Lochnagar to Loch Muick?

The Yak requires some information on the track that runs from Lochnagar to Loch Muick, past the waterfalls. What’s the trail like? Suitable for a relatively unskilled rider or only for pure mad mental ravers?

Many thanks.

The Yak.

The latter I believe 🙂

The Yak will have a backpack full of junk as well as some stuff on the bike. The Yak thinks he’ll just ride down the easy track towards the boat house.

Thanks.

I should stress that I’ve never ridden it, but my wife has run it a few times and shown me the pictures. That was quite enough excitement for a coward like me.  I dare say someone will be along soon to tell you that they rode it on a rigid bike with cantis and it just requires a but if “commitment” though.

Any chance you can share the photos on here so The Yak can see them?

It’s probably the hardest descent in the area

The top part is full of water bars and loose rocks.  Okay ish but not great.  When you get to the steep bit by the waterfalls it’s very steep and rocky. I walked most of it.  I am rubbish at steep techy stuff though.

The award for hardest in the area is firmly handed over to the loch callater descent off the other side of the plateau.

The guys above nailed it. The waterfall descent is waterbars central. Not unridable but does demand attention and patience your not just going to batter through it letting the bike make it’s own path.

The Yak doesn’t want to fall and hurt himself. The Yak will ride down the easier track then look at the waterfall once his stuff is stashed somewhere safe.

Lochnagar is easily harder than callater. Rode both several times in the last year.  The bottom of Lochnagar is brutal just now. It’s not really waterbars anymore just a massive rock garden.

Glas Allt Shiel is a tech fest. Danny Macaskil might clear it, but beyond the realms of most mortal people (and Yaks).

The most rideable route down from Lochnagar would be to head towards the waterfalls. When you get to the foot bridge (just before it gets really steep @ grid ref NO267834) hang a left to take you around the side of Little Pap, which will then bring you out where the fireroad down to the boathouse meets the usual path (grid ref NO272861)

Anyone that refers to themselve as the Yak and talks in the thirdt person probably shouldn’t be let out on their own without a full care package in place.  Stick to old railway paths in the flatlands.

I like the Yak.

I like the thirdt person 🙂

Lochnagar, talking in the third person, must be Prince Charles.

I’ve done the Callater descent and it wasn’t too techy. Heard the Glas Allt Shiel is far, far harder – never done it mind.

It is, much bloody harder. The Callater descent is an absolute peach.

If the Yak had done a simple Goggle on  http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNumber=15 , the Yak may have found some info on said trails. Still good to see him alive and kicking , next we will see GW back on the site. 😉

You may be diverted before reaching Glas Alt Shiel if the owner of the Estate is present (the Royal Court is resident at Balmoral presently). The Royal Protection bods will be positioned on all access points and will ask you to find an alternate route.

The Yak thanks everyone for their advice, even the fool Menmuir.

The Yak certainty isn’t prince Charles.

The Yak might follow rugbydick’s advice and seek out the alternative path. The Yak will consult the map shortly.

While The Yak acknowledges what notlocal is saying, The Yak is actually planning on staying at Glad Allt Sheil. If The Yak gets turned away by the royal guards then The Yak will just sit in the woods drinking heavily until he can sneak in.

The Yak doesn’t goggle things.

Just done the Callater descent last Saturday (met the Windsors too!) as a loop from Braemar. Have done this loop 4 times, done the descent N from t-Sagairt Mor once and the down Glas allt Shiel , up Choire Chash, Broad Cairn finishing down to Callater once.

The Glas allt Shiel descent is unridable below the waterfall for those without trials skills and you loose height awful quickly. The ride over the three munros from Lochnagar and down to Callater is IMO the best for extended quality high level riding especially when combined with riding through the stunning Ballochbuie forest next to the Dee.

I’ve heard Prince Phillip is a big fan of your blog.

The Yak doesn’t goggle things.

Beer or otherwise.

The Glas Allt Shiel descent is excellent, but very hard around the falls. Not unrideable but you do have to bring your A game and that probably won’t be helped by a bike with loads of stuff strapped to it (see the last photo below!). It is, however, an easier option that descending by Meikle Pap, which will mostly be a carry down some big stone stairs.

Poirot The Yak should have a crack at the Callater descent, although this is a really big day out taking in the summit of Lochnagar. When I did it I snuck up from Invercauld Bridge to the back of Carn an-t Sagairt Mor, then down into Callater. It’s techy in places but not especially so and is good fun.

@munrobiker

Those photos must be a few years ago now, the path below the falls looks very little like that these days, none of those smooth sections left. The bit at the falls is actually easy in comparison to what follows.

One was this time last year.

The Yak thanks MunroBiker for the photos. The Yak will be carrying a formidable amount of alcoholic beverages with him so will not be attempting the Callater decent.

The Yak is not Hercule Poirot.

The last time I ride it, the hardest part was the right hand endo hop switchback. A cracking descent after the five munros. We broke two folk that day – one broke his finger while the other bonked on the long climb out back to Glen Clova.

I really must go back for another crack at it.

Sanny

Photo of the bit at the waterfall taken last month

You may be diverted before reaching Glas Alt Shiel if the owner of the Estate is present (the Royal Court is resident at Balmoral presently). The Royal Protection bods will be positioned on all access points and will ask you to find an alternate route.

I would not worry too much about that, on various rides in that area when I lived there I bumped into several royals while biking. No problem at all and often friendly and up for a quick chat. Have ridden past royal protection and never been stopped.

Glas Allt is by any stretch of the imagination an extremely difficult descent. A good alternative other than those mentioned is to head West from Lochnagar and pick up the watercourse that leads to Dubh Loch. It’s rough for a while with just sheep tracks but if the water is low enough you can descend the watercourse on solid rock with interesting features. This eventually leads to a proper path with a nice descent to Loch Muick.

You’re all seriously over estimating his abilities, he’ll do well to manage the land rover track round the loch.

The Yak could always descend west off Lochnagar, munch some grass or a passing Megan, heading on to the point where the path goes up t-Sagairt Mor before heading towards Cairn Bannoch and Broad Cairn. The boulder field off this can be avoided by the path that goes off to the R before the summit. Descend to Loch Muick by Coire Chash or the main landy track.