anyone any ideas yet about the course? Leaflet says a new course for 2010, but doesn't it say that every year?

on another note – does anyone have a link to a GPX/google maps of the course last year?

Getting excited now!

There has been persistant talk of 2010 using land on the castle side – but can't see how that would work unless the whole lot was moved west of the main road – camping, arean the lot…
.
…. unless there are underpasses / overbridges that can take the course safely across the road.
.
Can anyone add anything?

They may build a bridge, it can be done. That'd be pretty good too. Looks like it may even stay dry!

Stay dry? well in theory I'm not there so yes it should.

Bridge sounds good, WOOHOO I'm well excited… Bit of subject does anyone know if the football on the big screen???

The directions on the MM site are telling you to TURN RIGHT from Ledbury. Not sure though if they've just copied the normal tourist directions to the castle, or if these are specific to MM ?????

Theres a link to the course on the OSMM website but the link is broken- anyone get it to work?

Last time I heard the course is going to be similar, but a touch longer as they've got access to a bit more land this year & possibly reversed direction from last year.

The course map is on the OSMM website
Linky

Yep worked for me;-http://www.osmountainmayhem.co.uk/pdf/mm_route_map2010.pdf

Arena is in the same place as last year.

ta metters

Looks like:

-Out of arena as last year
-Over bridge
-Follow stream
-Up the steep grassy slope through the gate
-Down the valley the other side and into some new woods
-Out of the new woods and up to the top of the usual trail alongside the gravelly road – fun bit.
-Back along the fire roads as last year to the old arena area
– Up a singletrack climb to the Somme woods, through the Somme then out by the hut at the top of the old LR track
– DH in Castle Coppice as last year, climb back to the hut on fire road then up to the obelisk
– The old DH trail which wiggles through the ferns then the woods, across the old gravel Kenda Klimb, down what was an uphill last year, back across the old KK, then back up to the top of the ridge
– Fast open grass descent as last year back to arena

Seems like a little more climbing, what with the new bit in the woods after the first uphill away from the lake.

GB

Can't believe it. Looks dry and I'm not going 🙁

njee20 – Member
Looks like it may even stay dry!

Well you’ve jinxed the arse off of it now then haven’t you!!!

Up a singletrack climb to the Somme woods, through the Somme then out by the hut at the top of the old LR track

Is that the Landrover track climb that I endured (pushed, sobbed, crawled) in the 2004 monsoon???

it maybe true what he says that molgrips!!

Oh please, please, please just for one year 8)

it was fairly dry last year wasnt it ?

it was fairly dry last year wasnt it ?

It wasn't as bad as previous years, but couldn't in anyway, state or form call it dry.

god bless climate change 😉

'taint called "Somme Woods" fa nuthin y'know

All looks good to me, do i spot a water crossing this year?

…Somme woods, across rooty, plasticine-like mud.

…Castle Coppice – sloppy, water-logged mire.

Can't wait!

Is that bstrd off-camber traverse tucked away in there somewhere too?

That off camber bit is great, oh unless it you know, the R word…!!

So the same mud sections as last year with a few more new possibly muddy sections thrown in for good measure ??? Just had Rutland Cycles email me saying they're out of stock of 1.5" Mud Sharks 🙁

you wont be needing those….

Is that bstrd off-camber traverse tucked away in there somewhere too?

isn't that the litle loop mapped out after you drop off from the Obelisk?? – Loops around the base of the word "Obelisk" on the route map…. might (hope) I'm wrong

you wont be needing those….

They were for the F/S. I have the S/S set up with trailrakers "just in case" …… but didn't need it last year so it must have been dry.

Saying that I have a set just in case 😉

Just had Rutland Cycles email me saying they're out of stock of 1.5" Mud Sharks

Thats probably because they're no longer in production, Schwalbe stopped making them last year in the 1.5's iirc

Schwalbe stopped making them last year in the 1.5's iirc

Looks like you're correct .. this is the email …"Unfortunately the item you have ordered is out of stock with ourselves and when we have placed an order with our suppliers for the item, they have informed us that it is now discontinued."

Just had a look at the course, looks alright to me. almost certain the off camber bit is still in there, I imagine that will still be greasy once it's been ridden over 2.5k times.

think I'll leave the high rollers on and hope for the best…..

All looking good weather-wise:-Sunshine beckons…

No, it's not the LR climb. That runs from further north in a NW/SE direction. It's a climb up from the arena through the bracken then the woods – it looks to be in a similar location to a descent last used in 2006 which ended up going through a low wooden fence if anyone remembers that.

No water crossing on the river by the start – where do you think you've spotted it? There is a bridge to get you across at the start and another one as you descend down the end of the first half of the lap.

I'm not sure the castle coppice bit is the shitty muddy bit – the lake at the end of that section appears to be further to the west than the course goes. Maybe the lake is too small to see – it certainly looks similar in location to last year's sloppy mess.

There was only about 400 yards of mud last year, so I used Larsens at 60psi the whole time. I had to walk a total of about 100 yards due to lack of grip in my 6 laps (twice on the slightly uphill wooded section about half a mile after the Kenda Climb), but managed to ride the really sloppy section every time. If the weather/conditions are similar this year then that's what I'll be using again. There's far more time to be gained in minimal rolling resistance than there is fitting mud tyres for 400 yards of every 9 mile lap. IMO, of course.

Gee –

not sure the castle coppice bit is the shitty muddy bit – the lake at the end of that section appears to be further to the west than the course goes

, I think that you're right! The slop through the woods leads down to that lake to the west…

…the climb up from the camping area towards Ashen Fields Coppice is in the same vicinity as the 06 and 07 decents but doesn't look quite the same (sadly I still have the maps), but looking at the countour lines it is one long drag up through the bracken…

😐

Ah 1000 acres (ish) of land to use and Its the same old shit – the Somme woods, why? Ooooo let's hope that really steep gravel climb is still in it too 👿