Help needed to put the mountains into mountain biking – riding the Munros

Hi guys

After knocking out several big mountain routes on the bike this year, the five munros in Lochnagar being my most recent on Sunday and definite favourite of the year so far, I’m looking to find out what other munros are worth riding beyond the usual classics of Ben Lomond, Carn Ban Mor, Ben Lawers, Ben Vorlich, Braeriach, MacDui, Beinn a Bhuird, Cairngorm etc.

If anyone has ridden or walked any of the following (or any others that spring to mind) that you thought might make for a good day out on the bike, can you let me know?

Ones on my radar are

Ben Chonzie from the Comrie side
Ben Wyvis
Beinn Dearg above Blair Atholl
Mount Keen (probably the most obvious one)
Beinn Ime and Narnain (from the west – the east is just a scramble)
Ben Nevis – never done it, always wondered, heard mixed reports
The Mamore range of mountains – I’ve seen a steep track head up from Kinlochleven that could make for a great descent
Bynack Mor – rode up the shoulder
The Buchaille – one of my mates walked it recently and reckons it’s a possibility. I’m not convinced but never say never
Any of the munros around Dalwhinnie
Stob Binean and Ben More – walked them, definite potential from the Balqhuider side
Ben Cruachan
Dreish and Mayar – look pretty easy off the Kilbo Path – cloud cover on Saturday knocked the summits on the head
Five sisters of Kintail – I’m sure someone mentioned this to me in passing but not sure if they were being serious or not

I’m sure that there are plenty more so keen to read your experiences particularly of stuff in the west of the country. A carry all the way to the summit isn’t a worry if there is reward of descent. It doesn’t have to be all rideable down either. Stuff like the Glas Alt descent off Lochnagar are absolutely fine by me.

On a related note, has anyone ridden from Glen Clova into Glen Esk? Any pics? Any good?

Cheers

Sanny 😀

No advice to offer you as I’ve only done Ben Lomond, but great idea for a thread. 🙂

Ben Chonzie from the Comrie side

years ago – remeber is as being a easy landrover track and then a wade thru heather.

Ben Nevis – its a rocky stepped path all the way up. I wouldn’t even consider it for a ride but I know a chap who loved it. For me 4 hrs carrying a bike up for 40 mins of rock steps down is not worth it

Dreish and Mayar – did it in snow so don’t know waht the tracks are like on the tops- kilbo path would be OK bt a walk for much of it on the way up – summit plateau is fairly flat.

Any of the munros around Dalwhinnie. Drumochter munros? Done em all – wouldn’t even consider riding them as no obvious tracks as I remember – but again mainly in snow.

Not great info I am afraid

For Nevis, I’d agree with TJ re. the Tourist path, but the path from the North Face car park up towards the CIC hut would make a really nice ride. Would be an out-and-back, go as far as you choose affair. If you really wanted to go to the summit, going that way then onto the tourist path / zigzags at the half-way lochan would be much, much better than doing the stone-pitched path up from the Ben Nevis Inn.

Ben Rinnes could be really good – not a Munro, but pretty close.

Beinn Dearg near Ullapool from Inverlael. I remember coming down it a couple of years ago and thinking “that would go”.

Bein a ghlo has potential I think ( so long as you have your magic anti erosion hover tyres)

I have some routes and many more ideas, just no time to play. My maps are at home but I’m not so I can’t remember names from here… but a teaser… Glas Maol.

I’ve done Mt Keen, just from Glen Esk side up and back though it can be done as part of a bigger day out. Rideable a fair way up.

http://www.ecurieneep.co.uk/routes.asp?routeid=4

Also did Beinn a Bhuird about 15 years ago but sure I read somewhere that the track was done away with.

Oh – when you do the Five Sisters, please take a camera 🙂

Cheers guys. Keep em coming.

The Kilbo Path from Glen Prosen in the dry looks 100% rideable. It was a bit slippy on Saturday but nothing too steep that can’t be ridden.

Drumochter seems to have a lot of new Land Rover tracks appearing which opens up possibilities.

Beinna Ghlo – rode the three a couple of months ago. A bit of carrying but a top ride / mini adventure.

Ben Vorlich from Loch Earn is a cracker – we did it in under three hours with a long stop for lunch and much picture taking. Two hours up and down is a genuine possibility.

Messiah – where have you been contemplating? Rough locations fine by me.

