We did the Raven black trail yesterday and it was great apart from the fact that we somehow missed the last section (with log rides and a bridge apparently)
We got lost at the end of a long fast “blue/black” descent which had lots of switchback berms and three tabletop jumps just before ending on a fire-road.
Opposite was a blue/green signed trail dropping off the fire-road, pointing left was a sign for the carpark down the fireroad and to the right and up a bit on the fireroad was a sign for the black Raven trail, climbing up the fireroad.
We followed the black sign but after about 15 minutes fireroad climb we realised we were on a climb that we had already done earlier in the ride.
So we retraced our steps back to the bottom of the bermy descent, no other signs for the black so not knowing where the blue/green trail would lead we followed the signs for the car park downhill on the fireroad hoping a black section would pop up.
It didn’t (apart from the short undulating singletrack bit to the bottom of the car park)
We looked at the maps after but still couldn’t work it out.
Help
Found this vid of the last section before we lost the black route, camera ends up pointing down the fire-road we ended up riding to the car park

I think you missed a left fork just before one of the last big berms you describe on the blue descent.

I did it for the first time a few weeks ago and, had it not been for the mates in front who knew where they were going, I think I’d have missed it too – having too much fun and concentrating on the up-coming berm, not the small wooden sign 😳

I know the berm and jump area very well considering I saw many of the grains of soil close up 🙁 😳

“We got lost at the end of a long fast “blue/black” descent which had lots of switchback berms and three tabletop jumps just before ending on a fire-road”

Ditto. There’s a turn off somewhere near one of the last berms of that section.

Aaah, that sounds like the problem, I was having too much berm and jump fun to look out for signs. Thanks fbk and buzz
Hope you’ve healed ok foxy

Damaged ego and helmet – Bike OK, new helmet 😉 ego on the mend 😉 was all FBK’s fault, darn that sectioning m’larky 😉

Just when you’re fully in the flow, and looking ahead to yet more fab berms, there is a left-hand uphill fork. Very easy to miss, esp with all the leaves down at the mo. It is a much slimmer track then the blue that you’re on at the time.

Is the up-hill fork before or after the table-top jumps? (or inbetween maybe)
Ta

The fork is at the end of the long, fast, loose singletrack straight, just before the first big right hand berm…..iirc!

foxy – you fell off on the bit he missed 😉

I did exactly the same thing. Too busy concentrating on the berm and missed the fork. Ended up at the bottom on a fire road. Ended up riding back up until a spotted the fork and realised where I went wrong.

The fork is at the end of the long, fast, loose singletrack straight, just before the first big right hand berm…..iirc!

Sounds about right. I’ve nearly missed it a couple of times and often have to yell the rest of the group as they are too busy lining up for the berm.

What you did is very easy to do and lots of people do it.
However the Blue descent is a cracker, so in future do what you did, but at the bottom turn left and when you hit the fireroad turn left up the hill. Follow this for a few hundred meters and you will pop out where the Black does at the top of the “jump park” section. Best of both worlds.

I did excepting same last time i visited my old man and had no idea where I went wrong. A rider behind me did the same but I left him and went off on some of the old school tracks instead

as Matt says, if you end up at the bottom of the Blue, turn left and join the fire road, bear left and up the hill about 1/3 mile or so, the black crosses the fire road, so turn right onto the black, it is sign posted on the fire road, don’t take the first right on the hill as it links to the bottom of the “jump park” section.

HTH

I saw that turning just too late once and pushed back up from the berm it’s just before.
A second time my front wheel went towards blue and my body went towards black which was fun.
It’s just after a descending section which on the left has nice swoopy dirt and on the right has a 1.5m track made of logs perpendicular to the track (make any sense?!?).
love those logs in the dry as they make a great line but in the wet – no thanks

Just got back from Brechfa for the first time and made the same mistake! Eneded up at the bottom and did the middle section of the Raven again! That bloody steep climb twice will teach me not to do it again.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/54649951

Awesome trail though 🙂 well worth going back and riding it all again. Massive facepalm when I noticed the sign the 2nd time down.

HI ED, (if this is the person i looking for?) its ant the guy who bought your bottlerocket frame, Hows things? just wondering if you would be able to help, there are some scum bags around my area robbing bikes my best bud has had his shed robbed and they took two bikes and ive heard of some more people being done, ive got mega paranoid that its gona happen to me so im trying to get insurance, but i need proof of purchase for the frame, i know its a long shot but was wondering if you had any documents or receipts you could foward to me so i can get cover????? CHEERS ANT