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I won't pretend to be a virgin when it comes to riding my bike down mountains in Scotland, but i do love riding there and hearing about other peoples trials and tribulations.
Please wax lyrical about your Scottish wanderings, or just maybe inspire with photos of your adventures, any outlandish descents you would like to tell us about, i won't tell honest. 😀
I took TJ up the Pentlands the other week, it was beautiful.
Ha ha the infamous TJ, Black hill on a tandem. Never ridden in the Pentlands where are the good bits.
There aren't any (well, certainly not at the moment as it's all a bit of a mudfest).
Depends what you mean by good bits.
druidh please play ball, summer is on the horizon 🙁
fergal - Member
druidh please play ball, summer is on the horizon
Not on mine it ain't. Black Hill currently looks cold, dark and wet 😥
I'd say the most fun trails are scattered fairly randomly over the Pentlands.
No mountains in the Pentlands for a start.
There would be if we built a 21 metre high cairn on Scald Law.
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Go to this issue and there is the article i wrote about a bit of touring in the mountains. Kintail is an epic place to ride.
And from last weekend.
See [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-little-jaunt ]this thread.[/url]
Whose was the post about biking as many munros as possible? Started with some stunning photos of Ben Lomond. Was that you Dan?
I've written a few stories on here, start here and follow the link at the top back to the start
[url] http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cape-wrath-saga-the-final-days-kinlochbervie-to-durness-via-cape-wrath [/url]
The Pentlands must rank fairly low down on the list of Scottish Mountain Odysseys, but we must be thankful for what we have etc.
I reckon the climb from Spital farm to the Borestane is the best trail in the entire Pentland hills, and I recommend it to wee Fergal when the weather improves.
Proper mountains please, who brought up the pentlands!
by the way i don't read singletrack, way to niche for moi.
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/call-of-the-wild-torridon ]CLICK HERE[/url]
Oh yeah photo's of Ben Lomond would be nice, had the pleasure, but so enjoyable it's nice to be reminded of the stunning riding.
Kbrembo thats more like it, cheers.
13thfloormonk fantastic blogging, followed your expedition during the summer, real inspiration to get out into the wilds and think outside the box.
13floor, Ben lomond wasn't me but plans are definitely afoot for linking some bits I've found out about recently with some wel known routes.
Made a bit of a solo effort last year here - [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/loch-maree-bealach-mheinnidh-fionn-loch-pic-heavy ]Loch Maree & Letterewe[/url]. Only after being shown the true spirit by Mr. 13thFM though...
Kbrembo Torridon what can i say, nice looking wheels too 🙂
Kbrembo, cracking pics. I recognise that Nicolai, do you ride Golspie and live in the Inverness area?
The Torridon/Achneschellach circuit has to be the best in the UK. Awesome combination of riding and scenery
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5363668030_865be3333e_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/55229898@N08/5363668030/ ]Annat descent[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/55229898@N08/ ]CaptainMainwaring1[/url], on Flickr
Chippbutty...
Yip that would be me!
Captain Mainwaring...link/onfo please...do-able as a weekender?
Pike
I'm guessing thats the one in Kenny F Wilsons book. About 60km, doable in a day.
Fort William World Cup.... Greg Minnar less than 1 min before his start
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Glen Bogle Beach
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Loch Muick
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Cairngorm Circuit
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Jocks road. There is just about to be a bit of walking.....
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Devils Staircase
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Kenny Wilson's "Walks With My Mountain Bike"
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Torridon, up from Coulags
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Kenny Wilson's "Walks With My Mountain Bike"
😆
Ben Avon
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Coming down from a Big Mac
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River Avon crossing
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Earn your descents boys
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Very lo-fi maps of routes around Torridon here - [url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=213433076008613562580.0004819ae07c2f87523d6&t=p&ll=57.530939,-5.40905&spn=0.076673,0.219383&z=12 ]Torridon Circuit Google Maps[/url].
Parking at NG958569, then a mile or 2 north on the road to start the Coulin circuit. Hoping to do it once or twice this year myself...
Some years ago a former workmate of mine and a friend did the full round of the Munros one summer by, or maybe with, MTB. There is a photo of them climbing the Innaccessible Pinnicle in Skye.
He had a nice print in his house of him abseiling off the short side of the Pinn with his bike over his shoulder. I think the bike he used was a rigid Rockhopper.
http://www.john.macpherson.btinternet.co.uk/fullimagepeopleg.html
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2410772343_6c975a1c61.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pimpmasterjazz/2410772343/ ]The weather took a turn for the worse[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/pimpmasterjazz/ ]Pimpmaster Jazz[/url], on Flickr
Say no more....
I reckon the climb from Spital farm to the Borestane is the best trail in the entire Pentland hills, and I recommend it to wee Fergal when the weather improves.
I'm not convinced any climb could be a best trail - but perhaps that's just me! My favourite trail in the Pentlands is the Nail Trail, followed by Black Hill - both off-limits when the ground is this wet though.
The only proper mountain I've mountain biked on was Mount Keen. Bit of a slog getting up there - but certainly the longest, fastest descent I've ever done!
ir-bandito
What route was that you took?
Messiah
As ever, pics to inspire and make me want to ride the Cairngorms. Have you any more pics e.g. Braeriach, Lochnagar etc?
The MacDui route in the current issue is an absolute belter for a summer day with a bit of everything. I can highly recommend it.
Plans are afoot to try a bigger loop taking in Feshie over to Braemar and back via Falls of Avon and Bynack Mor as a Spring or early summer day ride
Right, now one for experts.
