Rating: 3.1/5 (169 votes cast) Detailed route description and map. The ascent from Glen Esk via Glen Mark is the shortest route and gives good going underfoot. Information is provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check it and navigate Turn right, onto a track just before a larger bridge, following a wooden sign to “Queen’s Well – Mt Keen”. From the car park at Invermark, follow the road over the bridge and past the church on the right. From Ballater to Mount Keen is 8.5 miles with 1045m of ascent and 320 m descent and (of course) 1045m of descent and 320m of ascent on the return walk.- about 8-9 hours walking time, This compares with 8.5 miles and 840 m of ascent on the route up Glen Tanar but I suspect the Ballater route would be more varied and interesting. The steep part begins here as the track leads up by the side of the burn then zig-zags to Mount Keen’s southern flanks. Branch off right here, away from the impressive gorge near the top of Glen Mark, to follow a track which leads right next to Invermark Lodge. Mount Keen from Invermark, Glen Esk. The views are great, with Lochnagar to the west. To start, carry on up the road over a small stone bridge. Then, with the Knowe of Crippley to your left and Mount Keen to your right, bear right at a fork for the final section to the trig point. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of Mount Keen, as well as the logistics of climbing … Lochnagar to the west gives a glimpse of more craggy terrain. Scotland is under national lockdown. Please submit any useful information about climbing Mount Keen that may be useful to other climbers. This crown-shaped stone structure was built to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in September 1861 – weeks before the death of the prince – when they drank from its waters after riding over from Balmoral, via Mount Keen. Eventually the granite arches of the Queen's Well come into view ahead. In winter months please check the local snow conditions at sais.gov.uk. It has a rocky and relatively steep, but steady, start (watch out if you are coming back this way as it does get slippery and muddy at times), then it flattens out onto the ridgeline where there are stunning views of The Strand and Magnetic Island one way and Mount Stuart the other — 360 degrees of bliss. Continue on the track and then the path which heads north up the moors. Five relentless days on the go. This descends through more great country, filled with pine forest lower down. If you like to get up high for a bit of solitude then the most easterly Munro, Mount Keen, is a good place to head. The total to aim for varies, as re-surveys and reclassifications add a hill here and take one away there, but the total as we write is 282 and won’t vary by more than a few. Take the next right signed for Mount Keen and the Queen's Well and just before the house bear left following another sign and go through a gate to follow a track. And for this time of year, it was surprisingly warm, about 9 degrees C so there’s actually a slight heat haze showing in these photographs. Routes to climb … The easiest approach is from the end of the public road in Glen Esk and up through Glen Mark. Mount Keen via Glen Tanar. I’m sure I’ll be back to climb it again and some of it’s sub-peaks and surrounding hills. using a map and compass. It has a conical summit cone, from which broad ridges lead S to Glen Mark, N to Glen Tanar, NE and E to connect to Braid Cairn. He recognises my obsession. It was one we had been looking forward to climbing all winter and finally as the daylight became long enough and the snow cleared from the peaks we decided to go for it on Sunday. Park entry fees apply on Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road Winter (June to October long weekends): $29 per vehicle per day (24hrs from purchase); motorcycles $12; bus passengers $11.45 per adult, $3.60 per child per day. Mount Keen is the most easterly of all the Munros, and sits in the fringes of the Cairngorm National Park, south of Ballater. Click for details, Hear pronunciation Press to hear pronunciation. A vast dome rising out of the open countryside, Mount Keen is Scotland's most easterly Munro and ideal for beginners as it has a relatively straightforward path to the top. Mount Kenya does get rain and snow, so a waterproof layer and gaiters are useful for keeping the wind and rain at bay. The track soon reaches an old metal gate, go through this and continue up the glen. If returning to Glen Esk the usual way back is to retrace your steps. The total round trip distance is 43.2 miles assuming you visit both the summit cabin and the true summit, and usually takes 3-4 days. I think there are many factors - the views from the summit, the shape of the mountain, it's location, the quality of the hike to get to the summit and the suprise of finding something unexpected. The great walk-in up Glen Mark leads past a monument and then a good path up to the higher ground. Mount Keen is the most easterly of the Munros, taking the form of a dome rising above vast swathes of empty, bleak moorland, with extensive views on a good day. The glen is a popular place to spot red deer especially during the annual rut in October. Continue to Glen Tanar from the summit, making the total route 15 miles. Go left after about 100 yards, onto a grassy track and then through a gate to begin the walk up Glen Mark, ignoring a double gate on your right shortly afterwards. After spending the past five days climbing to a height of 5,364 metres, you slowly peer over the summit as your final step becomes in reach. If you look left you can see the ruins of Invermark Castle. Kosciuszko Road is closed between Perisher and Charlotte Pass in winter (June to October long weekends). The steep part begins here as the track leads up by the side of the burn then zig-zags to Mount Keen’s southern flanks. Mount Katadhin's Neighboring Peaks. Very limited (school bus times only) bus from Brechin. And in not bad timing at all, we actually summitted at 11.30. You’re immediately enveloped in a sense of space and vast open mountain country. Track and good hillpath, but very exposed in bad weather. As well as reading our description of each walking route, you can read about the experiences of others users on this walk and others.There are 84 user reports for this walk - click to read them. You might spot majestic red deer in Glen Esk and Glen Tanar. The second ascent to summit starts 2am on day two where climbers get to catch sunrise around 5.30am at the Low’s Peak summit. Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing? There are crags on the E flank of the N ridge but otherwise all slopes are easy. 500 vertical feet of rock climbing would be an hour to a couple of hours, depending on the skill of the climbers, the difficulty of the climb and if it is sport or trad (harder to clean). Mount Katahdin is really awesome. 5-day and 6-day packages should only be considered by experienced hikers with prior acclimatization. You need to organise a car at either end to return to Glen Esk, but it’s well worth it. A track joins in from the left, and after the route continues closer by the river. More Munro bagging is to be had in Glen Clova, with Mayar and Driesh. You don’t need any rock climbing experience to give it a go (although there is a minimum height requirement of 1.3 metres and weight limit of 100 kilos, it’s essential to attend an hour-long safety briefing, and you must ensure your insurance provider will cover this activity). 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