Capel Mounth Loop
Distance: 15.9m / 25.6km
Profile: View
Grade: Hard
Fitness: High
Time: 5-6 Hours
OS MAP: 44
Route Data: GPX KML
Riders: Dave Banks, Brian Gray
Date: 24/05/2015
Summary
A mixture of some tarmac road, landrover track, single track, water crossings and brutal ascents/descents make this in places a hard mountain bike trek through remote and interesting scenery.
High levels of fitness are required, due to the steep climbs involved.
Details
This route can also be started at Loch Muick, but as we have been there before, we started in Glen Doll.
Starting at Braedownie, where there is a small car parking area next to a rocky outcrop, turn right and continue on the tarmac road for 0.5m/1km towards the Forestry Commission car park at the Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve. Where the road turns left over the bridge, continue straight ahead through the gate and onto the landrover track that follows the side of the River South Esk. As landrover track enters some trees, you see a sign and track on the right, this is the return route from Capel Mounth. After you pass Acharn, the landrover track swings left and across the river, but stick to the single track heading towards the trees. There are some boardwalk sections over the boggier ground, but there are a couple of small sections where you will have to get off your bike and push as you approach the footbridge.
Once you cross the footbridge, the single track joins the landrover track as it starts its climb up the glen towards Bachnagairn. The track becomes rougher as you climb, with some small water crossings which are easily managed, before it becomes too rough and you have to get off and push. Once you cross the footbridge and enter the trees, you will have to carry your bike over some of the rougher sections. There is a short rideable section down to the bridge as you leave the trees, but that is short lived as the real climb now starts. for the next mile (1.6km), there is a very steep climb up the side of the hill. Progress is slow, but eventually the gradient eases off and you can get back on your bike, but some wide drainage channels will force you to get off again. After a short while, you will reach a fenced off area, turn right at the junction and follow the fenceline down to a sheep hut/pen and with Sanny's seat where you can have a well deserved break.
Follow the landrover track, which is soft grit and not easy going in places, along the hill line, before it starts to get looser and rockier as it starts its descent to Loch Muick. The descent is gradual to start off with, but the final descent down to the loch is very steep, and hairpin bends means you need to keep your speed under control, which isn't easy as your tyres struggle for grip on the loose surface, rocky surface.
As you approach Lock Muick, cross the wooden bridge and continue to follow the landrover track as it undulates at first along the side of the loch. The track is generally good, but there are some sections where water erosion makes it a bit rocky, and there are a couple of very minor water crossings but progress is good and fast. As you reach the end of the loch, you will see the reverse side of a sign point right, and a track that climbs up the hill towards Capel Mounth. The track is rideable at first, but steepens further up, but tired legs meant some pushing was involved, as the rate of climb wasn't much faster than walking pace. Walking also allows you to admire the views across Loch Muick towards Lochnagar and the steepness of the track you just descended. As you approach what you think is the summit, there is a cairn, followed by another cairn slightly further uphill a 100 yards later. Neither of these are the summit. There are another 2 false summits ahead. There are also a couple of landrover tracks that turn off on the left, ignore these and stick to the main track.
You can see the rocky crags of Glen Doll, and you think you are almost there, but the landrover track is still climbing. The landrover track eventually runs out as it reaches the summit, and turns into a grassy single track. At this point, drop the saddle on your bike and get ready for a Black graded descent into Glen Doll. The track quickly steepens and twists and turns as it descends. It becomes looser and rockier in places, soft in others and in other places has multiple lines to choose from as people have tried to avoid steep or rocky sections. Less experienced riders will have to get off at the steeper or rockier sections, as it is better being safe than sorry. You will go through a gap in a fence and into a section where the trees have been felled. This section is harder than the grassier section on the open hillside. At the bottom of the steep descent, there is a water crossing that requires you to get off your bike. The final section through the trees is much easier as approach the landrover track you cycled out on. Instead of turning left to retrace your tracks back to the car, turn right, and after 300 yards just before you exit the trees, turn left at the yellow marker and head down towards the bridge over the river.
