I know this will have been done to death on this forum and this will probably be the weekly post on the subject, but how brutal is the black at Glentress? I’ve done the red many a time and have done Inners, Ae, Mabie and Dalbeattie. The only exercise I do is mtbing every couple of weekends and my stamina is woeful dispite being 27. My “skill” level is somewhat questionable too. I’m considering taking the day off on Friday to go and battle through the black but wondering if this is a good idea doing this on my own seeing as I’ve never done it before. Is there really anything that’s all that tech or scary? Is it just a slog?

Why not just go and see. If there are bits you dont feel confident with just get off and push!

its long with a relentless climb toward the end..

give it a go and enjoy the downs!!

its just longer really with more climbing, its a really nice break from the red if you are used to doing that. there are a couple of steep loose rooty rocky bits that might catch you out if you are only ever used to groomed paths but nothing dangerous. def worth doing.

I like it !

Its 20 miles long so they say, and around 10 miles of that is climbing, but apart from one section most of the climbing is fairly easy. Nice view at the top.

Not very technical although there are a couple of chutes you can damage yourself on if you hit them too fast.

Did it last Saturday. It’s longer and rougher but not as ‘modern’ as the red. Not as ‘modern’ I mean that there are very few jumps and berms.
Its relatively easy from a technical point of view but the length of it has you tired by the end.
Give it a go but make sure you take enough food to keep you energized so that you can enjoy the descents of the second half.

Great route – and surprisingly short mileage wise (or so endomondo told me on Sat). Tough climbs though.

If your stamina is really suffering, there’s a bail-out option at the start of the deliverance trail. You’ll have done the main climb up to the mast, then descended onto a fire road. If you’re feeling a bit hammered, there’s a signpost directing you to continue on the fireroad and you can join the red (or rejoin the black later on). It’s obvious on the map.

Deliverance is a great descent, but the climb back out the valley is pretty harsh if you’re a bit behind stamina wise.

My plan is to give it a go anyway as I’m planning on going with a few friends to Kirroughtree the following weekend and would like to get some miles in before then. Sorry, I mean kilometres.

You’ll be fine, it’s not that hard. If you are unsure of a feature then just have a look and walk if you need to. Have a look at the map and there are a couple of places you can easily switch onto the red for a shorter loop if you struggle with the distance.

All of the climbs are fairl non technical and not particularly steep (they are long in places). Just find a low gear and spin, you’ll get there eventually.

I am not particularly skilled so technically i find it quite a bit harder than the red in a couple of places particularly towards the end. With the red i can do all the features, dont really need to think about anything but with black there are bits like the rock garden at the start of the wormhole that i really struggle on (and that is now turning into a mental issue as well as a lack of skills one as i’m now scared of a big pointy sharp rock here that looks to be where my head would be falling if i have an off here!).

I like it though it is usually very quiet so the times i have ridden it i havent seen or heard anyone else on the black so it gives you a feeling of being a bit out on your lonesome, unlike the red where you are never far from someone else.

I did it last weekend for the second time. First time I failed as it was snowing.

I really enjoyed the climbing up to the hut, gets you warm and its a little bit tech in places, then you get to go down on britney spears. I thought the deliverence descent wasnt all that good, very rocky and quite a tough climb out.

IMO Innerleithen its a much better trail than GT black, and only a stones throw away. (edited after I read your post properly) 😳

I would agree that Inners is really good fun although it’s pretty short. Suprisingly, I did enjoy the uphill as you’ve got to pick your way up over the loose rocks.

I’ve tried the Wormhole before as I was passing from the Matrix on the red, yet kept getting stuck at a ridge halfway down the rock garden. Hopefully shall rectify that this time.

I thought the deliverence descent wasnt all that good, very rocky and quite a tough climb out.

Rubbish, that descent is brilliant, you mustn’t have been riding it fast enough!

I thought the deliverence descent wasnt all that good, very rocky and quite a tough climb out.

It’s good we’re different; I love deliverence, and as for the climb out, yes tis a bit so so but then we’ve just descended from the mast; so a kind of reverse payback.

I don’t MTB any more (why am I always on here then…) but Ilove the climb up to the hut at glentress, absolutely love it.

+1 for what partyboy says.
IMHO the total descent from the mast to the end of Deliverance is the highlight of GT . Doesn’t feel like a purpose built trail like the smoothed out red. The technical bits before it rejoins the red are great too Matrix, Bitch and wormhole etc

Climbing is never fun…..

Horses for courses partyboy, but I thought I was going to have my teeth shaken out by the time I got to the bottom 😆

On average the trail surface on the black is much rougher than it is on the red. Depending on the bike you’re riding this can make the black more punishing than its length would suggest.

The most technical bits on the black are probably on Double X, the Bitch and the Wormhole qualifier. These all occur once the black is shadowing the red so you’ve probably seen or ridden them before and they’re easy to avoid if you need to. The only similarly tough bit is the stone chute on the Goat Trail but there’s a decent chance you won’t even notice it’s there as the chicken run has become so established as the main line there.