Where the heck is this bit of trail in the linked pic below?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bothy/5348902240/
I can't find Eagles Coire on the map. Any ideas of a rough location. It looks magic!
Cheers
Sanny
It's true that one of the drawbacks to the Borestane this way round is that the descent off the other side towards yellowbrick road is fairly ordinary. So you do a lovely sustained climb, nice out-in-the hills feeling, but the DH rewards are scant.I'm not convinced any climb could be a best trail - but perhaps that's just me! My favourite trail in the Pentlands is the Nail Trail, followed by Black Hill - both off-limits when the ground is this wet though.
Haha! Finally learning the meaning of Gaelic hill names has payed off.
'Eagle' is 'Iolaire', and I remembered a 'Coire na h-Iolaire' near Bynack Mor. A little search on geograph...
[url] http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/229252 [/url]
Over 10yrs ago I did a route from a book called "Scottish Mountain Bike Rides" or words to that effect. It started about 7 miles east of Ben Nevis, climbed on forestry track for 5 miles or so reaching one of the remote train stations north of Rannoch Moor, it was then some pretty awesome singletrack which dropped me out behind the back of Ben Nevis (due south) eventually by a river which we had to cross. Several miles later we ended up in Kinlochleven. This was about 30 mile in all if I recollect - it is a one way ride - i have to say it was fantastic - it was a bluebird day and very remote and not boggy like Ranoch Moor (apart from one 30 min section)
Some great pics and stories.
Sanny Braeriach really is an enigma, would love to know whether that descent north is a goer, will be up in those parts in may so will hopefully find gold in them there hills.
Sanny, it was an attempt at the classic Cairngorms circuit a couple of years ago. For logistical reasons, we started at Tomintoul, but as we climbed the sides of Cullardoch, the weather closed in. We were saved, literally, by a pre-programmed gps. Found our way to the shooting hut on Bealach Dearg [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=318005&Y=798085&A=Y&Z=120 ]here[/url]
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2372/2411647246_ed67b7441e.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pimpmasterjazz/2411647246/ ]Home, the morning after[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/pimpmasterjazz/ ]Pimpmaster Jazz[/url], on Flickr
Too much snow the following morning to carry on, so we pushed back down the hill, and went and stayed in a B&B in Aviemore for a couple of days and took on some low-level riding instead. But we'll be back...
Kbrembo, It was the bike i recognised. Met you a couple of times at Golspie (Black VW golf and SC Heckler) Passed your car the other day at the retail park in Ness.
Some cracking pics here, torridon is a must for me once the snow has buggered off
When you thinking of going to Torridin Rob? Considering a trip there myself this year. Done the Liathach loop and the Coulags/Achnashellach round, what else should I look at?
I'll be up a couple of times this year Steve, home's just round the other end of Loch Torridon. May or may not have time to have a ride round now mini-me's on the scene... TBH I aint as familiar with the area as I should be 😳 so hoping to explore a bit; might see if any of the gang are free nearer the time 🙂 . [url= http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm ]Where's The Path?[/url] and [url= http://www.geograph.org.uk/ ]Geograph[/url] work well together as planning aids.
Me & matey have got 24th March pencilled in for Torridon, thats plan A. (We also have plans B & C for weather purposes as we do not intend to drive from North Yorkshire to Torridon to ride in pi$$y wet weather with no views.)
It'll rain won't it?
Probably, but how long & how strong? Could be stunning Spring weather; certainly take kit for any possibility (except desert style heat!) + navigation aids... Think I'll be up home (near Gairloch) the week before that, if I remember I'll post back the ground conditions (which has little bearing on 7 hrs later, never mind days!)
March and April can be the best of the year... as soon as the schools and university exams finish the weather goes to poop.
The problem with March and April can be the snow at high level... which leads to it's own challanges though... 😉
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Messiah
Where do you host your pics? Some crackers there! Is that MacDui on the snow?
Found out where Eagles Coire is. Another trip up north beckons!
Out of interest, has anyone ridden off Cairngorm on the path marked on the map that pops out beside Lochan Uaine or is it a work if fiction?
Also, has anyone dropped down to Corrour bothy from the Braeriach side? Wondering if a loop of Glenmore - Braeriach - Corrour -Glen Derry would be doable?
Cheers
Sanny - YGM
Sanny that loop would have two issues IIRC from walking Cairn Toul from Corrour Bothy a few years ago. The whole of the Cairn Toul summit area is a massive boulder field that's not pleasant for walking with poles let alone with a bike on your back. I was not MTB'ing back then so didn't have my bike eyes on, but I reckon at least the top half of the path down to the bothy from the ridge would be unrideable
I have some cracking mountain route's I like to get done each year - I currently struggle to get these "classics" and variations done never mind exploring for new trails.
I often see trails like that to Corrour and wonder what like... but it would be the best part of a days walking to ride a very short and steep section, with a hell walkout through the Larig Gruh to finish off. I'd class that in the "not worth the bother" pile and go spend my precious mountain day riding something I know is going to be awesome.
You may think otherwise and I may very well be wrong... so if it's good let me know 😆
Both pics look like the snowfields above Coire Sputan Dearg descending to Creag Eatchachan.
Coire Odhar down to Corrour you might manage 500m but getting there from Braeriach is a world of pain - exactly as CM describes.
Some great photo's there folks.
I can't wait until the weather warms up and the high snowfields shift. Carn Ban Mor on the big bike is one I'd like to do this year and I'd also like to get over to Torridon again, it's truley stunning!
robgarrioch, that would be VERY helpful if you do remember. I'll give you a shout on here to remind you. Meanwhile.....A feeling of isolation, Meanach Bothy with Luibeilt beyond.
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