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

Have done some big mountain rides, many of which have been suggested on here so thanks to various parties for their suggestions and recommendations.

A few of the lads we ride with have recently expressed a preference for rides that are almost all rideable rather than have a significant portion of pushing / hike a bike. I know it is tough to judge as the fitter you are the more rideable some terrain / climbs is but as a guide, when we did the classic Torridon loop for the Annat / Auchnashellach descents and Coire Lair there was a fair bit of pushing involved whereas we can knock out the Burma Road / Carn Ban Mor climbs no problem.

So, what big mountain rides are there in Scotland that can be recommended with a minimum of pushing but still with good singletrack / descents? Any contributions would be welcome 😀

So, what big mountain rides are there in Scotland that can be recommended with a minimum of pushing but still with good singletrack / descents?

If you / your partners find that the Torridon loop has too much pushing and carrying there will be very few rides that tackle munros that would suit you.

I have done several Munros with (notice that I don’t say ‘on’) the bike this summer and all of them have involved at least 45 mins and some times almost 2 hours of sustained carrying.

Edit: I think for everyone it’s always a trade off between the amount of carrying they are prepared to do and the quality of the ensuing descent. Personally, I’m happy to carry for a couple of hours over the day to access good descents but I appreciate that others are not. Several of the rides I have done were good days out but involved so much carrying that I will be unlikely to repeat them often. For the most part though there aren’t many big hills in Scotland with quick access to good descents. For me this is one of it’s charms. You’ve got to earn it!

Spin, totally agree tbh as do most of my buddies – we have a weekend away coming up and trying to get some ideas for routes so thought I would see if there were any compromises out there. The last big weekend away involved more pushing than biking although in terms of miles it was probably 60 riding 40 pushing, just the descents go by soooo much quicker 😉 so the request for the next one was a wee bit more riding…

Any idea what Morven / Morrone is like riding up (and down for that matter) wise? Anyone?

Cheers all…

Edit: I think for everyone it’s always a trade off between the amount of carrying they are prepared to do and the quality of the ensuing descent. Personally, I’m happy to carry for a couple of hours over the day to access good descents (EDIT adventures) but I appreciate that others are not. Several of the rides I have done were good days out but involved so much carrying that I will be unlikely to repeat them often. For the most part though there aren’t many big hills in Scotland with quick access to good descents. For me this is one of it’s charms. You’ve got to earn it!

I’m with Spin… but I’ve walked more Munro’s than I’ve taken bikes up.

I don’t want it be easy as the challenge/exposure/effort is a big part of the fun…

It’s not…

🙄

Bedmaker

Where are you planning on riding?

wiz74

Spin has hit the nail on the head. Very few of the rides in this thread can be done without sustained periods of portage. It’s the price of entry to unlock the big descents.

Ones that can be mostly ridden include Bynack Mor to the shoulder, Carn Ban Mor, Beinn a Bhuird, Glas Tulachean and I think Mount Keen is mostly rideable but I’ve not ridden it yet so take that with a caveat!

If your mate’s aren’t keen to carry, there are loads of non mountain routes they can do but it severely limits your choices when it comes to the big stuff.

Cheers

Sanny

Folks – again cheers for the comments…and thinking about it we always talk about earning our downs although that is normally when conversations turn to uplift at trail centres – not in the wilds I hasten to add!

Beinn a Bhuird is on the (extensive) to do list – Mount Keen (anti-clockwise) is all rideable if yer a wee bit fitter than me – which wouldn’t be too difficult 😉 I have done it a few times.

Guess we will have to just go back to trail centres 😉

I accept Messiah’s comments that it has to be a challenge as that’s what makes for epic days out – and to be fair I have never had a day out where I have said I won’t do that again so have been fortunate so far.

Who was the loon that did the Ring of Steall with a bike. I have walked that (some time ago right enough) but that looks like pure pain / frustration with a bike in tow! Liking yer write-up of Nevis, had thought it was undoable / unadvisable with a bike but sounds like approach from the north-west is the way to do it – added to (ever growing) list…

Great thread tho… 8)

Who was the loon that did the Ring of Steall with a bike

The route that Sanny refers to as the Ring of Steall is not the walking route going over An Gearanach and Sgurr a’ Mhaim via the Devil’s ridge.

It’s more of a link up of some of the stalkers paths in the area of the Ring of Steall.

Phew – glad to hear it – some bits of that were hairy on foot!!!

Liking yer write-up of Nevis, had thought it was undoable / unadvisable with a bike but sounds like approach from the north-west is the way to do it – added to (ever growing) list…

I’d say Nevis is worth doing once but too busy and too much carrying to become a regular event.

