Return to the pentlands, brilliant ride today!

I’ve not been up into the pentlands for a good few months, so i took a trip up to Capelaw hill and back down today.

Finally cleaned that short rootsy climb between torduff hill and puke hill, then winched my way up the cart track from harbour hill, which has a big bog halfway down it now!

Capelaw itself was insanely windy, enough to ‘grab’ the vents on my helmet and shift it sideways on my head.

Given how strong the wind was Cox’s encounter seemed a daft choice, but it was brilliant, it should henceforth be known as ‘electric brae’ because as soon as you get your front wheel on that super skinny sheep track it seems to pull you relentlessly along, just a case of staying on track and not over the cliff!

And i’ve finally found an off road descent that takes you all the way from frogstone road to morningside (almost) so spent a great last 15 minutes going sideways over roots and spitting mud everywhere.

Makes up for two weeks of p1sh behind the desk at work…

Pics pics pics pics pics pics please…

We were up that way too (a group of 10 if you saw us) and you’re right about the wind on Capelaw. We carried on over Capelaw and headed down towards Glencorse before working our way back over Maiden’s, Scalextric etc. Good run to shake of the hangovers from our club night out on the Friday.

I’m just in from a Pentlands ride too. Did the the loop from Harlaw that goes past Glencorse reservoir. It was windy as hell but a little bit drier than it has been the last few weeks.

Sorry fauxbyfour, nae pics..

Kenny, that sounds a good loop! most of the descents from capelaw to glencorse are pretty good, either the all out loose mayhem on the red road, or that super skinny singeltrack traversing castlelaw… I just couldn’t be bothered climbing back up again!

off road all the way from morningside? care to share? is that through braidburn valley park and then across to swanston golf course? i normally cut off comiston road up near the bypass to get to the swanston golf course…

…pentlands, brilliant ride…

Are we thinking the same Pentlands here? The ones that are normally a wet, exposed, boggy, windy, uninspiring mess over winter? Nah, I think you went riding in another Pentland hills 🙁

MrK,

Its difficult to describe, but if you nip in between some small beech hedges to your left on Margaret Rose Avenue, you’ll find some pretty polished singletrack leading into the mortonhall woods. Stick right and climb gradually over lots more roots, and you’ll start descending with some houses on your left. Take the obvious left turn when it comes, cross mountholy loan and carry on through the woods. Where the paths come together you need to cross them, heading into a tunnel between some thick hedges. This takes you onto the golf course access road, with a school on your left. There are some nice trails on your left which eventually peter out at a heap of gravel, cross over behind the tin hut, find the funny green tarmac path on the golf course, climb slightly and look for the trail starting on your left. This takes you most of the way down, then you follow the access track to the road. At this point you’re nearly at the braids, and you can follow the trails that go around the golf course, which take you to the Lang Linne path which descends into the hermitage. Once there just follow your nose, in theory you can climb again and descend into the blackford area.

If you have time, just explore, lots of singletrack in there, otherwise grab your night lights and i’ll show you some time, they’re hardly secret and obviously well used by other folk!

Ian, you must be about due another adventure, For us in need of inspiration, come on, get the baccy and the trailer out!!.

Greg, formery bows3r.