2014 is drawing to a close and now feels as good a time as any for my annual review of exciting things I’ve carried my bike up. The previous year’s entries are here, sorry most of the pictures have gone from the old ones-

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2010-a-year-in-mountains

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2011-a-year-in-mountains

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2012-a-year-in-mountains

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2013-a-quiet-year-in-mountains

2013 wasn’t a successful year following a bumpy start and a loss of enthusiasm following the death of my old racing partner in an avalanche in Glencoe. Reviewing it made me realise that moping wasn’t the right way to carry on and so I decided to make a real effort in 2014 to make the most of what was available instead of wasting my life sitting at home.

As a result I’ve crammed in more big mountain rides than before and it’s been a real year to remember. In spite of moving even further south to Derbyshire I’ve made the trips north and west more regularly than before. I’ve tried not to repeat old trails and so only four of the entries below cover old routes. It’s been an especially good year and I really hope to repeat it next year.

I’ve put up more photos online this year, if you click the title of each section you’ll see a much bigger selection.

Also, by way of thanks for fundraising for Mountain Rescue, Chris’s family passed his GoPro on to me and so I’ve made a video of this year’s efforts. I’ve not made a video edit before so it’s not very polished but I hope you like it. If you switch it to the highest resolution it doesn’t look too bad, or I’ve embedded a low-res YouTube.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdUGYKD-97g&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

1-Snowdon (Llanberis)

The year started surprisingly early. I had set out to ride in the Peak District with friends in early March but arrived 15 minutes late and they’d gone. The sun was blazing and my wife was away for the weekend and I thought, well, sod it, why not? I arrived at Llanberis at about 2pm and set off up, but as is the way with Wales the weather, which was beautiful across the rest of the country, was grim. It was cloudy lower down but as I got towards the turn off for the Ranger’s path a blizzard rolled in.

Being foolhardy in the mountains isn’t my thing, and at this point I was still nervous of snow following last year’s incident. I’d planned to have a crack at Ranger’s as it’s been a while since I did it and as I was solo something familiar seemed safer but the snow on the ground, snow fall and wind meant even that wasn’t possible so I turned back.

I’d written off the Llanberis route but it actually turned out to be pretty good fun. It’s not hard by any stretch of the imagination but it’d be a great introduction to big mountains. If you’re a seasoned big mountain rider though, other than a jolly day out, it doesn’t offer much.

2-Cadair Idris

I stopped in the Ranger’s YHA and despite horrendous rain the next morning it seemed a shame to head home when there were mountains to be ridden. Learning from yesterday’s experience I kept it simple and small and had a second crack at Cadair Idris. The rain made a real difference to this ride- the middle third is on grass and traction was minimal, making for a really exciting slip and slide down the mountain side. It seemed the perfect time to do this otherwise relatively straightforward mountain.

3-Dumyat

Fast forward a few months and better weather meant it was time to head north. Dumyat was a fun introduction to what Scotland has to offer for the year. Situated on the edge of Stirling this is a hill which rides like a big mountain with exceptional views of the central belt. The climb is pretty easy while the descent is varied an interesting.

It starts open and grassy with lines switching between slightly rocky ruts before a more severe central section. After more full-tilt grass the descent plunges into the woods, sliding between rhododendrons and over steep, slippy roots. Great fun and thoroughly recommended.

4-Carn Ban Mhor

We rode this as part of a larger loop taking in Glen Feshie from Braemar. The ride from Braemar to Glen Feshie is a funny bit of the Highlands- bleak and relatively flat with little respite. Old huts and tracks hint at the former use of the area, which hides some gems like a hidden waterfall. It then descends into the rather lovely Glen Feshie, made more interesting by following the singletracks that split off the fireroad before rejoining it.

Emerging from a fast and precipitous trail hugging the steep hillside to the valley floor we had lunch (including a bag of Tangfastics made up entirely of crocodiles- what’re the chances?) to fuel up before taking on Carn Ban Mhor. This was a former favourite of ours but has been recently resurfaced. It did seem a shame to be going past the foot of it so we decided to have a go.

The resurfacing has removed a lot of the original appeal of the trail. The upper section is as it was, and for the first time up there we had a view of the stunning surrounding area. The lower trail is now smooth and littered with waterbars, but it is fast and exciting in a twisty kind of way. Again, a good option for those not au-fait with big mountain technical riding and if you’re in the area and have done everything else it’s worth a stab, if only for the scenery which is truly special.

5-Cairngorm

After a night in a pub eating vast amounts of food we started the ride back to Braemar. The first lump to get over was Cairngorm. The climb up this does go on a long time, and a lot of it is riding, given the nature of the hill. The total ascent to the 1244m summit from Aviemore is 1112m. This starts gently on the road, before kicking up on the tarmac. It then kicks up again to real calf-burning steepocity on gravel tracks on the ski slopes. After a brief stop for food in the cafe at the top of the funicular the final stretch to the summit is hike-a-bike and really pretty painful.