Politeness and unshakeable good humour is the way to go on Nevis which is why Sanny was a good person to do it with!

That’s me out for Nevis then 😉
Seriously tho – it will have to be midweek for me I have hiked it (both ways) and the ‘queue’ on the tourist path in summer has to be seen to be believed…

Beinn a Bhuird can be ridden almost all the way up… the descent is a bit more problematic unless you know the “secret way”. 😉

For Lochnagar riding up from Invercauld/Ballochbui via Sugart Mor/Beag saddle is more rideable than going from Loch Muick over Broad Cairn; but the return via Gelder Sheil and Balmoral is a long fire road deal breaker for me. A big reason for riding Lochnagar is the descent of Glas allt Sheil… it makes me nervous just thinking about the super long techfest of trouble with the ever present feeling that if you get it wrong you might be going home in a chopper… or as chickenman puts it

(there’s no freaking way I am ever riding down this path..total respect to anyone who does!!);

One of my favourite descents and I try to do it at least once a year

+1 for Spin and Sanny’s comments. I get a perverse pleasure from the push/carry sections while I’m doing them, and definitely get get some extra satisfaction looking back on a ride where the height was really earned.

Beinn a Bhuird can be ridden almost all the way up… the descent is a bit more problematic unless you know the “secret way”

Messiah – gonna have to share after that!

A big reason for riding Lochnagar is the descent of Glas allt Sheil… it makes me nervous just thinking about the super long techfest of trouble with the ever present feeling that if you get it wrong you might be going home in a chopper

And that’s it, I’ off to ride this NOW! Then I can come back on here and request information about big mountain rides that you don’t have to push down 😉

Was thinking a big day out could include:

Kick-off in Braemar
Ride Morven / Morrone
Over and up by Loch Callater to Lochnagar taking in the aircraft debris off Sugart Mor
Down Glas allt Sheil
Pootle back to Balmoral distillery

Do a car share / split so that we can avoid the trek back to Balmoral, sounds like a great day out ticking off many of the highlights in that area – thoughts?

Wiz, u can count me in on that, im coming from Dundee but happy to meet up somewhere to sort the travelling out for others.

Tackled the bottom section Glas allt Sheil on Saturday, with one over the bars moment that took me by surprise. A few sections i had to walk but as i walked up past the waterfall i was thinking to myself ” no fricking way will i make it back down”. It was bloody hard but doable.

Would have headed up to the top of lochnagar but was doing the whole Glen Doll, Loch Muick, Capel Mounth route so we opted out a few hundred metres up from the bridge over the stream to head back down the way we had come up from Loch Muick.

Some amazing riding around that neck of the woods.

Mactheknife – sounds good. Not sure when yet send me yer email address and ill keep you posted 🙂

Wiz, email should be in profile buddy 🙂

looking forward to it.

Er, if I was planning a ride to take in the Glas Allt Sheil descent I would want it to be as early in the ride as possible not at the end of a death march of epic proportions.

Callater to Lochnagar path… here is a pic of “stuartie_c” from this forum riding down the Callater end of it… it’s a fun descent so I would suggest it’s quite a hike to get up!

I can’t put the picture in because he hasn’t allowed sharing but here is a link to it…

There is an easier way up to the Lochnager plateau from Invercauld up the Feindallacher burn which is mostly rideable (IMHE, YMMV etc).

I’ve had my eye on Ben Attow for a while Sanny.

I’m thinking, humph the bike to the top on the stalker path then descend the East ridge towards Allt Beithe.
Return via camban bothy/glen lichd.

The lure of a going to Torridon for a Coire Lair/Annat loop on the new wheels instead is strong though. Forecast for Saturday looks okay.

Bedmaker

Do Ben Attow aka Fhadda! 😀

I had a look at it previously on Walk Highlands and it looks pretty promising. It’s one I’m keen to do so pics and a wee ride report on this thread would be great!

Cheers

Sanny

A great way to do Lochnagar as a full day out is to start and finish in Braemar; the following route is well over 90% rideable, even when you’re high on the mountain. Ride east down the main road and onto the south riverside forest tracks at the Invercauld bridge, then after a few miles swing south onto the track up the glen near the Gelder Shiel. Then on up to the pass, join the Muick-Lochnagar walkers path briefly, then head SW on the contour trail to pick up the Glas Allt trail by the footbridge. Ride up the trail towards the summit. My favourite descent is then to go west off the summit, past White Mounth and over to Carn an t’Saggart Mor. Either carry up and summit that among the wreckage or work around the trail on the SW side to meet the Callater descent; challenging, but in a really fun way. Once at Loch Callater lodge, you have the choice of heading straight back down the glen track or adding in the short climb west to get you to Glen Cluny and the A93. There’s a sweet wee bit of singletrack on the way. Finally, and if you have the energy, climb the Morrone track for the rocky descent back down. The only weak point in the route is the Lochnagar contour trail, where wet weather turns it into a bit of a bog but it doesn’t last long and you’ll still ride most of it.

