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Snowdon I know. What else do we have?
Ben lomond
Zero - we measure out mountains in feet to make them seem bigger ;).
Less unhelpfully: Cader
Anyone want to offer a brief description? Fancy doing Cadair - is it fun and not just a slog down?
Are you wanting to get a summit in, or just some excellent downhills on proper mountains?
If the former, then Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Cadair Idris (as well as Ben Lomond and Snowdon) would be a great start.
If the latter, there's lots of choice; my recommendation would be to pick a suitable weather window, pack the car and head to Torridon, the Annat descent alone is worth the drive.
Sorry about the misspelling 😳
Cadair Pony path is quite good fun but not as good as Snowdon Ranger. The top section is doable by only the bravest - I wussed out.
Where do you want to start? Carn Ban Mor is a famous one. Beinn a ghlo has a series of descents o0ff it, Ben Macdui has one I believe.
Pretty much any munro will have a rideable path down it
Of those mentioned above, I would say Helvellyn and Ben Lomond would be my picks.
Helellyn has several routes up, easiest of which is Keppel Cove. This would be a ride along a valley for a bit, a grind up to the zig zags, and then a push (unless you are very fit) onto the ridge. Mixture of riding and pushing to the summit. Choice of descents are the techy-ish and fast Sticks Pass; the very techy Dollywaggon into the (IMO perfect) Grizedale tarn; and several others I haven't done.
Ben Lomond is rocky, some rideable bits and some carrying up; mainly rideable down. Great fun, although I had a puncture at the very top and was riding on a rim for most of it!
just some excellent downhills on proper mountains?
This. Summits not mandatory.
Where do you want to start?
Anywhere. Just curious what's out there. Ideally more riding up than pushing. Better still a circular route with a ride up one way and a belt down the other.
Pretty much any munro will have a rideable path down it
Hmm but going by my experience in Wales some are unrideable and some would just 30 grassy minutes on the brakes with your bum on the back wheel.
Of those mentioned above, I would say Helvellyn and Ben Lomond
Nice three peaks style trip then.
Not exactly big mountain as such ..but a 7km twitchy singletrack descent down Bowderdale in The Howgills is still great but getting a little worn ..
The Annat descent is possibly still my favourite ..
I've only done Snowdon (down the Ranger), Cadair Idris (down the bridal way) and Helvellyn (down Sticks). Snowdon probably the best but the other two are definitely worth the effort.
There are a fair few off the mountains around Loch Muick including Lochnagar. Also on the other side of the A93 is Ben Avon which is doable. The most easterly munro Mount Keen is rideable down from both sides.
Nevis range red route / DH track? YOu even get uplift in a gondola
Where to start?! Here's my threads from the last 8 years (the 2015 thread has links to all the ones from 2010 to 2014).
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/2017-a-year-in-mountains
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/2016-a-year-in-mountains
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/2015-a-year-in-mountains
Between them, those threads cover 99 trips into the mountains, some of which are repeats and a handful of which are abroad. They should also give you an idea of which are good and which aren't.
Sanny's thread has 16 pages of mountains! It's my bible.
dragon the descent off past the plane wreckage to loch callaters a good one on the big bike.
but i wouldnt regard any of them as particularly big mountain descents.
the Ben macdui loop is a good un though as is the annat
I've only walked the Loch Callater route, can't say I fance it on my XC hardtail, like you say probably better on a bigger bike.
On the big mountain descent classifcation, well maybe they aren't 'big per se, but on the whole they are all a lot bigger than what Molgrips will be used to in and around Cardiff. I love the riding in and around Cardiff but big mountain it is not.
The drop off Mam Meadail on the Knoydart peninsula (Scottish Highlands) is another cracker ..done as a there and back when we did it.
This would be with the big bike. In search of as much 'big' as I can deal with, rather than my usual focus which would be distance.
Would be fun to plan a Scotland trip taking in Fort Bill and whatever else.
well maybe they aren't 'big per se, but on the whole they are all a lot bigger than what Molgrips will be used to in and around Cardiff
Hmm, it's not high elevation but you can drop a reasonable way and it's often rather steep on the unofficial stuff. Tends to be loamy rather than rocky though. Oh and I have ridden places other than Cardiff 🙂
To me 'big' means 400m+ of sustained 'red' or more descending.
loads in Scotland. I started doing munros last year (one lol)
Nice of you to leave the crashes in that video poah 🙂
Nice of you to leave the crashes in that video poah
I seem to like doing it in front of people. Did the same on Dumyat too ha ha ha ha
Molgrips - that final descent I took you down in the pentlands was over 300m. does that count?
JOcks road circuit? I have only walked it but it looks a great descent if you can hop water bars. there is a circuit you can do that takes you thru the glittering skellies. A few youtube vids of it
Rhydd Ddu on Snowdon. (a double ascent in a day doing this & the Ranger is feasible, if not a little wearing)
Lakes
4 passes epic.
Various ways up and down Helvellyn (Birkside has some nice variety to it)
Grizedale Pike/Whiteless Pike/Rigg Beck for a bit of cheeky
Rossett Gill/Esk Hause/Sty Head/Seatoller/Stake Pass.