We took as long a descent to the south west as we could and it is really quite unique. Cairngorm is a bit of a moonscape and the line down is not especially clear, leaving you to fend for yourself through a boulder field which falls very steeply from the summit. It’s a really enjoyable descent, and I reckon you could work it into a very satisfying loop from Aviemore with Lairig Ghru.

6-Ben Macdui

Instead of this we turned south and up toward Ben Macdui. There were snow patches around but it was as perfect a day in the Cairngorms as you could hope for- clear, no wind, bright sunshine and warm. However, as we climbed the strange, very rocky, ascent, which is hard work and mostly unrideable for the last 130m or so, grey clouds rolled in and thunderclaps bounced of the sides of the hills below us.

We were just about to summit as the storm reached us, and with little or no shelter available on the Cairngorm Plateau I think a number of people were caught out. There is a small stone windbreak near the summit of Macdui and we hid there, but being on top of the second highest mountain in Scotland with a metal (or in my case, carbon) thing and metal things in the soles of your shoes is pretty scary. Not to mention cold. After being bombarded with hailstones for 15 minutes we emerged and carried on the ride in cooler, but drier, conditions.

The descent from Ben Macdui into Glen Derry initially started slowly for us- the storm had knocked some enthusiasm and a lot of warmth out of us. However, it’s a genuinely excellent descent and we were back on form pretty quickly. The descent to the head of Glen Derry is in a bowl of mountains and involves fast, flowing, twisty singletrack with staggering amounts of grip interspersed with splats of snow and rocky challenges.

The trail then turns down into Glen Derry. This is one of the only descents I can remember where the scenery has distracted me from the trail. it really is stunning. You descend next to a tumbling stream, raging with meltwater, on a trail that has technical challenge after technical challenge. Rocky and twisty, it was a shame to end it at the bothy and ride the flat trail back to the Linn of Dee. It’s a big job to get to this side of Macdui but I would thoroughly recommend it.

7-Lochnagar

Lochnagar had been on my to-do list for ages, since I saw my mate Huw practically bounce off the walls with excitement when he returned from doing a loop of it from Glen Clova. Sadly time conspired against us when we did it, but the key part of this route is the Glas Allt descent to Loch Muick.

The morning was rainy, and we weren’t really that interested. Especially after having the morning’s business scared back in by the metal toilets at the car park. However, the climb is, for a mountain like this, quite easy. 350m or so is despatched on fire road, before a challenging technical singletrack climb to the base of Meikle Pap. The final part of the ascent is then steep steps with the bike on your back before reaching a plateau of boulders before the summit.

The descent is truly brilliant. It starts open and fast on a managed surface with steps and water bars. This is fast, but with tough step and rock sections it’s interesting and lively. The trail becomes more natural as you descend before reaching the Falls of Glas Allt. This section descends steeply next to the waterfall and is a real test of bike skill. Stop start to begin with, the rocks soon become big enough that they need momentum to get over. Momentum which is very difficult to maintain, as one of the photos shows! After the falls the trail is steep, twisty and rocky until it reaches the woods at the bottom where it turns into very fast singletrack.

8-Lairig Ghru

The Lairig Ghru had also been on my list for some time- my friend Pete rode it for MBR for their “UK’s best singletrack feature” and had been raving about it for a couple of years beforehand. It was originally going to be part of my route from Braemar to Aviemore but general advice was that the southern ascent is truly awful and as part of a 50 mile ride it sounded like a silly idea, so when the opportunity came up to ride it separately I made sure I took it.

This mountain pass is very good fun, and while you can work it into loops the recommendation I’ve had from friends who’ve done it before is that a lot of the loops are back-breaking and it’s good enough just ride up and down all day, which is what we did. The first time was excellent- it’s a fast and exciting trail, with twists and turns and roots and rocks all within easy reach of Aviemore. It takes a surprising amount of stamina to ride it in one go from the top at full tilt- it’s not steep and you have to work hard for your rewards. The following goes were much slower, it really exhausted us, but I’d thoroughly recommend it.

9-Devil’s Staircase

This one was meant to be the full Ciaran Path, an important one for me as it was one of the last big rides I did with my friend Chris before his accident. However, there was a little accident at Laggan and I got a haematoma on my shin after clouting a rock at the side of the trail. This made walking and hoicking over obstacles hard work and by the time we reached the conduit I was exhausted and my leg was gubbed.

I’m not one to let a bit of wussery spoil a ride though, this was a perfect day in the hills- blazing sunshine, warm and very dry. The Devil’s Staircase ride is a good one for almost all abilities in that it doesn’t have to be hard if you don’t want it to be. The descent on the Kinlochleven side is twisty and shallow. It takes a while to get down and the highlight is at the end where it gets technical enough to be a real thrill without being a nadge-fest. The climb back up this way is pleasant until it kicks up near the end, when it becomes hard work, but rideable.

