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Heading up to Scotland again for two weeks in 7 days, after breaking my bike packing bike I,ve decided to do some proper mountain rides so any you would recommend? with if possible a nearby safe parking spot. Will be on a hardtail but it rides like a full suss. heading up to Aviemore then onwards to Cape Wrath then down the NW coast.
Rich
Beinn Faddha, outstanding trail, possibly the longest natural descent in the UK - it’s a BIG day out!
Sligachan out and back on Skye (not actually a climb or descent - but technical and sustained - finish with a pint in the sligachan Inn
Torridon loop, arguably the best trail in the UK, IMHO
...and devils staircase/ Ciaron path!
Beinn fhadda for sure.
…and devils staircase/ Ciaron path!
Naw, just naw.
Was wanting mountain top descents don't mind hiking my bike up. Done Devils staircase to death with my HT550 loops 🙂
Rich
Was in Skye last week don't fancy it again will be heading to Torridon!
Point 1083 (just west of cairn lochan) down to Cairngorm slki carpark.
Basically the ridge west of the Corrie west of Fiscal ridge (sp)
Walked that a couple of times thegeneralist, never really struck me as being a guid descent, happy to be wrong though!.
I reckon if you've the legs for it, bynack more would be a good climb. Macdui down past the hutchy hut is good, allt ruadh off Sgor Gaioth too. All in the gorms.
I've got a 5 day, 18 Munro walk planned for 3 weeks time in the Cairngorms with Yokaiser keeping eyes peeled for potentials!.
The Ben Macdui loop from Linn of Dee car park. It's a big day out with some walking/ bike carrying on way up.
https://www.trailforks.com/route/ben-macdui-loop/
Sgorr Gaoith has two decent descents and one that's a bit meh..
All best accessed from the landy track further south in Feshie, which arrives on the plateau close to the summit of Mulach Clach a Bhlar. Then ride north across the muir and towards the shark's fin of Gaoith, leaving the track onto singletrack at an obvious cairn/turn.
The least fun is the one off Carn Ban Mor, the most southerly of the three. it has ben 'sanitised'.
Better is the Stalker's Path route, starting from the col between CBM and SG. It has a lot of fun, a lot of changing terrain and is a pretty consistent descent with only one dismount, at the burn crossing.
Best in my book is the Mule Trail, which heads north off the summit of SG and works NW to the switchback path that gives this trail it's usual name. Long, rocky, flowy but with a couple of short push ups onto minor summits as well along the way. Final section down into the forest adds some variety and is a little overgrown in one or two spots but still works. Must take my folding saw with me next time...
Not mentioned yet: Ben Alder circuit from Dalwhinnie but as a HT550 rider, you may not have tried the carry straight up from Ben Alder Cottage to the high col, down past the loch and arriving at Culra that way.
Capel Mounth circuit has two great descents: Starting in Clova, ride up to Bachnagairn. Then over to Coire Chash, down the straight diagonal line to the corner of Muick is excellent fun. Go left, and clockwise right around the loch, passing Glas Allt Shiel. Climb again on the return Capel Mounth doubletrack from east of the end of Loch Muick, all the way back across to the high point above Clova and enjoy that lovely descent. To make this into a harder day, start again at the Ranger Station in Clova/ Glen Doll but head up Jock's Road to just past the renovated shelter, then head over to Glittering Skellies to add a 3rd descent, then continue as before up to the horse shelter and head for Coire Chash.
Also around Braemar: Do Lochnagar, start in town, road east to the Invercauld bridge, into Ballochbuie woods, continue SE and all the way to the carry up to the main summit of Lochnagar. Then head west over the White Mounth, skirt along the south edge of Carn an t'Saggairt Beag, skirt south again around t'Saggairt Mor, there's a 'contour' path around to the NW side of the summit; descends steeply west/NW all the way to Callater Lodge. For added spice, climb again through the pass to Glen Cluny, then up Morven to drop into town from the SW. That's a big day out.
The wreckage of a very smashed up Canberra is still scattered all over the northern side of the summit of t'Saggairt Mor, can be worth checking out for some folk.
Invercauld, Sluggain & Ben Avon: The ridge NE from the summit of Ben Avon down into Glen Avon at the crossroads is fun; return to Braemar/Invercauld via Loch Builg & Cullardoch but watch out for dead raptors, killed on the Invercauld estate.
For an easier day out, Beinn a Bhuird, simple out and back from Linn of Quoich (or Linn of Dee via the wee Glack pass).
For a really big day out, start at Linn of Quoich, up Bhuird, down to the Sneck, up Avon and continue clockwise back to Invercauld. The track from there back to the start works ok.
Another: start at Folda/ Forter Castle in Clova. Up the Cateran and quickly turn left, up to Bawhelps, Finalty Hill, Tom Buidhe, Claise, Glas Maol. Descend on the Monega Path back to Clova. This takes some nav, so save it for a day with good visibility and enjoy.
Walked that a couple of times thegeneralist, never really struck me as being a guid descent, happy to be wrong though!.
You might be right. I've always previously been more into uphills than down, so probably not a great judge of these things
I think it was quite gnadgery tech, rather than fast and flowy. Preferred it to the Annat descent which I did the day before.
The Beinn Fhada loop up there is good Rich, you'll have done the Glen Lichd into Affric part plenty times.
IT's worth the epic hikeabike to the top of the hill too though as an out and back, the whole descent is a cracker.
McTrail rider has a vid doing it from a couple of years ago.
Also around Braemar: Do Lochnagar, .... Etc th
Some great suggestions there. We're in Braemar from 7-14 August, Bolton variant permitting, so will definitely try some of them.
If anyone fancies joining me then let me know. 🤗
Ben Cleuch / Andrew Gannel in the Ochils.
Descend via the Gannel Burn trench.
Over 700m of fun descent. Do it!
Some great suggestions there. We’re in Braemar from 7-14 August, Bolton variant permitting, so will definitely try some of them.
If anyone fancies joining me then let me know. 🤗
Beinn a bhuird too, from linn o Dee.
Add Binnien Mor to the original list, Ben Lawyers and Beinn ghlas, and while yer parked there, push as far up the meall nan tarmachan path as far as you dare too, I reckon that would be a peach.
Another suggestion, park at Comrie, head out to Ben Chonzie, that's pefsllable to the summit, descend to turret reservoir (caveat - I've not done that bit!) then round top of reservoir and up the south path that almost tops achnafree hill and onto choinneachain hill, descend to dam wall, and back to Comrie.
But aye, subscribe to mctrail rider and choose from there, His new drone is fantastic.
Indeedy what Nobeerinthefridge said, as he's literally just done Benn Faddha:
and there's a good chance he's done some of the others your (or will) considering