I really like the black for all its climbing and its fast descending.
But take a full suss with 2.3 tyres and you’ll enjoy the descents much more (deliverance especially).
I did 2 laps on my Soul the other week and found it just battered me.

I bought a Canyon Nerve AM for the sole reason that my old hardtail Kona was back breaking on rough ground.

Thanks everyone for the input though. Looking forward to Friday now.

I’ve not been for a couple of years but I used to follow the black until halfway(?) out of Deliverance then turning right at the escape up onto a fireroad
Then around to the bottom on Spooky Woods to pick up the fast blue section back down to the same fireroad again
Then just the rest of the red to the main road and then up to the Buzzard’s nest to take another fast blue back to the road and the rest of the red down to the bottom

a very nice loop indeed

Glentress aint that technical for a blak just a bit of a hard slog.

Kirri black though well that’s a whole different ball game………

Neil

Im gonna agree with Neil on this one and go against the grain a little… In my opinion the black is just a bit of a chew and the decents dont make up for the graft. However, it obviously depends on what your idea of a good time is. Im more into the downs than the ups, but will gladly go along way for a good un.
Only way to find out is suck it and see, set out steady and have a go.

First time I did the black a few years ago I thought it was very hard -physically rather than technically. I’ve become fitter since so it is a lot more enjoyable. It is probably a black for the physical effort required rather than skill. Although some parts of it do require commitment – Wormhole, The Bitch etc… There is alot of climbing but only one reallllly steep section the rest is a case of putting in the granny ring and riding away. Quite theraputic really!

It has more of a remote feel than the red in that it takes you higher, and you will see less people. Feels more like a big day out than a trail centre trail. The Boundary Trail and Britney Spears are just ace. So much fun. There are bits that I forget about every time I ride it and it is always a pleasure to rediscover them.

However, I will always, always take Good Game down as the last descent rather than the traditional red/black last section.

Go ride it. It’s ace.

I noticed that the last black section had been redone when I rode it last weekend. Might have been like that for ages, but like you I always do good game at the end so haven’t noticed.

MTFU and just do it!

Whilst it’s been a few years since I’ve done the Black, I much prefer it to the Red – loads quieter for one thing.

My favourite hybrid route, that includes one of the better Black descents; Ride the Red route towards Spooky Wood, but don’t turn right off the fireroad near the top. Keep climbing until you pop out of the trees; the Black descent from the mast is a singletrack to the right. You can then take this to the next fireroad and either continue on the Black route down Deliverance, or spin back along the fireroad to rejoin the Red below Spooky Wood and the next section.

Deliverance – has to be my favourite trail at GT. Raced down it on the first Avalanche Enduro there years ago. It was a puncture-fest!

However, I will always, always take Good Game down as the last descent rather than the traditional red/black last section.

WTF?? You miss the joys of Falla Brae to go down that smoothed out pish!

+1 with Partyboy defo – Deliverence is just ace, im excited just thinking about it! let go of your brakes it needs speed 🙂

I didn’t like deliverance on a hard tail but liked it last time i rode it on the full susser.

not so keen on good game either – the falla brae is much more fun for me.

Good Game is fun for the occasional jumpy-bumpy thing but Falla Brae is a much better trail as long as my legs have the energy for the climb in the middle. 🙂 The Trailfairies worked on the black section on Falla Brae last year, I think it was re-opened around Christmas time.

I’d do the black round to the start of Deliverence, ride on past a go find Broon Troot. Best bit at GT by far. And it’ll pop you back out onto the black.

If you’ve done inners, technical wise the GT black will be fine. pack some flapjack and do it!

It does rattle you on the hardtail:-)

For me the black is more about endurance than skill, and there is nothing too bad, just one or two very short sections you may need to walk down. As for Deliverance, I had had great expectations, but for me it was way too rocky on my HT to enjoy. That is not to say is bad, just not my bag which is different.

The other great thing about the black, and GT in general is the way you can mix and match the red, blue and black which all makes for a great day out.

where is broon trout ??

Just have fun.
That is all it’s about.

haggis1978 – Member

MTFU and just do it!

I wondered how long before someone posted that generic response.

jordie – Member

where is broon trout ??

Is it the usual response – I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.

You’ll find broon easily enough Jordie if you explore or ask someone there. Not to sound precious about it, but it’s not an armoured trail (actually pretty soft) and is in amazing nick considering. It’s defo benefited from being somewhat on the QT – which is doubly good because, like coogan says, it’s the best trail there.

If you want to forgo the joy of discovery I’ll email you where it is.

We did it Saturday afternoon (after the red in the morning), but climbed using the red and short-cutted through to the top of the Boundary Trail. Followed black thru to the top of Redemption and then hit the blue. We followed the blue back – the new BMX-style blue section around the Freebike park was brill fun. Then blue/red it home.

I like the black, but its black because its remote, not difficult.

IMO good on a full suss with reasonable fitness. sore and jarring on a hardtail. not really any more tecky than the red until wormhole etc as said earlier, and that is just a wee short bit of rocky stuff.

I only go there a few times a yr now, even though it’s only a bit over an hour from home. If I am there early, like before 830 will do red and blue, if delayed and notr arriving till 930 or so then do black to avoid the crowds