Cheers

Sanny

Sanny – think I saw some pics on Steve Deas’ FB recently that may have included you? If so get Steve to ask Hodge for the Mount Keen loop we did in April. I was there but dont have any details! We climbed up from Glen Esk iirc, down the other side though and the names escape me now…

Not in the west but extending Beinn a Bhuird over to Ben Avon and Meall Gaineimh down is “interesting” 😕

Edit: Camera definitely required for the Buachaille!! 😯

I’ve been up Mt Keen and Ben Dearg from Blair Athol way. I’ve used a bike to access loads of others like in from the Linn of Dee – An Sgarsoch, Carn Ealar. See if you can get Danny Mac to show you round the Cuillin.

Birky

The Ecurie Neep site is ace. That and Messiah put me onto Lochnagar. The Glas Alt descent is marvellous. I couldn’t quite hop over the boulder on the right hand corner near the waterfall but the rest was ridden with just one off. A smashing tech descent that was the icing on the cake after the traverse from Broad Cairn.

Any thoughts on the two munros opposite Bridge of Orchy Hotel? I walked them years ago and thought the descent could go at the time.

I’m not planning to repeat Paul Tattersalls exploits but I reckon there is huge potential for big days out combining biking with a great day on the hills.

I’m hoping to do the Carn Gorm 4 in the next couple of weeks as they were a lovely winter’s walk a couple of years ago.

Cheers again

Sanny

Ben Rinnes could be really good – not a Munro, but pretty close.

I’ve ridden Ben Rinnes a few times (it’s pretty local living in Aberlour 😉 ) and it’s good fun but not an all day ride. You can ride virtually all of the track on the south slope to the top, it’s pretty loose and steep in places, I’ve not yet managed to clean it all.
The descent back towards the carpark is good fun, armoured up in places (after the walkers made a right mess with various lines) with a few drainage bars to keep you honest.

I’m pretty sure gordymac has a’ wyvis by cross bike’ report somewhere on the fyrish bikes site from a while back.

Five sisters 😯 make a day of it and do the Saddle via the Forcan ridge aswell 😆

I watched a video recently of two guys dragging bikes along the aonach eagach, not sure if it was on here or facebook i found it.

Lochnagnar -> Carn a Choire Bhoidheach -> Carn an t-Sagairt Mor -> Lochcallater Lodge is a good adventure. Finish via Jocks Road…

Not a Munro but anyone ridden down the old Allt a’ Mhuilinn Path from the CIC hut? Often though that look good.

Five Sister? Maybe not then! Ha! Ha!

Fraser

We did Lochnagar in reverse of your route meaning that we had the Glas Alt descent to look forward to.

Jocks Road is ace. Nice short loop from Clova is the way I went.

Ben Avon rocks. A real favourite for me. Nothing daft but stunning views up top.

Oh and if anyone has pics, even better!

Ben Wyvis – would definitely go, good path from the Ullapool road side. The top is sort of mossy/ peaty on rock, quite odd, one for high summer.

Beinn Dearg above Blair Atholl – yes. Absolutely. If memory serves me well you’d get a long way up and all the way down by bike.

Mount Keen (probably the most obvious one) – yes, either end. Classic route with the Fungle as a return.

Five sisters of Kintail – a lot of steep heatherbashing to get up (either from Gleann Lichd or the A87 side, assuming you’re starting from the east end) then the ridge is proper steep. It’s a serious proposition with a lot of carrying up, and there was no clear path onto or off the ridge when I did it.

Up that way, Ben Fhada from Loch Sheil side via the bealach on the north side would almost certainly be worth the effort as an out-and-back. A strong rider could probably ride most of the ascent and it would be a ripper of a down.

I have done Mount Keen both directions and both have there good bits, but would say the route from Tarfside up and over is the way found to be the best. The descent of the back of Mount Keen is great and alot better than carrying you bike up it, no real path just pick a line.

Have you thought about a day at Bennachie not Munros but a great day out with at least 6 great descents.

The Allt a’ Mhuilinn is not bad but doesn’t last that long, only worth doing if your in the area I would say.

Funnily enough been thinking exactly the same – what other Munros go on to the hit list for next year.

From your list, I don’t reckon The Buachaille is a goer, especially the top part past the scree, and from walking the Mamores a couple of years ago I don’t think there’s much there either.

Ben a Bhuide wasn’t on the list, but that’s part of the Ben Avon ride so I assume you’ve done that

Mullach a Clach a Blair and Sgur Gaoith either side of Carn Ban Mor

Schehallion is a nice quick out and back, although a hump both ways over the boulder field at the top

Meall Corranaich and Meall a Coire Leith in the Lawers group. Could be included with Ghlass and Lawers,

Do you think this sort of thing could happen with red deer?

Kinlochleven

anyone mention the Ben Cruachan E/W circular route?

