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I would say Nan Bield, it ticks all the boxes, stunning mountain architecture, a series of almost perfect slalom like S curves meander down the fell side, leading your gaze in to a thin ribbon of trail that flows into a vanishing point on the distant horizon, far below, it flows like no other.
The other contender is obviously that trail in Torridon, sublime.
Whiteless Pike - it just keeps on giving.
Binnean Mor - just lovely. Switchbacks - proper pointy mountains - rocky technicalis - big sky and sea views.
MacDhui down to Loch Etchecan - sublime!
The back of Ben Lawers / Beinn Ghlas - you just need to ride it and you will see what I mean.
Nan Bield
Assuming it's [url= 
]this one[/url], that's fugly. No trees, for starters.
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I'm quite a fan of the trail over Whinstone Lee Tor. Beautiful views from high up over ladybower/ derwent res. I reckon it's the best view in the peaks (which presumably puts it in good stead for a shout at one of the best nationally).
Best views?
Top of Conwy Mountain/Drum down to the sea?
Slate mine trail at Dinorwic with Snowden in the distance?
Thieveley Pike in Burnley - 360° views of Lancashire, the Howgills and the Lakes, the North York Moors and over toward Northumberland on a clear day.
Sanny I will give you Macdhui, evidence for intelligent design perhaps.
Ben Lawers i'm not convinced.
Nan Bield is not even the best in the Lakes but thats cheeky so i shall say no more
SN38 1NW
Obviously.
BikePark Wales
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Whiteless pike +1
also tiberthwaite ghyl, 😉
@Sanny - any tips on good routes around Ben Lawers? I've ridden around the traverse track to the shielings, and down the trail by Lawyers Burn, but fancied there must be some better riding over to Glen Lyon.
Oh, and back OT, I'd rate Schiehallion, Devil's Staircase (Glencoe) and Glen Feshie as pretty aesthetic.
Oh yeah how could I forget the finest ridge line in the country, but then again I wasn't talking about the best as in most technical, but the most aesthetic, but I will concede, when I did that ridge I was pretty gob smacked, it is certainly one of the best continuous descents in the UK.
Still think Nan Bield is the most pleasing on the eye.
no way its like riding off the end of the earth and I meant aesthetically not technical
Depends what you want from a view tbh
Ben Lomond ain't bad:
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To be fair, you are probably right, it has everything, rocky ridgelines usually do, it is quite dramatic in the way it towers above the flat bottomed valley, it was a few years ago, so the image has faded slightly, at the time it made quite an impression.
[img] http://bernardoconnor.org.uk/Publications/Artho g's%20geology_files/image003.jpg[/img]
coming down from The Braich - ridge line upper centre - and round, there's a cheeky bridleway through the gorse, looking over the Mawwdach Estaury, with Cadair Idris in the background and the estuary below
truly beautiful
EDIT - loadarubbish...how can I insert an image without a load of html
Grum those water bars ain't very aesthetic 😉
Any that I'm on.
not.
Any of the cheek in Thetford Forest.
Winding ribbons of sandy trail sneaking between a mix of conifer and deciduous (sp?).
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2028/1970298869_1212e2939c_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pimpmasterjazz/1970298869/ ]Swish swish swoop![/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/pimpmasterjazz/ ]NeilCain[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1347/3174098310_72c8cc3dab_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pimpmasterjazz/3174098310/ ]Thetford singletrack[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/pimpmasterjazz/ ]NeilCain[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3109/3113086162_32900abe1b_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pimpmasterjazz/3113086162/ ]Thetford[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/pimpmasterjazz/ ]NeilCain[/url], on Flickr
Ladies and Gentleman.... The North Downs Way...
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the-uks-most-aestheticaly-beautiful-[b]mountain[/b]-trail
Read to OP again Mr Cain!
I dont deny thats lovely though.
Read to OP again Mr Cain!
Pah - semantics. Some of Thetford nearly gets above sea-level, which is close enough. 😉
All very subjective obviously (and dependent on what you've actually ridden, as well).
Not all (because there's a bundle of double track and estate track) but several sections of the Beinn a'Ghlo loop work brilliantly, and the scenery is out of this world (so good that you have to concentrate on the trail)!
Very near that, the descent down upper Glen Tarf as well. Barely wheel's width of track worn through peat & heather, sliced into the side of V shaped, steep sided glen . Sublime...
grum
What camera are you using there fella?
