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Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Mount Keen from Glen Tanar


Postby PeteR » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:04 pm

Route description: Mount Keen by Glen Tanar

Munros included on this walk: Mount Keen

Date walked: 16/12/2012

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It's been a while since I posted any walk reports :( Been out and about a fair bit, but just haven't had any spare time to actually sit down and put ant reports together.

Middle of December saw me out on Mount Keen - a nice straightforward hill, and luckily for me a good day too (except for the summit itself :( ). I chose the Glen Tanar approach, which is slightly longer than the more popular Glen Esk route. Made for a pretty long day, especially given a bit of faffing about by yours truly at the start :lol:

Main comment on the approach the day I was there was that the excellent landrover track through the forest had a nice bum crunching layer of ice for large chunks of it :shock: I know it was bum crunching, as I came a cropper at one point, despite my best efforts to by-pass via the verges :lol: Sore for a few days after :lol:

Early signs on Mount Keen didn't look promising, as there was a layer of cloud hanging onto the summit, despite the blue skies elsewhere :( The good news though was that the cloud did eventually lift to give a cloud free summit for a short time. The bad news though was that I was enjoying the views toward Lochnagar and Ben Avon too much and by the time I hit the summit the clag was back and I saw squidly dot :crazy:

Perishing cold on the summit, so I didn't hang about in the hope the clag lifted. A wise decision, as it never did lift again - indeed cloud thickened more as the day progressed. Instead I put my best foot forward, jogged down through the snow off the summit and then gave myself a good, brisk walk back to the car. Just about in darkness by the time I arrived back at the car, but never had the need for the head torch as the traqck is excellent and there had been a reasonable thaw at the lower level during the day, so the risk of bum crunching was reduced significantly :D

Despite the summit issue I have to say it was a great day out on a good wee hill :D Decent blue skies and some good views, all going to prove a point I firmly believe - which is that it's not just about the epic journey that some hills give but equally its about the views that you enjoy, even if the hill you are climbing is considered by some as 'ordinary'. For me every hill has something to offer, and Mount Keen was no different :D

Here's a few pictures from the day :D
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Estate buildings at the start of the route

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The start of the walk

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Icy track......albeit not as icy as some parts

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The halfway hut

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Track out of the forest, with Mount Keen hiding to the left

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One of the bridge crossings on the route in......and out obviously

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Mount Keen showing its face

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The icy path up onto Mount Keen

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Mount Keen showing signs of losing its bonnet of clag

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Oh yes, definitely losing the clag on Mount Keen's summit

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Views opening up toward thre National Park

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Toward Ben Avon

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White Lochnagar

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Looking good for Mount Keen summit views

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Snow white plateau

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Cloud approaching and just about to scupper my cloud free summit

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Yep, there go the views......as Lochnagar is obliterated by cloud

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Summit cairn and splendiferous views on Mount Keen

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Ben Avon on the route back down

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Nice, cold view on the jog off the hill

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Ben Avon again

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Back on the icy track back to the car

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Water of Tanar looking furth in to Glen Tanar

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Half way hut on the way home

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Icy forest track on the return route
Last edited by PeteR on Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mount Ken from Glen Tanar

Postby morag1 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:11 pm

Thats a very long walk Peter, I did the walk in from Glen Tanar to the foot of Mount Keen and it took me two hours, then just over two hours back via a small detour. It's a nice walk though and the Glen is a great place to spend time :D
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Re: Mount Ken from Glen Tanar

Postby gammy leg walker » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:14 pm

Nice wee TR to finish the year off,looking forward to reading many more from you next year Peter.
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby simon-b » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:13 pm

It looks like you had a nice day for that walk, Peter, despite the cloud on the summit. Mount Keen is worth climbing, as you say. It's a pleasant walk in from Glen Tanar through the woods.
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Re: Mount Ken from Glen Tanar

Postby PeteR » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:46 pm

morag1 wrote:Thats a very long walk Peter, I did the walk in from Glen Tanar to the foot of Mount Keen and it took me two hours, then just over two hours back via a small detour. It's a nice walk though and the Glen is a great place to spend time :D


Thanks morag. Took me a little longer to walk out to the foot of Mount Keen, but then it felt like I was auditioning for dancing on ice at times :lol: Like you say though, it's a good walk in itself, without needing to tackle the hill too. Ideal as a walk for MrsR, as she isn't into the climbing,
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Re: Mount Ken from Glen Tanar

Postby PeteR » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:49 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:Nice wee TR to finish the year off,looking forward to reading many more from you next year Peter.


Cheers GLW. Still working on the final report for 2012, but it might be a day or two yet before it materialises. Itching to get back out into the hills again, as I imagine you are too. Just hoping for good weather this weekend :?
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby PeteR » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:51 pm

simon-b wrote:It looks like you had a nice day for that walk, Peter, despite the cloud on the summit. Mount Keen is worth climbing, as you say. It's a pleasant walk in from Glen Tanar through the woods.


Thanks simon-b. Certainly was a good day. Better than MWIS had suggested and I can't grumble about the summit situation. Had plenty of good summit views throughout the year, despite the general view that 2012 was pants weather-wise.
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby jonny616 » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:01 pm

Nice to see this from the other side. Although the walk in via the queens well is pleasant. :clap: :clap:
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby basscadet » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:21 pm

What makes Mount Keen so good is the fact that there are so many ways to do it. There are at least 5 different routes you could take for the walk in, which makes it hard hill to get bored of :D Glen Tanar has to be one of the best, despite the long walk and clag, must of had a lovely day. The views arent everything ;)
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby rockhopper » Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:00 am

a good walk for December, Pete, and nice to see this hill in winter colours - aye there may be various ways to approach it, but I wouldn't recommend going from Glen Muick in the west :roll: - cheers :)
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby Tomsie » Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:33 pm

My first Munro and have being back to Glentanar a few times just to walk to foot of Mount Keen and agree every hill has something to offer
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby pigeon » Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:39 pm

Nice one pete,some microspikes would have been just the ticket on the icy path.All the best for 2013 :thumbup:
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby coachmacca » Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:50 pm

Great pics , that path looks deadly!
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby PeteR » Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:03 pm

jonny616 wrote:Nice to see this from the other side. Although the walk in via the queens well is pleasant. :clap: :clap:


Cheers jonny. MK had been off my radar, given it's a bit out of the way, but I think one day I'll return and do from the other side too :D
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Re: Mount Keen from Glen Tanar

Postby PeteR » Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:05 pm

basscadet wrote:What makes Mount Keen so good is the fact that there are so many ways to do it. There are at least 5 different routes you could take for the walk in, which makes it hard hill to get bored of :D Glen Tanar has to be one of the best, despite the long walk and clag, must of had a lovely day. The views arent everything ;)


Thanks basscadet. I had three routes, so now I'll have to check out another two :D A great day this one. In hindsight took me longer to get over and get this tick than perhaps it should have. A much better day than I was expecting :D
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