I've only walked the Loch Callater route, can't say I fance it on my XC hardtail, like you say probably better on a bigger bike
Was "interesting" on my rigid 29er with bike packing bags in the wet .... But the alternative route to pitlochry was going to be boring (down to the bothy at gelder shiel and round to the invercauld bridge too much fire road )
Don't recommend it on xc bike Didn't remember it being so bad when I did it with 160 and slack angles ....
I'll wheel out my usual suggestion of Beinn Fhada.
Cadair is definitely worth a go IMO molgrips, I think you'll enjoy it - rugged at the top then more singletracky IIRC. Not a total gnarfest.
The Four Passes in the Lakes is all killer, no filler - but you'll need to enjoy riding quite steep, very rocky stuff and be happy carrying your bike for much of the day.
Not making any assumptions about your abilities, but I know not everyone enjoys hike-a-bike and people often neglect to mention that aspect. You also need a certain level of confidence riding rocks to really enjoy it I think.
Hard to beat a day out on Helvellyn, perhaps doing Sticks Pass and then back up for Dollywaggon and the Grisedale Tarn descent. Then across to Boredale Hause for a quickie if you've anything left in your legs.
All the above is legit too, FWIW.
I'll wheel out my usual suggestion of Beinn Fhada.
Magnificent final descent on that loop. Must do it again sometime.
Cadair Idris is certainly my closest one. Anyone fancy a day trip there?
Beinn Fhadda +2
UK big mountain you ask?
Take a look at Mt Hope (or even Mt Jackson or Mt Paget) but you might need ice tyres.....
😀
Bealach Dubh to Loch Pattack.
Skiddaw onto ulloch is ace
Snowdons enjoyable but busy
Helveyn I found a lot of work but glad I did it.
TORRIDON for the best big mountain stuff though it's quicker to go the alps
[b]Munrobike [/b]Where to start?! Here's my threads from the last 8 years
^^ Most useful post on this site of the [s]8,909,932 [/s] 8,909,933 so far. Thanks Munrobiker and Sanny.
Skidaw is good fun in a flat out
scree drifting kinda way, and (fitness and gearing permitting) the climb is mostly rideable. Worth doing just for the tickbox of being the largest continuous bridleway ascent in England.
There's also a footpath off the NE side, and the back of Skiddaw loop which also nicely ticks the 'long way up', 'nice view' and 'technical trail' boxes. Do the loop clockwise then climb to the top and don't he footpath would be a tiring day out!
Pretty much any munro will have a rideable path down it
On the sherry already TJ? 
Not a summit, but a bloody long, and bloody awesome descent is Esk hause down to Stockley bridge. The descent that keeps on go.
Nobeer - molgrips is a riding god. Not rideable for mere mortals perhaps 😉
Not as close as Cadair idris is Mynydd Drum, above Abergwyngregan. Park near Aber falls.
Closer to you is from the north of Carreg yr Ogof and then eventually the absolutely marvellously wondertastic descent to Dan yr Ogof caves.
Beinn fhadda on this year's list for sure.
Is the Being Fhadda descent the one which ends near Morvich? Did that years ago.
Ambrose, did not know of anything by Dan yr Of, but should have expected itt.
I have done Drum many years ago. Don't remember it being tech like Ranger path.
Sgurr Ban in Fisherfield; the mile of perfect quartzite bedrock descent down to Loch Nid. Featured in an Adventure Show recently though the presenter pushed down the lower steep section as the rock was wet. quite a long day as a loop starting from the Destitution Road.
Bogginess not technical difficulty is the issue with a lot of Scottish munros Teej!
Pretty much any munro will have a rideable path down it
Pissing myself laughing at that!
Interested in doing some of these myself. Need to figure out which ones I could actually ride down....
The Merrick and Cairnsmore of a Fleet in Galloway are pretty good descents
You can combine Skiddaw & Great Sca fell into a deluxe edition of the Skiddaw figure of 8 for a great day out. I hikeabike up Skiddaw from dash falls & go up the latter via the mine road just after Carrock beck ford(north of Mosedale) ,up past the lingy hut. (all rideable to the hut when fit & best done after a dry spell too!)
The Merrick and Cairnsmore of a Fleet in Galloway are pretty good descents
Both over all too quickly, generally because there's nothing techy to prolong the fun. Apart from the last KM of the Merrick descent to Bruces stane, which always leaves a sour taste, whether walking or biking...
Pretty much any munro will have a rideable path down it
I've climbed around half the Munro's and plenty of them don't even have a path on them, let alone a rideable one.
Anyway, Glas Tulaichean from the Spittal of Glenshee is nice and 100% ridable up and down, Beinn Dearg from Blair Atholl is great as well with some pushing on the climb but the decent is all ridable.
Generally most of the Cairngorms have some pretty good options, the further west and north you go the steeper and rockier it gets and the more likely you are to end up axle deep in a bog.
tagged for future rides 🙂
What about those with big rocky technical descents? 😎