Crossing the river takes you onto a singletrack back to the car park at Corrie Fee. The track is good, there is just one point where it has a couple of drop offs and may require you to get off. When the track leaves the river, it takes you out into the open grassy area next to the car park. Head towards the car park and turn left onto the tarmac road and across the river, following the road out of Glen Doll and towards the rocky outcrop and back to the car.
Photo Gallery
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Car parking area at Braedownie |
Head straight on through gate |
Landrover track next to river |
Track follows river |
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Return path from Capel Mounth |
Approaching Acharn |
Single track |
One of several boardwalk sections |
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Heading towards footbridge |
Track rough in places |
Approaching footbridge |
Footbridge |
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Joining landrover track again |
Track rough in places |
Heading up the glen |
Water erosion |
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Looking back down the glen |
The route ahead |
Small water crossing |
Only significant crossing in glen |
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Another water crossing |
Looking back |
The pushing starts |
The route ahead |
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More pushing here |
Looking back |
Looking back |
Plunge pool in river |
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Small waterfall |
Approaching the bridge at Bachnagairn |
Looking back |
Bridge at Bachnagairn |
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Waterfall at bridge |
Deep gorge |
Looking back down the glen |
Track climbs through trees |
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Track through the trees |
Track through the trees |
Looking back at track through the trees |
Track next to gorge |
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Track continues through the trees |
Waterfall next to track |
Marin and Lapierre |
Need to carry the bike here |
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Track not rideable |
Lapierre gets a lift |
Footbridge |
View downstream from bridge |
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View upstream from bridge |
The steep ascent starts here |
More pushing |
View down the glen |
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View back to footbridge |
Path really steep here |
Eases off slightly |
View down the glen |
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More bike carrying |
More bike carrying |
Another view down the glen |
View back to footbridge |
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Still pushing |
View from track |
Rocky slab |
View to head of glen |
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Track still climbing |
View back downhill |
Drainage channel |
Track levels off |
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Still climbing slightly |
Looking back |
Summit approaches |
Turn right here |
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Approaching sheep hut/pen |
Sannys seat |
Sheep hut/pen |
Back to landrover track |
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landrover track |
Looking towards Lochnagar |
Landrover track |
The descent to Loch Muick |
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Track steepens |
Lochens on plateau |
Head of Glen Muick |
Lochnagar |
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Loch Muick |
Loch Muick |
Landrover track |
Summit cairn approaches |
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Summit cairn |
Very steep downhill from here |
Looking back uphill |
Track continues steeply downhill |
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Bridge at end of the descent |
Bridge on lochside track |
Loch Muick |
Lochside landrover track |
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Loch Muick |
Loch Muick |
Track wet in places |
Turn right here |
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The track to Capel Mounth |
Bikes |
River Muick |
Herd of deer |
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Loch Muick |
Glen Muick |
The steep descent |
Climb is easy at first |
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Loch Muick |
Track steepens |
Looking back down track |
Loch Muick |
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Track still climbing |
Looking back down track |
View from track |
Second of 2 cairns |
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Looking back |
View from track |
View from track |
View from track |
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View from track |
Still more climbing ahead |
View from track |
False summit |
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View from track |
Track still climbing |
Track steepens |
View from track |
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Looking back |
View from track |
Approaching summit |
Almost at summit |
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The downhill single track |
Looking back up single track |
Steep descent ahead |
View from track to Glen Doll |
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Water crossing |
Turn left here |
Footbridge |
View upstream |
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View downstream |
Footbridge |
Double drop off |
River Esk from car park |
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River Esk |
River Esk |
Video
This video, starting at Capel Mounth, shows the steep land rover track descent to Loch Muick.
This video, starting at Capel Mounth, shows the steep single track descent to Glen Doll.