As you go along the main track from cottingley, just before (2/300m) there is a good track off to the right which turns into a steep fall line descent.

Is there a way to get out once you reach the bottom?

Not exactly sure which bit you mean? Mugboo’s yer man he’s spent far too much time in those woods 🙂

I should have said, just before (2/300m) the scout camp fence

The trail (pretty obvious) cuts off the main track then splits again, one bit going along the top of the bank and the other straight down.

Where’s your sense of adventure Ianv?
Go on… Commit and put a new fun line in. You can always walk back up the way you came, surely ?

If its the one I’m thinking of I believe it goes down to the golf club who are not too keen on roaming mtb from what I’ve heard

Though it might be a completely different place

You can always walk back up the way you came, surely ?

The push up is a nightmare, thats why I am asking 😕

If your heading towards Harden with the Scout Camp on your left, if it’s the turn after the obvious one to the golf course then you can turn left at the bottom. Cross the slippy stream and follow it all the way back to the Harden end of the main path. Brings you out at the bottom of the descent.

And drop me an email for another couple of bits 🙂

It’s before the millenium way track, maybe 500m towards cottingley and about 300m from the end of the deforested bit. I don’t think we are talking about the same track but you must have seen it, it’s a really obvious trail at the start.

Must be new.

close to Cottingley Estate on the steep fall line would suggest the one which comes out where the fence is broken down, near the bottom of the rockfest footpath. However, there are other lines nearby which just dead end at rhododendrons (presumably bordering the golf course). I’ve sometimes gone down the wrong lines trying to find Mugboo’s/Simon’s other line. Still easily get completely disorientated in there.

Not that one either.

Looks like your pushing back up…

Better buy some crampons 🙁

Mugboo has taken us down other little steep techy lines around there, but riding back out again long before the bottom. like I say, The most obvious other tracks I’ve tried, thinking I was on the line, have generally been dead ends. I might have been completely disorientated again tho.

Well I go down that path, it veers a sharp left by a hole, follow that trail along til you hit another trail near a dry stone wall, there you can go left along to agap in a dry stone wall and down to the track that comes out near Steven Smiths or you can go right and follow along to a field which you cross to the golf course and then to the back lane by Shipley golf course. The trails are narrow, techy, roots rocky, steep sided and great fun. Blair witch project has got nothing on cottingley woods, sad about all the felling, bits of my favourite trails through there have been obliterated but I have had great fun working out some really good routes over the years.

Not that one, much further back towards cottingley.
For info, it comes out on the lower road into the woods, about half way between the gates and the millennium way.

Well I have cycled along that bottom track and had to haul self and bike over v tall drystone wall when I got to the end which comes out on to Manor Drive. All this highly trespassing of course.

Have you seen the fairies?

Should you even be riding in Cottingley Woods 😉

Mugboo/Simon – not sure if you’re interested but heading to Gisburn on Sunday for a thrash around the new stuff…

DBW – might’ve come but I’ve but I’ve only just seen your post (Sun PM) 🙂
I went out locally, but didn’t go anywhere near Cottingley Woods, oh no, definitely not 😉

Should you even be riding in Cottingley Woods

Seems like its fair game for all sorts nowadays: pissups, bonfires and even saw some campers the other night 😕 . Its becoming a right tip in places 😡

It was never like that on my watch..

Not true actually, I had to get the scouts to put out a fire that was burning deep into the pine needles and under a tree a couple of years back, it had been burning a week! Started by a disposable BBQ 🙁