Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

[gavinlyoung]

]I was never enthusiastic about Mount Keen - a very- un Scottish name and it was out of the way but it was sitting there annoying me as one of the 50 Munros left to do so...
I had camped up Glen Callater just south of Braemar and got up in darkness- there's little daylight in late November and I was anxious not to be benighted . The temperature before dawn according to the car was -5 C. I drove round to the car park GR 480966.
The trickiest part of the day wa finding ther right path for the bike as there are many on offer. Cross south over the humpback bridge and then head past St Lesmo's church ( not Scotland's best known saint!) and keep south until you cross to the north side of the Tanar at 477954. The track is ( after 200 yards of off-putting soft sand) very good going . having said that after a mile or two through beaytiful mature forest I was sure my brakes were binding it seemd such hard work . Alas they were not , just weak 66 year old muscles but more of that later.

The ride through the forest is a delight, past Half Way Hut( it is about half way between car and summit) then out into the open. until I had to abandon the bike at the bridge at 407896( 2 hours from the car park)

.Fortunately for my cycle in there was little snow to cope with but that soon altered as I gained height and progress was slow through ~5 inches of soft snow .

The day was cold and clear with fine views NW to the Cairngorms.

The ascent is though easy otherwise and I was cheered by the beauty of the day . .2 hours on foot to the summit where it was too cold to hang about . My descent was by retracing my steps- led by a mountain hare but I think the poor thing was ill or old or both as it slithered on the ice and let me overtake it and I don't move fast.Snow assisted descent and I wasback at my bike in 1 hour and then....
Oh joy, now I discovered why I struggled with the outward bicycle ride . It should have been obvious given that the water in the Tanar flows , as water often does, downhill and now I was beside it whizzing effortlessly back to the car in lovely late afternoon sunshine. The return bike ride took just 50 minutes. I do not think I have ever done a hill where the return journey was under half the time of the outward trip.
I now think fondly of Mount Keen .

[Lastofthesummerwine]

Well done. Good report and you did well for 66. I'm 64 and although quite fit, motivation is not the same as it was. I should start posting again but is anyone interested in my daily dog walks?

[dav2930]

Looks nice in the snow. Glen Tanar is a lovely approach isn't it? I went that way when I did Mount Keen on 18th April 2015, also with a bike and on a beautiful, sunny day. I wasn't expecting much excitement but I was very impressed by the extensive views. The round trip took me the same as you and that was without any snow, so you did it in good time. As you say, the downhill return is very quick! Know what you mean about the maze of paths at the beginning / end. I got lost at the end and had to ask an estate worker the way back to the car park