You couldn’t ask for a better start to a new event as riders readied themselves for the first stage. Dropping in straight from the stone cairn that marks one of the highest points of the North York Moors, it was a Mega Avalanche steepness plunge into the first turn and traverse that put your bike into freefall and your heart rate through the roof. No snow here though just a combination of classic tight twisty sheep track and sketchy spine lines launching into open scree quarry scoops and then a midway sprint into a stack of the deepest, dirtiest, hook em and holler berms we’ve seen in the UK. Early morning dew slicked up the surface, rewarding commitment and punishing braking as riders dropped into the woods across flat out rooty off cambers, more loam blowing berms and a series of giddy kickers through the first timing gate. Ard Moors was well and truly on!
Set up by the same ‘Ard Events team behind the now legendary ‘Ard Rock Enduro Festival, ‘Ard Moors is both very different and very familiar. While this first time event only had hundreds of riders on the roster, not the thousands who were lucky enough to get a place on the August event, Joe and the crew made sure the bike festival vibe was as strong as ever. Centring the event round the relaxed but gourmet standard facilities of Lord Stones Country Park above Carlton in Cleveland certainly creates a great HQ for both hardcore riding and high class chilling. That meant Saturday night saw an excited buzz of riders who’d practiced two of the stages refuelling on beer and burgers and checking out the ultimate kit temptation from event sponsors ENVE to the sound of local live music.
The heart of the action but middle of nowhere theme was the backbone of the race day stages too. Joe and his crew have been riding this area for decades and It’s already loaded with superb legal riding that formed most of the transition stage routing. Careful negotiation and the help of the Lord Stones team meant they were granted unique access to craft some incredible timed stages on a mix of totally fresh off piste moorland and refreshed and rerouted DH trails that first hosted races over twenty years ago. While the North Yorkshire moors weather can be a real test of determination on some days, bringing hundreds of wild warriors to feast, drink and camp around the ancient Lord Stones stone circle seemed to have pleased the ancient gods. That meant riders picked up their numbers and timing chips to head out onto the hills under cloudless blue bird skies.
The steady roll up to Stage 1 across the old gliding club on the top of Carlton Bank was breathtaking more because of the view than the gradient. The ‘Ard events crew never let racers off a serious workload if that’s the way to link together the best possible riding. The grin from blasting the incredible Alpine descent that opened the days account was still wrapped round most faces as they clawed their way back up the brutal road climb from the valley floor though. The transfer to stage 2 mixed cruisable fire road climbs with bonus descending singletrack that was the perfect warm up to a section many riders thought would never end. Stage 2 was a proper epic, starting with a leg burning flat out, full gas top cog charge across rock, rut and drop infested single track. Just as your lungs caved in gravity really got involved and hurled riders into the mouth of a series of more loose turns, rail or fail off cambers and corkscrewing berms. These slung riders straight into an ancient twisting cattle droveway with huge grass banks creating perfect wall rides around the slippery log flume trail base all the way down to a swollen arm, euphoric gritty grin finish. The perfect place in fact for a fuel stop, either at the ‘official’ Clif Bar and Haribo loaded van just around the corner or a pint and packet of crisps at the Buck Inn 50m up the road.
Perfect trail conditions meant the claw up to the rim of Bilsdale was just about rideable for those crazy enough to try, but however you got there the ribbon of singletrack bridleway following prehistoric boundary ditches north to stage 3 would be a highlight of most Moors trail riding days. Stage 3 was totally fresh cut for the event though and with no practice on the segment on Saturday everyone was riding the switchbacking stack of berms, fades, drops and flat out straight line blasts blind. The shouts and whoops as riders launched, overshot or hero drifted each section echoed around the head of the deep dale as riders winched their way up and over to stage four but any worries we weren’t welcome locally stopped at the lemonade and home made cake table outside a postcard perfect farm in the middle of nowhere. The weather continued to defy all mid September expectations as tyres drummed over bone dry trails, scuffing for grip in the dust as sweat dripped from helmets. Whoever said it was grim up north definitely called this one wrong and as many riders were high fiving each other about the weather as the epic trails. That didn’t meant there wasn’t some serious leg ache and occasional cramps going on at this point and it wouldn’t be an ‘Ard event if you didn’t have to push or carry your rig at some point.
Fancy birds and their rare nests meant stage 4 was a short, wild ‘which way next?’ blast where you were as likely to be hacking through raw heather as hooking the right line, but in most riders’ opinions Ard Moors had saved the best until last. Whether you just hopped off and trudged at the first sight of the epic stone slab climb to the skyline or dug deep and tried to ride it dab free, the grind up to the top was totally worth it. Stunning views south across the moors or north and east over industrial Teeside to the sea were soon swapped for total focus and concentration on the tight loose turns and traversing drops of the old Cleveland DH course. Speed and intensity picked up all the way down the open top section before more drops and a dark wooded sections flashed riders through a burst of screaming spectator insanity. This fired up even the most tired out legs and burning arms for a last thrash 100m flat sprint into the biggest, baddest berm and blast section of the whole day as riders hung it all out or just hung on and hoped all the way down to the distant farmland below. A truly incredible end to an incredible day out and the start of something truly special for those who were there.
The Ard Moors team would like to say huge thanks to all the riders and ENVE and Saddleback the event sponsors who had the faith to sign up for a totally fresh event and made it such a massive success and pleasure to be part of. There’s a great base to build on now with even better courses to come for next year, but with you guys being great with the locals, riding with respect and keeping grinning even after the last road climb back to HQ we’re totally winning. Much love to the mountain rescue teams, the volunteer marshalls and the Singletraction crew who kept it as safe as possible despite the best efforts of our and our crazy course building team.
Last but not least a full salute to the Lord Stones team and local landowners without whom the event just couldn’t happen in such a stunning area. We’ve kept the trails secret and asked you to switch off Strava for a reason so please keep it that way and don’t screw things up by staying off the special stages until next year. There’s more than enough brilliant legal trails straight out from Lord Stones anyway and with top beer and food on tap their all year there’s ‘moor’ reason to visit than just the event.
Top 3 Male
Dave Wardell – All the Gear
Ian Austermuhule – Hope Technology
Sam Farrar – Cyclewise
Top 3 Female
Sally Buckworth – TNR
Sally Evamy – TVR
Kaylee Swift – MTB Addicts
Until then make sure you don’t miss out on ‘Ard Rock, ‘Ard Moors or any other ‘Ardness next year by checking out www.ardrockenduro.co.uk for all the latest information.
