walkhighlands

Beinn Dearg, bike/hike

Route: Beinn Dearg from near Blair Atholl

Munros: Beinn Dearg (Blair Atholl)

Date walked: 10/02/2024

Time taken: 4.39 hours

Distance: 30.8km

Ascent: 1103m


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Beinn Dearg is one of those Munros not far away from me in the central belt that I had never got around to climbing. The long walk in and out had always put me off, but when a gap in this winter's miserable weather opened up this weekend I decided to give it a go. The walk itself isn't too challenging, but to change an 8-9 hour walk into a 4-5 hour walk, I decided to take my bike as far as the Allt Sheicheachan bothy, then walk the rest. This would make it 10km uphill on bike, 10km up and down to the summit, and 10km largely downhill back to the car at Glen Tilt car park.

I've attached a few photos below so that you can see what the going is like before deciding whether or not to do it this way yourself. I am not a mountain biker. I pootle about in the city on my run of the mill hybrid bike, but managed this with only a couple of points where I had to get off and push my bike for short stretches on the longer inclines. Although it is mostly uphill on the way out there are a couple of bits where the track undulates and you get catch your breathe. The incline is never too steep, but steep enough for your thighs to know all about it after 10km

1.jpg
Glen Tilt car park

2.jpg
Early stages of track

3.jpg
Track continues


From the car park, there's a short section on the road, then onto the tracks through the forest. These pictures above show what the different parts of the land rover track that leads to the bothy look like, some well compacted tracks through forestry, more open tracks across the moorland, and some short, lumpy stretches too.

At the Allt Scheicheachan bothy I left my bike, crossed the burn behind the bothy and carried on up the path here. I could see that some people had taken their bikes a bit further, but beyond the bothy the track is rougher, and in February it would have meant trying to get my bike safely across a pretty deep burn, so I'm glad I didn't bother.

4.jpg
I took my bike no further than the bothy

5.jpg
The path once you leave Allt Scheicheachan


As the path veers off to the left away from the Allt Scheicheachan it becomes steeper, but is pretty clear to follow all the way to the summit. On this misty day it was a delight to finally get above the mist and look about at the mountain peaks poking up through the cloud, and onwards to the summit cairn. The ground this weekend was frozen solid all along, with only dusting of snow on the ground higher up.

6.jpg
Rolling plateau near the summit

7.jpg
Rolling plateau towards the summit

8.jpg
Summit cairn, Feb 2024

All that was left was to turn around and re-trace my steps back to the bothy. As I said above, I am no daredevil cyclist, so I had my hand on the brakes all the way down to the car, but even still I was surprised at quite how much time it saved doing it this way. The bothy looked great too, very handsome, and well maintained. Enjoyed that.

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Should we stop calling it "Mad Meg's Cairn"? -Creag Meagaidh

Attachment(s) Munros: Càrn Liath (Creag Meagaidh), Creag Meagaidh, Stob Poite Coire Àrdair
Date walked: 09/09/2023
Distance: 20.1km
Ascent: 1120m
Comments: 3
Views: 888


Ring of Steall...at last!

Attachment(s) Munros: Am Bodach, An Gearanach, Sgùrr a' Mhàim, Stob Coire a' Chàirn
Date walked: 13/05/2023
Distance: 16.5km
Ascent: 1700m
Comments: 2
Views: 683


Five Tyndrum Corbetts

Attachment(s) Corbetts: Beinn a' Chaisteil (Auch), Beinn Chaorach, Beinn nam Fuaran, Beinn Odhar, Cam Chreag (Auch)
Date walked: 16/04/2021
Distance: 22km
Ascent: 2193m
Comments: 2
Views: 1318

Paul4Jags


Activity: Mountaineer
Pub: Tennents
Place: Glasgow

Munros: 151
Tops: 11
Corbetts: 11
Fionas: 3
Donalds: 1
Islands: 15
Long Distance routes: West Highland Way    Forth & Clyde and Union canal towpath    John Muir Way   



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Statistics

2024

Trips: 1
Distance: 30.8 km
Ascent: 1103m
Munros: 1

2023

Trips: 2
Distance: 36.6 km
Ascent: 2820m
Munros: 7

2021

Trips: 1
Distance: 22 km
Ascent: 2193m
Corbetts: 5


Joined: Apr 13, 2019
Last visited: Mar 28, 2024
Total posts: 5 | Search posts