Heh – I had ridden down to Loch Callater from Lochnagar and had totally forgotten about that bit – cheers for the alternative Messiah 😉

Highlandman – looks like a good shout too – will map it and see what like.

No where am I gonna find the time to do all these routes without getting sacked / divorced?

Not a munro but what about Beinn Damh? Summit could be combined with the loop for a longer day. From what I’ve seen the path looks pretty good.

Anyone been up past Glas Maol past little glas Maol and down either the ridge with Bessie Cairn or Shanovan hill on a bike? Both have massive height drops so if rideable shoudl be awesome? Might be a bit of a two car job but would be cool to know if it is rideable.

I can answer the Glas Maol question for you marionheck. I’ve been up there form the Glen Isla side on a bike. Parked at Auchavan and rode up to Tulchan Lodge and up the Glas Burn path to Monega. I fancied going past Tulchan lodge and up Shanovan Hill as it looks more rideable but there was a shooting party at the Lodge and I decided I’d rather avoid them. First part of the Monega path is very steep but it gets rideable as you get higher, and once on the plateau it’s an easy scoot to Monega, Little Glas Maol and Glas Maol itself. We then scooted round on a well defined path to Cairn of Claise (and I wanted to go on as the path goes round to Tuirc and get a gander into Kander [because it’s fab] but nobody else wanted to as the wind was picking up). From Claise we went to Druim Mor to pick up the path marked “Caderg” and what’s called the “Forest of Cairnlochan”. I like techy stupid steep paths and on the map this looks like it would fit the bill, but it’s possibly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done on a bike. One day I’ll go back and do it again… there almost is no path, it’s f*&^ing steep, and there are great big sink holes and tree stumps and all sorts of other crap hiding in the heather. Hilarious!
As a big ride it was remarkably short with only the one monster climb and stupid descent, but there are heaps of variations you could do. I’d like to go back but on the rare days I get into the hills at the moment I can think of umpteen better route’s to do.
Coming down the Monega path we went up would be fun.

Useful info Messiah.

I was contemplating heading up there this weekend so your top tips are timely.

Out of interest, has anyone done the Aboyne, Loch Muick,Glen Doll, Glen Esk and Mount Keen loop? It looks like it could be a lovely day out.

Sanny. I can’t see many folk wanting to do such a huge loop. The parts that would cause me concern are
1.Glen Doll to Glen Esk. Road to the Clova Hotel. Up to Loch Brandy is cool and on to Muckle Cairn starts out okay but the path gets ratty nearer Skuilery. It reforms nearer to Inchgrundle (Loch Lee) but it’s never great fun.
2. Mt Keen to Aboyne, to Ballater, and up to Loch Muick is/would be a boring end/start (I rode some of the Deeside way with my little kids last weekend 😆 ).

Hi guys

Doing Ben Lomond again tomorrow but looking to
Do something Sunday fairly big and nearby. What do you think of Ben Vane? Ben Ime any good? Have read through this thread with interest but there is a lot of
Info!!!

A few of us are gonna do a Munro in November if anyone wants to join? Pretty relaxed where but this thread is ace! I’ve done only one so far but want to do some more…

Sooooooo Stob Coire a Chairn today. Rode up the westie from Kinlochleven past Mamore Lodge then followed the stalkers path. It’s pretty easy to follow It’s a bit boggy in the middle section. Nothing too bad and even the squishy bits were really fun to ride on the way back down. The trail gets better and better the higher you get turning into a really sweet extended section of technicality and flow. We were on a time limit so it was a fairly quick up and down but well worth the alpine start. We even managed to then head up to Loch Eildhe Mor for the singletrack descent back to Kinlochleven. it’s eroded a fair bit since I last rode it but is an absolute hoot to ride. all in all, a great day out and well worth the climb up. I fancy going back and trying the get onto An Gearanach from the Glen Nevis side. There is also a lovely looking bit of trail heading up from Loch Eildhe Mor that looks intriguing.

We bumped into a German who has spent the last month riding in Scotland and is heading for Greece! Fair play to the Germans, they know how to tour!

So has anyone headed up An Gearanch from Glen Nevis? I reckon I could fashion an arrangement to get over the steel bridge with the bike so how does the rest of the trail look?

