Buy the OS Route Map and instructions for this route

Exposed moorland summits, rocky descents, extended climbs; this Grampian adventure is a true Killer. Starting at Tarfside, a road transfer allows the legs to warm up before the onslaught. An hour-and-a-half’s climbing out of the gate takes in steep rocks, river crossings, moorland traverses and hike-a-bike elements, eventually topping out at the summit of Mount Keen.
Dropping down the north side, a descent worthy of a World Cup downhill wakes you up again before another ford ends the fun. You then climb once again on a smoother, but still technical, trail. Running into a fast, rutted and rocky fire-road dash ending at yet another river crossing. The final long climb follows; a combination of tiredness and terrain should reduce almost all to walking. From the summit there’s a short, rolling traverse, until turning off-track and heather bashing on a compass bearing — a watercourse makes the ‘trail’ easy to follow.
Once back on the track, it is one road home. There’s a little more climbing, but it eventually turns into a 7km descent taking you straight back into Tarfside.