which is about a thousand feet by itself

GPS with barometric altimeter makes it 1200m of ascent/ descent - always reads a bit lower than Tracklogs' own elevation model. Either way, it's a lot of climbing.

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is that a superman cape?

Superb picture's mate, i would love to do that route along with other's in Kenny Wilson's book.

I was up in Ballachulish yesterday and the weather was amazing, so wish i had my bike rather than a stoopid shinty stick 😆

Shinty = war with sticks.

Just watching it makes me wince.
Nutters. Incredibly skillful, but you're all nutters!!!!

Rob

I thought it was calculated with GPS though I have no experience of such things. Looking at the map of the Beinn a'Ghlo route I can indeed see all those contour lines. We did the Ardgartan peninsula route last weekend and the route guide gave the ascent as being 1500m - nearly 6000ft. There were two 1000ft passes to climb up to but I find it hard to believe the undulations amounted to 4000ft. A very enjoyable day though it was.

Rob - We did the circuit above Loch Eck. There was much cursing of Kenny Wilson by Miss K as we hadn't checked the updates to the route on his website and so endured 4km of hell dragging ourselves through boggy dwarf pine scrub and fallen trees. In fact the day seemed to be all about the trees - towering spruce and redwoods at Benmore and fantastic colours all around the loch.
Looking at the map I had wondered about other routes around Dunoon. For weekends they have to 'other half friendly' and sometimes it's too much of a gamble to just go exploring.

Rob your painting a bad picture of the game 😆

Kunstler, is it worth a ride around Loch Eck or give it a miss?? It's not too far from me and one of the one's i have been swithering about..

steviegil, where abouts are you? We do the Lock Eck loop a few times each year so if you want company drop me an email: cowalmountainbikeclubATyahooDOTcoDOTuk It's not the most technical ride you'll ever do, but the scenery is stunning. We've found it best to start at Glenbranter, so you get the big climb done at the beginning, and more importantly get tea & cake at halfway (Benmore Gardens). If you're feeling fit at the end you can also divert to finish with the red grade singletrack sections at Glenbranter.

Kunstler, you certainly didn't want that upper path! We last tried it about 18 months ago and it was overgrown then. Stick to the lower forest road. Not got the KW book, but I hope it includes the nice zig zag descent from Whistlefield to Inverchapel and doesn't make you ride along the main road.

Because the forestry is so active here the trails change frequently, some becoming unridable bogs, but many new trails & link paths appearing. The OS maps can't keep up. Infact we keep finding new trails all the time. Feel free to email if you're coming over, we can show you around.

Cheers,
Rob

Yeah, there's minimal singletrack over the whole route - in fact just that bit at the end down to Inverchapel. It is quite scenic - especially with the autumn colours.
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You could add the Glen Kin routes at the south of Loch or the Glenbranter routes at the north though I've yet to ride those.

However, if you haven't done it I'd recommend the Ardgartan ride over this one.

Good pics TJ, and that ride is one of our favorites after some in Torridon. We do it a/c or have done each time so far......

Kenny Wilson and his book, never failed to have either an adventure or a great day out. Always one to remember. Lock Eck is good but I remember fighting the trees on that one too!

Cheers Rob i will send you an email, im over in Lochgilphead so not far away 🙂

you don't need a granny ring 😀
Get me a plane ticket and I'll prove you you dont need one 😉