The descent down into Glencoe was riding superbly. It’s only short but is made up of a series of sharp switchbacks on a steep slope. Thanks to a few months of good weather it was dry as a bone and piles of dust meant we could two wheel drift into the natural berms- an amazing feeling! It was a shame not to do the Ciaran Path but we had a “bikes are brilliant” all night party in Oban to be at, sunrise dip in the sea before heading back down to England included.

10-Stake Pass

Following a holiday in pouring rain to Dorset my wife was sick of the sight of me so I took the opportunity to take a free pass to ride in the Lakes. I’d read in the magazines that Stake Pass was exceptionally good, and with it not being high and easy to work into a loop it looked perfect. Sunshine and dry trails indicated that it’d be a good day out.

The day didn’t start well as I was climbing up to Rossett Pike and my front tyre exploded- the pressure of the tube had burst one of the knobbles off the tyres. The tread on Schwalbe Hans Dampfs seems especially weak, I’ll not be getting them again. This climb is relatively easy. The descent into the valley behind is OK, but nothing special. The climb up Stake Pass itself is a funny one- it’s been sanitised and is in theory rideable, but the switchbacks are so severe that you have to hop the bike around, by which time you would have been quicker pushing.

The descent back into Langdale was a disappointment after all the effort put in to get there- vague at first, it becomes a procession of slabs and is relatively short and boring considering where it is. I’ve not really had much luck with rides in Langdale, and I don’t think I’ll be going back there with the bike.

11-Snowdon (Pyg)

While normally I’d do Snowdon while the ban was off the good weather in early September was difficult to ignore. Driving over after work we reached the bottom at about 4.30 and headed up with, as with earlier in the year, good intentions of riding the Ranger’s descent. The work they have done to the Llanberis track over previous years has made the route mostly rideable and we despatched the climb much more quickly than we thought we would.

On our ascent we passed a walked who had fallen and badly cut his head. After an offer of first aid his companions assured us they were OK and that Mountain Rescue were on the way. As we passed under the second railway overbridge a Seaking passed overhead and descended to his aid. After a couple of minutes it rose again, then circled above the Indian Head. Instead of returning the way it came it passed over us before heading toward the summit. As we reached the summit (and bumped into Swavis of Mlehworld and this parish) we looked left to see the helicopter down on the Pyg track picking up another casualty.

Now, everytime I’ve been up Snowdon before the summit has been in cloud and I’d not seen the Pyg before. But it looked perfect. Twisty, rocky, almost alpine style. As the helicopter lifted off we saw that the trail was almost deserted and, while it is a footpath, we figured that at 6pm on a September Friday night the chances of the three walkers heading up taking umbrage with our presence were slim.

It was amazing. Properly incredible riding that tested concentration and skill to the limit. It’s very technical and there are a few bits that you have to carry but pushing yourself to the absolute limit of your technical ability sometimes is very good for you. It starts out as a series of steps and bars before levelling off near the bottom of the corrie. As it finally descends into Pen Y Pass it becomes a really nadge-core, lots of big blocks to get over and down. It’s really exciting and if you’ve a high tolerance for cheeky trails and get it on a quiet, dry evening I’d thoroughly recommend it. We rolled back down the road to a bunk house and got to bed around 10pm ready for the next day…

12-Snowdon (Rhydd Dhu)

… which involved a 5am start to go up it again! Another sunny day and the opportunity to ride Snowdon’s toughest bike-legal descent meant an early rise to beat the ban. Climbing we came across a group of three-peakers in trainers already on the descent but other than a handful of walkers going up it was pretty quiet.

Rhydd Dhu starts on a knife edge, technical and with a high price for failure. The trail switches between well defined and level and steep and rocky, with a line not obvious. before dropping steeply to the south west. The trail here is not dissimilar to the top of rangers- open and fast but with big boulders making it exciting. It then steepens up again and the surface becomes loose and drifty beneath you, making dodging the big rocks scattered about the trail very exciting.

The lower portion levels off and smooths out, a nice end to a good, long descent. The loop is completed by climbing up the bottom of Ranger’s and down the Telegraph Trail, which was far more fun than I remember it. It seems to eat innertubes, though- pack lots!

13- Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas

We usually go up to Scotland in early November to catch up with old friends and celebrate Thanksgiving early. I take this opportunity to catch up with bikey mates and, as the weather has previously been good at this time of year, sneak in a last chunk of Highlands for the year. I’m not sure how Ben Lawers had slipped under my radar for so long, recommended as it is in Sanny’s munro thread. Early in the week the forecast was appalling, high winds and cloud but by the Saturday the forecast for the following day may as well have said “if you are going up a mountain in the Highlands with a bicycle in November then tomorrow is THE day to do it”.

