Where've I been? Up Mount Keen

[Delice]

What would make a pleasant outing for a Sunday in the Cairngorms? After a big day on Ben Avon - a less strenuous saunter up Mount Keen. We were staying in Braemar, so the Glen Tanar route was the obvious choice. This provides an ideal combination of walking and cycling - you cycle for an hour or two, rising slowly but surely up the valley, then you only have a shortish pull up the steeper mountainside - practically seeing the top from the bottom. We had a nice drive down the S side of the River Dee and left the car opposite the Bridge of Tanar. After the strong winds on Saturday we were hoping for less of a buffeting, but it was still quite windy and some heavy showers, even hail, was forecast. We used the route described on Walkhighlands - it was well described past the estate buildings - entrance to the big hoose, stables, sawmills etc and into the mature pine forests beside the Water of Tanar. Peace and quiet except for the sound of rushing water.

in the pine forest of Glen Tanar

stepping stones across the river

A few others out cycling, but as often happens you wonder where everyone who was parked in the car park has disappeared to! Had to get off and investigate the charms of the Half-Way Hut. I wondered how many people found shelter in there on a bad day. Maybe Goldilocks and the 3 bears have passed through?

Sanctuary for the wet and weary

A heavy downpour, but it was over in about 10 minutes and we were out between the open hillsides, still following the river. A small group of some 'older ladies' [I'm allowed to say that] powered past us - I felt a bit sheepish... they must have been local...got really good bikes...very little kit....probably do this run every day...bound to! We stopped to admire a stone bridge, with a good view of Mount Keen beyond rising up out of the moor and a clear path scratched up the front of it, forking near the top of the first rise.

Amazing keystone running from the arch to the parapet

We were still on a good landrover track, with some recently repairs which continued a bit further to the ruined sheiling and a smart new bridge.

Lady bikers at the sheiling...but they didn't go up Mt Keen. How's that for laziness!

We left the bikes and started up the steeper quartzy path, short heather hillsides on either side - obviously in grouse moor territory. Slightly puzzled 10 minutes later, by an old wooden sign pointing to Mount Keen for no obvious reason. I liked its style, but a bit late if you didn't realise where you were heading by now!

Spot the mistake......[answers at the end of the report. But you'll have to stand on your head to read upside down cos this software isn't sophisticated enough!]

patchwork of grouse moors all around us

looking back down

An earlier starter coming back down

Windier again as we climb, but clear air and good view - including Ben Avon - yesterday's hill behind us now, and Lochnagar to our right. My walking buddy Alex reminds me I climbed it with him in the 1980s, but I've forgotten and feel quite cheated cos it looks such a great mountain - I'm going to have to do it again!

Lochnagar looking majestic

looking back down again

Alex's tendon is sore, so I forge ahead. Pleased and surprised to find a trig point and some well built stone shelters at the top - more than I had expected. As often happens, joined a nice mixture of walkers and dogs enjoying the view and some lunch in a sheltered spot.

Nearing the summit at last...looks as though I'm crawling on my hands and knees!

a 'proper' summit with a trig point!

I was there!

A nice fast descent to the bikes, and back down the valley. As the walk description says, the pine forest and river were even better on the way back! And what a difference it makes to cover those long miles back on a bike - free-wheeling almost the whole way!

the way back down again

the 'stepping stones' were long concrete blocks laid to form a landrover crossing point. Clever!

The Water of Tanar - an impressive river.

Beautiful pine forest. No wonder this is a Nature Reserve.

The Bridge of Tanar - how elegant. There's a great visitor centre and toilets just over it from the car park where we started. Worth a visit. You can even get married in the old chapel nearby if you have a notion!

Mount Keen - maybe not the most exciting of mountains, but I enjoyed it. A nice gentle approach with long miles covered painlessly by bike, a short sharp pull up [you have to use your legs some time I guess], good views along the way, a 'proper' summit cairn and quick back down again - all over in around 5 hours and hardly a drop of rain. What more can you ask for on a Sunday?

PS answer to the Spot the mistake competition....Alex is walking up Mt Keen still wearing his cycle helmet! Might have been useful if there was a colony of Bonxies up there [Giant Skuas as found dive-bombing walkers on Orkney] but an unnecessary piece of walking gear on this occasion!

[simon-b]

A nice day in the far east there, Delice. When I was on Mount Keen's summit in June there was a torrential downpour. You're right about Lochnagar, perhaps the best mountain in the East Highlands.