For a group of say 5 riders. Go the night before then ride. Is there plenty there and easy to find???

Plenty of riding and not bad at all to find with a decent car park

This was hamsterley last weekend, bit of a bog, but still fun, (top of route 666

Its well sign posted and easy to follow.

Its worth mixing up a bit of black and red to get the most out of it. Or just ride both.

Plenty of places to stay near by, pubs etc or look at the bigger towns.

if you follow posted routes first half is a slog as above picture.second half is a good blast (black routes),as usuall speak to some locals there loads of trails that miss the boggy shite out(apparantly)

Is the cafe there still open, or did I imagine that it had shut?

Where are you thinking of staying? As a former resident of the area, it’s worth getting some local advice on what is/isn’t a complete sh*thole.

Cafe is still open, but at this time if year it’s only open at weekends I think.

My favourite routes are to do the first bit of the black, then climb to the top of the best red singletrack, then crossover and do the black/red on the other side of the valley. The black climb will be horribly boggy at the moment though (as seen above).

GPS files here: http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNumber=72

Strava has all the hidden stuff too.

It’s perhaps for the best that I can’t figure out how to link to my first ever GoPro video that I made on my last trip to Hamsterley just before New Year. Just search for other people’s!

Make sure you check out the little loop north of the forest heading out onto the moors across shooter’s tracks (heads off not long after the start of the black), it runs west towards Doctor’s Gate Quarry, then south past Cliff Sike Gill before dropping down and re-joining the black (I’m sure someone with more internet nous can post up a map, otherwise have a look on Bing OS and let me know if you don’t see it). Did it on xmas eve and the lower descent has been washed out down to bedrock giving a great section of rocks et al.

Are you planning a trip Hora?

Hamsterley is easy to get to and well signposted from the A68 at Witton-Le-Wear

At this time of year we normally ride a mixture of the red and black routes that links up the best bits and avoids the worst of the boggy stuff. There is nothing too gnar on the black.

A leisurely lap of this route will take most people under 2 hours,there are of course sections you can session. Another option is to do 2 laps.

I’m fairly sure that the tearooms at the main car park were closing last time I was there (Nov)- they were neither great or bike friendly. A better option might be to pop in and see Joe at the Descend Hamsterley cabin – he does a cracking cuppa. The Mechanics hut beside the DH track is also much better than the main forest bike shop. handily these are 2/3rds of the way around just after the longest of the climbs

I’m not sure where I’d stay… Durham would be okay if you wanted a night out.

Trail maps from MTBNE

Are you planning a trip Hora?

Could be – its not too far from you guys?

hamsterly is top. If you like the gravity stuff the Descend bike park is excellent with a good range of tracks from swoopy \ jumpy all the way up to proper scary

link to a suggested way of doing the best of the red and the black is here:

http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue_Map_TrailViewer.aspx?VenueNumber=72&TrailNumber=129&Unique=634763016575745130

I never tried it but it seems to cut out a big pointless loop of fire road

Descend bike park is excellent with a good range of tracks from swoopy \ jumpy all the way up to proper scary

Tom would like that. Podge too when hes finished his gnarly-Ed fest 😉

This is legolambs video she was trying to link to – an edit of the best bits of the red. Its very good – she is putting herself down.

Hamsterley red

You can miss out route 666 that singlesped_shep put the picture up of and still do the rest of the red-black three leaf clover route (my favourite too). Route 666 just isn’t worth.