Glen Finglas

October 4th, 2010 • Cycling, Mountainbiking • Somhairle

It was a grim morning, grey and yesterdays rain was persisting. None the less myself, Spad, Misha and Chad made the effort, squeezed into the skinners and head out to meet in Aberfoyle. We milled around the high street trying to find some purpose as we watched swathes of roadies set about a mountain time-trial up the dukes pass. Bacon rolls and coffee provided the boost that got us to Brig 0′turk we parked, saddled up and hauled ourselves up the first tarmac climb.
Rising quickly you soon reach the reservoir and the tarmac turns to gravelly shale. The route undulates along the side of the manmade loch passing over lots of burns, which were swollen with the rain; running loud and white – Apparently Finglass means white water in the gaidhlig – Soon the reservoir reverts to it’s pre manmade state as you join the Finglass water and get an idea of what this glen used to look like before one end was plugged.
The pass up and around Moine nan Each soon comes into view, cut like a gash in the hillside it looks like it goes on and on, which it does. Steep but with plenty traction I was reduced to walking more than once. Mishas chain imploded under the strain he was exerting on it and we stopped just short of the 600m top to eat mentos and kit-kat whilst he set about the rivets. At the top it would have been nice to look into the next glen and down to Strathyre but as it was the view consisted of a mass of white cloud.
The descent was good fun, two tracks of loose and rocky fire road with a slippery mossy centre provided plenty of slides and wavers, interspersed with water crossings, many of which were much deeper than they appeared it put a smile on everyones face. Finally the sun came up as we meandered our way across the western foot of Ben Vane. Again the track undulates never going one vertical direction for long.
Once back on the tarmac we turned left and shot of on a wee singletrack walking trail which skirts round above Brig o’turk, it was a tough climb on smooth, fine gravel. The view from the top was great and the descent had us sliding around corners foot out back wheel locked but apart from that it was smooth and pretty un-eventfull.
All in all this is a nice route in a stunning area, physically challenging it is by no means a technical, radical, gnarfest. The track at it’s roughest is still erring on the side of smooth but it provides plenty speed and heaps of fun, the climbs are pretty intense and the loop is certainly one for those who like to pedal.

Here’s the route.

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