Sanny

Sanny – yer mad as a bag o monkeys – good effort! I have climbed up the route your describe onto An Gearanach and it would be a slog / carry with a bike if I recall. Also, some pretty exposed wee bits on the initial parts of teh ridge – it was a while ago right enough and others that have done it more recently may have other views.

Been thinking about a spin up that way soon myself prompted by previous posts on this thread. Was thinking the Glen Nevis – Stob Ban – Sgurr an Lubhair – Stob Coire a Chairn – Kinlochleven – WHW back to Glen Nevis loop that I think was described some time ago. Any guidance / commentry on amount of rideable / hike a bike etc?

Would anyone like to form a small group doing a ride in the hills this Saturday? I’m champing at the bit to get out and company would be ideal for a bit of safety and banter 🙂

Well that was a nice alternative to working on a Monday!

The plan was to do a coast to coast from my folks house in Kintail back to my house at Beauly via Bealach na Sgairne. Once I got to the Bealach I decided it would be rude not to do Beinn Fhada (Attow) while I was there on such a stunning day so I headed up the coire and onto the summit plateau.
It’s a long old hike to 1032M from the sea 🙂 Carry/push all the way apart from a few short sections.

Starting at Kintail
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The view from the top was rather good, if a little hazy. Lookig across to the Cuillins, Black ones right in the middle of the pic
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and looking over the top of the 5 sisters to Knoydart (I think)
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The plan then was to ride the lovely trail down the long east ridge into the head of Glen Affric, looks awesome doesn’t it? I’m heading for the loch in the distance.
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Sadly, it’s not. It’s a long demoralising push (mostly) back down the hard won height gain through peat hags, too steep to ride tussocky grassy bits, big knobbly unrideable rockyness.
Don’t do it!!
The path I pushed up would have been a great ride back down, pretty much all rideable and entertaining but this route was nasty. I ended up slithering off the south side to get it over with nd joining the path near the Camban bothy.

I stopped for a breather at the Youth Hostel and found some new adornments for the bike
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and I could look back at where I’d come from, the pointy bit away up there
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From there it was a spin down the glen to join the road and spin back to Beauly. The last 10 miles hurt, I haven’t ridden more than a couple of hours in the last four week due to work being crazy busy. The lack of fitness showed!
I just know my legs are going to hurt tomorrow and even more on Wednesday.

Consider it a hike with bike! You got out on a beautiful day, though the ground doesn’t seem to know it was dry this weekend!

If anyone wants to get up the big hills this weekend I’m good for it too.

Nice write-up. FWIW, that’s Ben Fhada in the distance, from near the loch in your last photo

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Camp spot, Glen Affric[/url] by druidh_dubh[/url], on Flickr

Last pic should have been this one
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Stunning. Only for the bike,the first pic looks like its from 81! Do you have a Garmin route map or similar?

Hi Wiz74

I tried the route you described back in late Spring but started at Kinlochleven. The carry up from Glen Nevis to the bealabch is straightforward. My mates weren’t keen for Stob Ban so we continued up onto Sgurr an Iubhair. That would be a corking descent the other direction I reckon. From there, it is a rocky but rideable descent down to the saddle where you can follow a stalkers path behind Am Bodach over to Stob Coire a Chairn. It looked a mix of rideable and carry but it’s not far. The payback down Stob Coire a Chairn would be definitely worth it! Unfortunately, the carry up onto Am Bodach was a peak too far for my mates and broke them just a little bit. There is a route down into the Corrie beneath but it’s a bit shit and not worth the effort. Stob Coire a Chairn is the prize. It’s a good route but a committing day out as there’s no quick escape route. It’s a carry all the way up from Glen Nevis over several kilometres so you know what you are getting if you try it.

Spin did an alternative climb up onto Stob Ban. I think the descent to the bealach was about 50% rideable but he spannered himself on the descent so the rest of the descent down to Glen Nevis wasn’t a favourite for him. He reckoned it was a bit too rutted but then carrying an injury probably didn’t help.

Now a question. Has anyone headed up the munros at the end of the ring of Steall from Loch Eilidh Mor? The track back down looks ace but I’ve not met anyone who has attempted it on the bike.

Cheers

Sanny

Okay Sanny and friends. Where would you suggest as Biking Munro number 3 after Ben Chonzie and Mount Keen. I don’t want your 90% rideable which really means less than 50% to us mere mortals. For me it would have to be mostly rideable but requiring a lot of grunt to get up and basically 95% doable on the way down (and not just by Martyn Ashton).

Glas Tuileachan? There’s a big track almost all the way to the top.