We are in the Fort William area for May half term looking to ride with the kids who are both competent on red trails.

I was wondering firstly if anybody knew if the World Cup event at the end of the week led to the closure of the xc trails on Nevis Range during the week running up to the event, secondly how good the riding at ‘Glencoe mountain’ is and thirdly what would people recommend as ‘natural’ riding in the area. (I wondered about over Devils Staircase and down to Kinlochleven, then playing by the loch while Dad runs back for the car!)

Many thanks in advance

Closures are all here:

“Mon 30 May – Sun 5 June – MTB World Cup
Downhill closed Mon 30 May – Sun 5 June. Red Giant closed Thurs 2 – Sun 5 June. Witch’s Trails around the carpark closed Sat 4 – Sun 5 June. All trails reopen as soon as tracks rideable on Mon 6 June.”

Red Giant is the uplifted red. I always say this but it’s red like coca cola is red IMO, I love it but it’s a little fierce in places and the price of failure can be brutal with all that exposed bedrock.

I really like the Witch’s Trails, they get slagged sometimes but they have a lovely feel, I couldn’t tell you why but they just work for me. The waymarked 10 Under the Ben route otoh is the biggest waste of time- miles of fireroad and not even good fire road. There’s short sections of good singletrack but you can link them all into the Witchs Trails, or with the very first section, just ride it then double back to the car park.

There’s vehicle accessed uplift I think now as well, never done that.

Can’t really comment much on natural riding, haven’t done the staircase… We did a nice lap south on the Way as far as the military road then back up and round Cow Hill, simple stuff but a nice day-off route. I’d be off down to Kinlochleven to do the trails up the Mamore Lodge road personally- the “enduro” trails. Some of my favourite riding anywhere…

Depends on the age of the kids-have to be 10 to do the red from the gondola. And maybe 12? for glencoe unless part of a coaching session. My 9 yearold loved the Glencoe red.

The world champs xc stuff at Nevis range is apparently really good.

World champs is good fun. Witches trails ok. 10 under terrible. Natural stuff everywhere, the west highland way south from nevis aint a bad starting point….

How much is at glencoe now? They had big plans for more trails up top and I gather the red got pretty much completely rebuilt a while back but I’ve never been back for ages…

Pea rain – Our lads are 11 and 9 – pretty sure the uplift red is 12 and over. Is the Glencoe red you did the uplift one?