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

My advice is to maybe take it easy to begin with, start with a route you know you will be able to achieve

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just thought of another – Creag Mhor above Fords of Avon, I approached from Tomintoul via Glen Avon. Bit of a carry beyond Faindouran & the descent down the Lairigh an Laoigh to Bynack Stable is ace. Did a loop from Loch Morlich SYHA. Also could be accessed from Linn of Dee. Superb remote country.

Bike by (old) Fords of Avon refuge

Chaisgein Mor in Fisherfield from Poolewe, reckon it would go. Bit of a push beyond Carnmore Lodge but the run back down would be justifiable. (Walked it but looked promising).

loving this thread BTW I’ll try to think of some more

I’d recommend Ben Vane to the foolhardy. I rode it last year and its stuck in my head every since. Steepest riding ive had the balls to ride. Had to hop off a few bits although im pretty sure i could get down those with sufficient practice. I’ll be up there again this spring with a plan to explore the hills beyond Arrochar.

Great thread.
Surprised it’s not been mentioned yet but Ben Ledi is a bit of fun for a morning/afternoon and easily accessible.
Can ride/walk up either tourist path or via Stank Glen.
Only descended tourist path which is mostly quite techy but all doable, not that I’ve done quite all of it!
Stank descent would be good but a bit boggy in places.
Also assume that Morronne is a bit common for this thread but it is fantastic.

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Bugger!

That link didn’t work!

http://www.gmbc.org.uk/?p=2607

Pics from Ptarmigan at the above link.

http://www.gmbc.org.uk/?p=2612

Ride report from Ben Chonzie on the other link.

Ben Ledi is a nice short ride. It’s pretty quick up and down as I recall. 😀

I really wish this snow would hurry up and disappear. Not enough for decent skiing but a bit too much for some of the the high tops.

great idea for a thread

great idea for a book. I’d buy it.

feenster – Member
great idea for a book. I’d buy it.

Me too. Look at what Rob Lee has done with crowd funding.

I’m not scared off by having to do long traverses on foot, so routes like that would be good too.

man, this thread could be just waht I need to put the purpose/mojo back in to my riding. Thankyou.

great idea for a book.

..and a film for the film festivals

So has anyone got any other mountain route ideas they want to float for the collective then? I remember from doing Beinn Chabhair many years ago that the steep final descent looked promising on the bike. I recall a pathless section on the way to the summit though but it’s been a while so things may well have changed.

If we expand the list to Corbett’s, has anyone any others which they would say are must dos? For starters, I always rate Mealle a Buchaille up by Ryvoan Bothy as a bit of a hoot when you descend down to the bothy. Top notch views and a nice (and in places steep) descent off the summit.

Cheers

Sanny

I’ve just gone round Ben Wyvis (not up it). The OS map* lies about the non-existent track.

Definitely on the do not recommend list.

*and don’t believe the sign either. The track showing running along the top of Loch Bealach Culaidh doesn’t exist. Where it terminates at the Allt Feur-Lochain is a ruined sheiling with no signs of anyone having been near it for many years.

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Screel Hill down the road from castle douglas has some excellent steep, rocky, technical riding from the peak; rooty fast through the forest. The wee dh course by the car park is good fun too. It’s not the tallest of tops, only 350m or there abouts, but there’s enough to make a good adventure of an afternoon.

I didn’t have time to explore its neighbour Bengarin, could be a winner!

What’s the Merrick like? It looks pretty old school and has a good height gain. I’ve ridden the trails round the loch at Glen Trool before and they were ace so reckon it could make for a great day out to combine the two.

Has anyone on here tried it?

Cheers

Sanny

I an surprised that this thread has made it’s 4th page with no mention of CairnGorm, Cairn Lochan, Ben MacDhui, with Bynack Mor to finish off. That is a day out.

I did Merrick last year.
Not much up top tbh, mostly sanitised and agrassy/muddy path to summit.
Although I hear there’s a path not marked on map, heading north..

Bennachie near inverurie is s laugh. More of the same, steep, rocky. Sneaky lines if you look hard.

Anyone done tinto hill?

Tinto would be a good evening ride. A few friends have ridden it. They all rate it.

Troutwrestler

MacDhui is a classic and a favourite of mine. A real day out.

Cheers

Sanny

Bishop forest hill between Milton and shawhead, down to the quarry. My father in law maintains that theres a distinct rocky path. Many hills and forests around Nithsdale could hold surprises.

Also skoeoch hill from Irongray has a steep rocky path built by the covenanters.

This was the view over Auchencairn Bay from the top of Screel Hill yesterday as the sun rose.

Nice, but not a Munro, eh?