Cheers
David
The Ullswater singletrack's quite pretty, but maybe doesn't qualify as "mountain", although the mountains around do obviously contribute substantially to it's aesthetic charm, so maybe it does?
Sanny - ayup. Is Whiteless the one that ends 100 yards down the road from the pubs at Buttermere - mix of loose rock, bedrock, grassy bits, and some steep stuff? If so, I rode it for the first time last week. Big old slog up, but a cracking descent. Have you ridden the obvious crazy angry steep section of jagged bedrock? There was a bit I chose to walk but reckoned it might possibly have gone riding my big bike if I had a kamikaze head on, with a bit of time to play. You done it?
The bit in swinely labyrynth that goes left right left right left rigggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhht
Stuff the views, just seeing that bit coming makes me happy
Ladies and Gentleman.... The North Downs Way..
Nice to see that some things don't change.
Hi Sanny - Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm pancake lens.
Grum those water bars ain't very aesthetic
The way I gracefully bound over them like a gazelle is pretty aesthetic, I can tell you. 😳
So, Whitless Pike. What route d'you go?
Looking at the map, up and over Grisedale looks like the best approach, then perhaps looping back up Sail Beck and down Rigg Beck
grumWhat camera are you using there fella?
Asking the wrong question.. it's not his camera that makes the pictures good!
Did you stop down for those, incidentally?
Cobbler path - end of thread.
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The Ullswater singletrack would score quite highly if you could add in a few windturbines, the aesthetic could be many things, but to me not necessarily a classic view of a highland glen, perhaps a juxtaposition with the industrial, I quite like the modern aesthetic of a wind turbine in the landscape, look deeper at the rugged rock formations embedded in the trail like jewels in a crown, abstract shapes,i think Nan bield draws you in, a perfect blend of landscape and a feel for the trail, even down to the stones of the trail surface.
Prawny ha ha awesome, shred the gnar brother!
Got nothing to contribute really, looks like i need to get up peaks and scotland.
Where's this? its wales somewhere
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From Issue 82?
Think you'll need to do a lot of carrying whichever way you ride Whiteless. Worth it tho.
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/9729362367_1fbace4a40.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/willlakeinyorkshire/9729362367/ ]IMG_0413[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/willlakeinyorkshire/ ]Will Lake[/url], on Flickr
wl - that's lovely looking. Right, that's just jumped to the top of the "to ride" list
Where's this? its wales somewhere
Its a trail centre. Don't know if they qualify....
This one 🙂
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5036/7196618430_5bc8080a1d.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7196618430/ ]Lemon Drizzle Cake eater!!!!![/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Or this
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8087305791_0f4edcbbcf.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/8087305791/ ]DSCF2251[1][/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Whiteless pike is good over Grisedale from Braithwaite, down the edge, then bit of a slog up to descend Rigg beck, felt worked after, nice but not as good as the ridge with no name.
Ben Lomond
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2855/9732658158_f18bbe18e8.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/49017178@N04/9732658158/ ]1149036_613190495368383_650136309_n[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/49017178@N04/ ]Doubledunter[/url], on Flickr
Pont Scethin for me - the view towards the King George III / Cadair Idris is well worth the slog up.
Ayup WL!
Eeeeh, I've gone all northern!
That is indeed Whiteless Pike. The rocky bedrock has indeed been ridden but is committing. One for a dry day.
I like heading up Newlands Pass on the footpath then descending to the old Purple House which is now a modern jobbie. A brief road spin down the valley and it's up the wide footpath by the beck following onto the saddle with a 10 minute carry. After that, the new zig zags which are utterly gawping to look at but 100% rideable up takes you to a brief decent and final scrambly carry up to the summit. From there, I like to follow the path on the eastern edge as it is a lovely bit of trail but one to be wary of falling to the left on!
Postierich
I know that trail well. Lovely, isn't it?
The saddle, Arran. A hike a bike that's so steep you need to pass the bikes up to each other, but a stunningly perfect U shaped valley at either side, Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox.
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And also surrounded by some pretty amazing ridge walks and jaggy peaks.
ooooh! Can I add Cat Bells on an autumn's evening - looking down the ridge towards Skiddaw during the Golden Housr is simply stunning.
Postierich that bottom one looks tantalisingly familiar, must be Low man I think, or possibly a welsh trail centre.
Rothiemurchus/Glenmore and surrounds, pick your own trail. A sheltered beach with an ancient forest with mountains with snow. OK so it's not actually [i]up[/i] a mountain, but that's just being picky.