If you start at St Conans rise in Loch Awe Village there is long road up to the Dam and then go E-W round the ridge steep rise nice flat(ish) top section and then an awesome down taking in the Cruachan summit. 4-7 hrs

And then you can got to real food cafe in tyndrum after 😉

wee Fergal was asking on here about the south Claunie ridge a while back, facing the 5 sisters. Think it might be very nice once you were up there – 7(?) Munros and quite gently undulating as I recall walking it. Gain a decent bit of height at the claunie inn end on the road as well.

In Drumochter is there not a half decent path up to the Bealach of two of two of the Munros to the west of the A9? No idea how much would be rideable.

Balfa

What route is that? Looks pretty awesome.

Cruachan and the Shiel 7 look very interesting indeed.

Keep em coming!

Sanny

Yep – Shiel 7 would go better than 5 Sisters I’d think. The track at the east end is an old road (now submerged under Loch Loyne) so will give you easy height gain at that end. There’s a fairly decent stalker’s path from the Bealach Duibh Leac heading back into Glenshiel; from what I remember it disappears into the heather lower down though we did come off the hill in proper darkness so could just have lost it (sunset from the ridge was lovely though).

Balfa

What route is that? Looks pretty awesome.

Its not my video so I’m not sure. Half the fun is working it out! I was fairly sure it was starting in Achbriabhach and south oper the tops.

Mount Keen the only one I’ve done.

Started at Glen Tannar and up (a slog it is too) and descent into Glen Esk. There is a proper path off the back with a lot of straight flat edge drainage ditches/runs that me and my mate both flatted on, him twice.
Back over from Tarfside up the Firmounth and you have the choice of sticking to it or the Fungle. Done it both ways but would do the Fungle if you haven’t already done it.

The carn a mhaim ridge could be fun…

It’s a long carry to the top, but the path down Schiehallion would be a laugh. Don’t do it on a weekend though; too many baggers.

WTF was that “Insane” Aonach Ridge video

Interesting thread this is. I have been with bicycle up Sgorr Ruadh near Stratchcarron. The bottom 700 meters of it are nice singletrack, including That Descent, but the top 250 is across scree and grass and you are riding on a bearing as opposed to any trail. Probably worth doing once though.

A track marked down Sgurr na Fearstaig caught my eye a while ago, googlemapping it looks kind of promising.

Not munros, but the descent eastwards of the Sgurr na Feartaig ridge looks promising on googlemaps aswell, and I have allways wondered if a lap of the Re Cuillin is a goer?

Interesting thread…

Couple of weeks ago I took the bike up Beinn Dubhchraig. Plan was to go up Ben Oss too, but it’s tough going on foot so ended up leaving the bike on Dubhchraig and walking the rest.
From the car park of the A82 there’s a forest estate road which is 100% rideable and takes you nearly half the way up, then a bit of hike a bike, but once on the shoulder of Dubhchraig it’s rideable to the summit. The descent is awesome…miss the forest estate track on the way down in favour of the singletrack through the trees.

Glen Lyon – Carn Gorm
Schiehallion is a giggle 🙂
Ballachulish horseshoe has potential – after a monster carry up, you can ride a lot of the ridge from Sgor Bhan, Sgor Dheag and even upto Sgor Dhonuill, from there down to 759 spot height is fine, a short rubble gully leads to the descent path into Gleann Choalorais – ace fun 🙂

Loving the beta on what could go. Several I hadn’t considered. Ben Cruachan really interests me as does the Ballachulish stuff. Really want to know more about Kinlochleven route on the video too.

I should add to the thread that Ben Lawers is awesome. Captain Mainwairing and I did it a few weeks ago. A truly epic descent.

What about the munros between Crianlarich and Tarbet. Any possibilities?

Keep em coming!

Sussed the Kinlochleven loop, Kinloch up and over the drovers road along WHW to glen Nevis, nice shot of the lower falls, then i am pretty sure they go along the well worn path towards Stob Ban, up onto the ridge turn left then contour on the path below Sgorr an lubhair, from there a couple of options down to hell. Thought the path up to Stob ban could bear fruit, nice to know, huge potential there.

Sanny Bynack mor summit is a tech fest rode it this summer, 1st of june and it snowed on the final carry!.

Narnain i wouldn’t bother, Beinn Imme would be worth the carry with the lower armoured path.

Kintail five sisters is just way to futuristic for the average bear, 2020 it will be deriguer.

I note on Lawers you didn’t opt for the descent of Beinn Glas, that would be pretty full bore don’t you think.

edit. The Buchaille would be suicide, but then again some hombres did cary there bikes along the eagach :D.

Fergal

Just looking at the map now ….. Wow! That looks stunning!

Off to look at my guide books. Getting psyched for some big days out!

Sanny

Matt

How would you go up for the Ballachulish Horse Shoe route?

Cheers

Sanny

Ben Wyvis, I’m yer man 😉