Mount Keen (return via the Fungle)

Mount Keen is the most easterly Munro (mountain in Scotland higher than 3000 feet) and is the only one that it is possible to cycle (well push partly) to the top of. The best direction to do this from is Glen Tanar to the North. You could then turn round and go back down the way you came up, but the longer descent to Glen Tarf is probably better with a return to Glen Tanar via either the Firmounth or Fungle roads. This makes for a long, but rewarding, day out.

It is possible to shorten the route slightly by parking at the visitor centre, just short of Glen Tanar house. This is only useful if you are returning via the Firmounth road. We planned on coming back over the Fungle so we started from Aboyne.

A short spin along the road and we entered Glen Tanar, climbing steadily for an hour up the gentle incline to the base of Mount Keen. Heavy overnight rain had swelled the River Tanar and we got wet feet crossing. The only way from here is up and immediately we were pushing on the steep, rocky track up. Although the gradient remained harsh the path did improve a bit and we managed to cycle a fair way. We were soon presented with the choice of taking the path that skirts to the West of the summit or carrying on up to the top requiring a further 170m of height gain. Having come this far we decided that we might as well "bag" the top. The final stretch was a push/carry over boulders and the layer of snow that had fallen the night before.

After seeing only 1 person so far we were surprised when the summit was crowded with a bus load of Glaswegian hill walkers who had ascended from Glen Tarf. We scoffed our sandwiches, took a photo, and hastily started to descend before the walkers so we didn't get in their way.

The first section of the path towards Glen Tarf has recently been upgraded and is smooth and fast rolling (maybe too fast) interspersed with wheel wrecking drainage ditches and superb steep technical sections of exposed granite slabs. At the bottom of this we met a sprightly old cove who introduced himself as the leading expert in cycling Mount Keen having made his first ascent by bike in 1952. It would have been nice to chat with him for longer but we continued onto the high speed rocky landrover track, arriving at Queens Well with smoking brakes some 640m nearer to sea level than we had been 15 minutes earlier.

As we span down Glen Mark it started to rain. By the time we got to the Tarfside we were soaked through. It was with interest that we read the adverts for the Retreat tea room, posted up on the door of the public toilet. However there were no directions and we couldn't find it; Tarfside isn't exactly a seething metropolis. Later inspection of the map revealed that it is about 2km further along the road.

In the continuing deluge we turned North and started our return. As the grassy slopes were steepened into heather hillsides I clumsily slipped off and cut my knee. Shortly after Paul's chain snapped. The repair took longer than it should have leaving us cold and wet. Some hard pedaling up to the junction of the Firmounth and Fungle routes helped get the blood moving and when we crossed the watershed back into Deeside the weather instantly brightened.

Spirits were further lifted by the new path along the first section of the Fungle. This had previously involved a carry down a steep, rough hillside but now a fast, smooth, well drained path has been built. The slightly off camber corners and rocky stream crossings kept us on our toes but it was great fun. The wider track along to Birse Castle was just as fast with plenty of opportunities to get big air.

Having successfully located the elusive bridge across the River Birse we hauled ourselves up the final climb to the start of the Fungle singletrack, which was excellent as ever. All too soon we emerged at The Gaurd with only a manic, mud splattered blast back to Aboyne left.

Click here to see more photos.

Posted: 22/05/06