Ladies and Gentleman.... The North Downs Way...
Is that the trail heading down to Landbarn Farm, north of Westcott?
Nobeer - good post. I walked up there from Glen Rosa a few months ago and wondered about riding there - that singletrack looked ace. I can see it would be a ballache getting up from the other side though - in the wet and wind with massive backpacks, it was indeed a scramble.
Sanny - which is the eastern side then (forgive my stupidity)? That route up is exactly what we did - didn't even attempt the zig-zags although one of our group cleared it - WTF?! Good effort for riding the bedrock - I remember a tightish left-hander at the top which pushed you to the edge of the hill but was fine, but then very soon after - like 30 feet further down - it went very steep, very jagged, full of wheel grabbers, for about 15-20 feet of vert - would have taken very big balls (and a nice slack head angle) to commit! Nice one. I'll be back one day for another look.
Rothiemurchus has a certain twee highland shortbread tin charm, way to sanatized though, there are only a few natural trails left.
@poonprice - it's Afan and it was a great trail before they cut the trees down, now it's just a wasteland
fergal - MemberRothiemurchus has a certain twee highland shortbread tin charm, way to sanatized though, there are only a few natural trails left.
Now the question is about aesthetics, not quality of riding.
Crossing High Cup Nick is pretty special
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3647/3654339933_c83c996d23.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/3654339933/ ]P6220014[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
I always enjoy this ride
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[url= http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4062/4691480868_a7f7103c49_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-lowe/4691480868/ ]IMAG0434[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/dave-lowe/ ]lowey.com[/url], on Flickr
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Some stunning pictures, but can we have locations please people?
The ones of Thetford Forest? They're in Thetford Forest. 😉
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For me the Brecons was beautiful, then again any trail where you feel good and the bike feels good is beautiful! That is after all what it's about.
lets have the location of those plz lowey.
Hi wl
I have to admit to having cleaned the zig zags too. A 20t ring is a real boon on that one. I preferred it before they improved it though. It's a go steady kind of deal but I was chuffed to do it at the first attempt. Oddly, it's stuff like that that really makes me smile!
The eastern edge is the singletrack just off of the summit. Basically, ignore the main path and keep hard left.
The techy section is tricky but I'm sure you will manage it. It's pretty short though you need to fully commit to it. I like then heading down the Rannerdale Knotts path as it is an ace little valley trail.
Cheers
Sanny
Torridon!
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I'm just book marking, carry on.
That on in the mag was whytes level, glyncorryg. Alright unless you look right and down...
Hat off to you, Sanny - that climb looked bonkers, especially after lugging the bike up that far already. I need a return trip for another run on the descent.
Wow guys some stunning pics, real inspiration to get back into the mounts before the first snows.
lets have the location of those plz lowey.
All Lakes and all cheeky so lips are sealed 🙂
Angryratio, try a few 100 metres east of that for a fantastic ride round the cwms, stunning and cheeky.
I've done that, if I had pictures I'd post it up as my personal most visually stunning trail.
Epic thread, I'm making a list. I really need to stay closer to home and stop dreaming of the Alps so much
well done Lowey 😉 I think sticks pass from Helvellyn deserves a mention though,
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Skye - Sligachan (Camusanary Bay)
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Skye - Quirang is no bad either
ZigZag... loverly mate... loverly.
angryratio - is that the gap? Doesn't look as steep as I remember.
pooprice - that looks like the new whites level descent at afan, you can see the ascent below.
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"Streak-of-pants" into Loch Muich (Photo stolen from Ecurie Neep).
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Corrie Fee in the Angus Glens is stunning.. but hike-a-bike 😥 .
Lowey beware Gav is monitoring your posts!! G
Great thread, some lovely locations would love to be riding them right now.
The Gap isn't steep, hence why it doesn't look it.
The Black Mountains Killer Loop has some great riding and scenery, especially compared to anything that far south.
Grum, great pics on p1.
PMJ -
decideous, dicideous, nah, can't decide either.deciduous
For me, any mountain trail in the right light can be the most beautiful. Light and shadow often makes it more than the terrain does. Been in Snowdonia a lot at dawn/dusk high up without the bike and it's as stunning as the Alps at times, sunrise over an inversion or pink snow etc. Makes the lowlands a very special place at times too, like those thetford trails in low orange evening light.
Lovely. Top thread, more pics needed.