Mountain Day near Pitlochry

I’ve got 3 night stay in Pitlochry coming up in mid July and will be generally riding on my own as the wife is recovering from a broken collar bone. Plan is a day at Pitlochry, a day at Laggan and a day up a big hill or two.

So, looking for recommendations of a nearish Munro I can tackle, don’t mind travelling an hour or so. Perfectly happy with hike-a-bike, did Ben Macdui a couple of weeks ago via the boulder field which was pretty brutal!

I see Ben Lawers isn’t to far away but what else you got to inspire me bearing in mind I’ll be on my own?

If you are looking to get a bike as close to the top of a Munro as possible locally, try Culture Club…sorry Cairn a Chalamain. You also hae the chance to visit the waterfall nearby that way.

I did a trip to that area a while back. Ben Vrackie was good.

Didn’t get round to Chalamain due to snow, but various replies on my thread rated it excellent.

Must Do [ and snow free?] MTB Routes in Scotland

There’s shit loads of excellent stuff from Glenshee ski north, but I guess that’s too far from Pitlochry? If not just do a Google search for “thegeneralist wittering endlessly about riding hills ” ;-)

I see Ben Lawers isn’t to far away

I was gonna suggest this. I’ve driven there from Pitters before, but to walk it.

I’ve heard it’s superb for riding, please go and check it out and let me know what you reckon :D

Check out Beinn a’ Ghlo. What I did was hike up the staircase from hell that you can see from the A9 onto Carn Liath, bike on back job. After that can descend to the bealach, and then do the second munro on the ridge – go back the way you came and fork off left down the wee path at the bealach again. It’s a fun descent, a bit broken up in places.

Carn a’ Chlamain also supposed to be good as mentioned. I actually did that on my gravel bike on the landy track (quite the experience), but meaning to check out the singletrack path too. Looks nadgery. In any case it’s an easier one to get up with a decent amount pushing or even riding, compared to carrying.

The fun parts of Beinn Dearg behind Blair Atholl are fun near the top, but short lived as there is a big land rover track most of the way up and down so a bit boring.

If you can stretch your travel to closer to 1h30 north, Sgor Gaoith is a total blast. It is in Glen Feshie roughly level with Kingussie, so you’d have to drive over Drmochter first. It’s easy to hikeabike or even ride up a lot of it, and the middle descent down is unreal.

Beinn Glas and Lawers are both great rides, the latter is pretty tech and steep from the top but the path from the saddle to the carpark is great fun and largely flowy with some tight tricky bits. Similarly the Loch Earn Ben Vorlich is good.

Ben Vrackie is also good, quite a quick out and back from Pitlochry itself, don’t even need to start the car.

I’d tack Ben Vrackie onto your day at Pitlochry – park at the Vrackie car park and you can combine Vrackie with the steep trails in the woods.

Locally, Carn a’Chlamain is good – longish ride in, then the mountain itself is over and down with pretty quick but it’s a good one. Rideable all the way up too, which is ar are treat.

Beinn a’Ghlo is a bigger day out but not as good as Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas (I’d descend both of them, rather than skirting round Beinn Ghlas on the descent) which is probably the best in the area.

Ben Vrackie was good.

We walked it a couple of years ago – it’s “good” if you like a super steep push and constant walkers on the way down IME…

I’d look for a proper mountain – try McTrailRiders vids, he’ll have down something better.

Ben vrackie isn’t a munro either, merely a corbett.
I’ve walked up it, it was a good walk, but tbh not that good for biking imo, heavy traffic and sanitised paths.

Thanks everyone, I’ll have a Google of the names and pick something. I’m sure they’ll all be good, hopefully I get some decent weather.

Had to abandon Beinn a’ Bhùird the day before doing Ben Macdui two weeks ago, horizontal hail/snow and horrific wind!

Ben lawers is an amazing descent and not the worst hike a bike up!

Ben vrackie isn’t a munro either, merely a corbett.

I’ve walked up it, it was a good walk, but tbh not that good for biking im heavy traffic and sanitised paths.

I’m intrigued as to whether he’ll take this advice or someone who has actually ridden it.

“Sanitised” is about the last word I’d use for the descent there TBH. Yes, It’s hugely built, artificial and completely unnatural feeling, but I’d never describe it as sanitised. Almost every bit of the top 600m is harder than anything you’ll find on the whole voie normale on Bhuird for instance ( which is also bloody splendid hill, but for completely different reasons)

If anyone’s bothered, I got good weather today did Beinn Ghlas & Ben Lawers as suggested by munrobiker.

Really good ride, the descent off Lawers is pretty full on and there was one bit that I didn’t have a go at. And I’m crap at tight pitched/water bar corners so didn’t get round a few of those.

I would post a pic but it won’t work! There’s some in my Strava ride if anyone’s interested. https://strava.app.link/WV6sohUcgLb

Shame the weather’s going to be naff or I’d have a pop at anther one tomorrow.

Almost every bit of the top 600m is harder than anything

Yeah, I walked up Ben Vrackie the day before yesterday and above the tarn to the summit is a stone staircase. Riding up it would be impossible, riding down it would be brutal.

Everything up to the tarn you could smash on a gravel bike.