*itching with the lack of snow at the moment*

Ace pic ahhhjrene, the views are one of the many reasons I head into the mountains… and I don’t care what height it is 🙄

The Buchaille is not possible to ride 100% of the way, if you fancy it you had might aswell take in the exposure and do curved ridge as either way you will be carrying.

Nice, but not a Munro, eh?

indeed

Thread resurrection time 😀

Thread resurrection time! 😀

I was up Dreish and Mayar on Sunday on a perfect Spring day. I’ve written a ride report with pics which you can find by clicking on the link below. Hop you like it?

http://www.gmbc.org.uk/kilbo-path-and-jocks-road-biking-the-munros/

Two big mountains, two classic technical descents and a seriously steep and tech descent that’s planned for a future return trip.

Now all I need is for the weather to be good this weekend for another cheeky adventure. The Inverar Horseshoe could be on the cards. 🙂

Cheers

Sanny

ahhhjrene – i only live round the corner from Skeoch how do you get up there?

pass it all the time on the raod bike but as theres nothing marked on the OS never thought to take the MTB up it

Will

Another fine day, another Munro. Schiehallion was the option for today as a bit of overnight snow made me decide to go for the easy option over the Inverar Horseshoe. Schiehallion is a fine descent. We reached the summit with less boulder hopping than I remembered from walking it and had great fun on the rocky traverse which became rideable several hundred metres of boulder hopping from the summit. A great little ride though a bit short for my liking. Worth doing for a quick big mountain hit. 😀

I was up Schiehallion recently (walking) and thought it wouldn’t be worth taking the bike past the cairn at the top of the old path.

To be fair, after the cairn, on the way up it’s a carry to the summit but on the way back just as you reach the first steep section, the jaggedy boulders are very rideable. It’s loose and rocky but lots of fun as you pick a line through. The summit is only for the committed but I knew what to expect so the carry was worth it. 😀

Sanny – Member
The summit is only for the committed

And you should be for trying that! 😛

Ha! Ha!

It really wasn’t that bad. Boulder hopping on Schehallion is pretty straightforward and besides, you can’t say you’ve been to the top with the bike unless you’ve actually done it!

This thread must never die!

Today I made my excuses and abandoned work to do the Glen Strathfarrar Munros, 3 of them 8)

Totally knackered now and well tanned!

After a 20 minute drive I left the van at Struy then biked the 7.5 miles to the start of the climb. Nearly froze riding up the frosty glen at 7.30am. It was rather picheresk.
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At the start of the off road. The snowy peak in the middle is about half way round the planned route – this is a big day out!
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Getting onto the first top is a huuuuge slog. Pushing all the way on grassy/heathery/slightly boggy slopes. This phot is from the summit looking along the ridge where I am heading for.
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The downhills are almost all rideable, only the odd rocky step here and there which stopped me. I wasn’t trying any heroics up a remote munro on a Tuesday in March. Never saw a soul all day.

This climb ahead is onto the peak you can see in the pic from the start of the climb. I was getting tired by now and looking at this prow was a bit daunting.
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Looking West, very hazy now…
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Looking back, now that’s a downhill!
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Looking down the long final descent – the loch is about half way down.
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After the loch, the path turns into a very washed out landy track which was an absolute hoot.
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A fine day out. Anyone planninig this looking for a nice bivvy spot should seek out the old lead mine about 5 mins walk from the start of the climb. It’s marked on the 25000 map.
I will definately be camping out here sometime soon.
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The ups were 100% pushing. The terrain is mostly good so the bike will roll along okay. There are two short boulder flields onto summits where I carried the bike. This was only about 30 mins total though.

The descents are all rideable except maybe around 150M of rock field in total.

9hrs 15 mins total, including a stop on the way down to soak my legs in the baltic river.

the route

According to walkhighlands it is 4 munros. Bonus!

Bedmaker

You legend! I’d wondered about riding those. They are now on the list.

I’ll see your 4 and raise you 7. Captain Mainwearing, my mate Donald and I decided to take advantage of the weather on Sunday and knocked out the seven munros on the Ben Lawers massif. It was a big day but a brilliant one at that. A really hard first summit and careful route choices on An Stuc were rewarded with some stunning views, top notch descents and some quality banter. The descents off of Ghlas, Lawers and An Stuc are ace.

Nice one, that sounds like a hoorovadayoot!
Ben Attow is next on the radar. Next Monday a possibility weather permitting as I’ll be in Kintail with the family.

What a thread , more routes and ideas than I have time for. Ace 🙂 🙂 ‘

Ben Attow. There are some great route pics on Walkhighlands for that. I really fancy giving it a go.

I’m gutted only to have just found this thread, so awesome.
What about the 5th sister of Kintail? the other 4 are probably a bit too gnarly and shes not a munro but would be pretty fun to play around on and come back down by the burn …?