We arrived at the nature reserve car park early to be greeted by a stunning temperature inversion and a clear view of Beinn Ghlas, which had received a dusting of snow the night before. To get to the top of Ben Lawers it is generally recommended to climb up Ghlas first. The climb up is relatively straight forward, the first few hundred metres despatched easily before a hike-a-bike stretch to the summit. By this time cloud had rolled in and we couldn’t see much around us, but as we reached the top we emerged from the clouds to a glorious sunny day.

An old hiker had passed us earlier and directed us to look to the north west into the mist. With the sun behind us I was introduced to the concept of the Brocken Spectre, and it was really rather special. With the sun behind you it and mist beneath you a huge version of yourself is projected onto the cloud tops with a rainbow circling the head like a halo. As the cloud moves the spectre comes and goes and moves around. I’d not been aware of them before but really appreciate having seen it- we met some other riders later and they were very jealous.

The descent from Beinn Glass to the foot of Lawers summit was drifty, twisty and exciting. It was as close to proper winter mountaineering conditions as you can reasonably cycle in- not a lot of snow, but fresh, loose and not slippy. The climb up to the summit of Ben Lawers is steep and stepped, and we were wondering how we would get down before we met another pair of riders descending and surviving. We needn’t have worried (much)- despite a few crashes (see the photos!) the descent was mostly rideable. Very steep and slippy with the snow but manageable. More than manageable- brilliant. In fact, I’d say this was my favourite mountain of the year. I can’t recommend it enough.

Once you get back to where you started the final ascent the trail skirts round the front of Beinn Ghlas and is fast and flowy with the odd technical rock feature to deal with, and some water crossings. We arrived back at the cars later than expected but genuinely thrilled with our day out, it was really special.

14- Helvellyn via Sticks Pass

Another new take on a familiar hill. We usually have a reunion of my uni cycling club at this time of year and as we’re spread between Aviemore and Plymouth the Lakes is a good place to meet. We’d all done the usual Dollywagon descent before and there’d been various mentions of Sticks Pass in the mountain bike media that had piqued my interest. The promised sunshine didn’t come out until 4pm and so we climbed in fog, and bumped into our illustrious leader Chipps showing a bloke from E13 what British biking is about. Tradition dictated that we have a sing-song one the way up and we despatched the switchbacks singing a grim chorus of Bohemian Rhapsody to boost spirits.

At the top we took the turn toward Sticks Pass. It starts off with a steep and twisty technical section before opening out, though soon after another technical set of switchbacks caught me out and I survived with what apparently looked like excellent technical ability but was actually shear luck. The route then reaches the pass itself and we turned right. The top rides very much like a trail centre- the surface has been treated with gravel and there’s even a tabletop which will catch you out at full tilt as it fires you straight into a 90 degree right hander which you can’t see from the take off, resulting in a lot of brake grabbing and bum twitching to avoid plummeting into the ditch at the side. After this section it levels out before dropping on a fast, rocky section with exciting drifty switchbacks to the mines.

Sticks Pass isn’t half bad, but it seems a little tame after Dollywagon. We all agreed that we’d had a great day out, but that we’d done it and if we were to do Helvellyn again we’d stick to Dollywagon or try something else. Worth a go if you’ve done a lot of the other routes in the area but don’t miss out on Dollywagon if you’ve not been up Helvellyn before.

15- Warnscale Pass

The second day of our reunion trip has historically been a day for disgusting weather and hangovers, but as we finished Helvellyn at 4 and were able to get completely leathered and still be in bed by 1am and awoke to a sunny day we decided to sneak in Warnscale as a quick but exciting route which would let everyone get home by Christmas.

I’ve covered Warnscale in previous posts but this was the first time I’d done it in the dry. It really is great- and they’ve now build a jump park at the top for the MX bikes so you can loosen up after the horrible climb from Honister before taking on the descent. It’s technical but really gives you value for money for the amount of vertical it covers. The last half of it really blows my mind- it’s on the limit of where technical turns into very-technical and so with a bit of determination and good lines you can ride it quickly in a oner but it’s still very technical and takes a good bit of work to clean. The nice bit with Warnscale is you climb after the descent and so you ride it reasonably fresh.

And so concludes 2014’s mountain riding- unless we have a belting Christmas I doubt the weather will be too welcoming and the days probably too short. It’s been a great year after last year’s trials and lack of riding and a lot of it has been new stuff, or old stuff done differently. Hopefully next year will be as good.

If anyone has any recommendations for this year please let me know. I’ve got my eyes on the Four Passes, Blen Cathra, Stob Bhan and Beinn a Chleibh.

Oh, and as a bonus, here’s this year’s outtakes-