From discussions with the rangers two dates are possible for them over the summer. Sunday 19th June and Sunday 21st August Get ’em in your diary. Can someone let the MTB Scotland posse know and the uni club and any other releveant folk who might help?

Hopefully we can use both dates. These are the only dates possible for the rangers

Details to follow. We have broad agreement on what trails need to be repaired I think.

No need to commit for the whole day – come out for a ride and stop and help for a couple of hours

Lets make this work chaps.

Good work Jeremy. I’m in for both! Will also mention it to a few folk not on here.

If someone reminds me the week before I’ll even knock up some flapjack…

Indeed – well done Jeremy. I can’t do the first one but might be able to do the second. I’ve stuck it on the Edinburgh uni forum as well.

Can’t make the 19th June, but can do 21st August, have put it in my diary.

What tools do we need to bring? Do the rangers need help with trailers / 4X4? I have a reasonably capable 4×4 so can take people to the trail we are working on if access can be arranged for that.

7hz.

I’ll remember that ta. Details to follow just getting the dates in. The rangers said they will provide tools and materials but thats the sort of thing that can be arranged nearer the time

Aye, that’s a point. I can volunteer a Freelander for portage of materials if required. Though to be honest I can’t see us getting that close with damaging the trails we are repairing!

I’ve posted a link to this thread onto MTBScotland.net. I can’t make the August date but should be OK for the one in June. I own no 4×4 but I can bring my own mattock and shovel.

Though to be honest I can’t see us getting that close with damaging the trails we are repairing!

It depends. For example, it’d be simple to get a 4×4 quite close to Pistachio Way as it runs right next to a farm track.

Good Man,
Count me in for both days.

Good work, I think I am around for both of those as long as no one else decides to get married this summer!

Hey, top work TJ! Think I’m up for the August session.

ChrisL – Member

it’d be simple to get a 4×4 quite close to Pistachio Way as it runs right next to a farm track.

I’ve seen a VW bay camper up there

Sarah is going to mention it to the Hervelos tomorrow

By the way what places did you have in mind? I would suggest Phantoms and Black Hill would be the two main areas I would put forward myself. Pistachio is a mess but the regular horse groups there would just mush up any repairs in no time I think. I guess they have to speak to landowners before letting us loose with spades too.

Great work. I’m up for that. I’ll try and drum up some local muscle.

Might make the June one but not the August. Can bring tools if I make it.

Good on you Teej.

Hoping I can make both dates, but can’t promise anything until the time. Can’t offer much in the way of mobilisation, perhaps a little garage space to short-term store tools / bikes in Bonaly if needed.

Good work TJ! I’ll try to make both.

Ta chaps. all details to be decided later

Trails under consideration are pistachio way. phantoms and black hill. anyone got any other ideas lets hear them.

I / we just wanted to get the dates in the diary now.

Looks like spades and gloves might be needed as well

I really really want this to work – we might get a nice trail or two out of it

Trails under consideration are pistachio way. phantoms and black hill. anyone got any other ideas lets hear them.

Personally I’d like to get that collapsed corner on the Clubbiedean singletrack sorted out.

*adds it to list*

That would need a fair chunk of work

There will be a limited amount we can do on these two days but if we can get this to work there is no reason why we can’t be a big part of trail repair in the pentlands for years to come.

I’m in for either or both (if I’m lucky) but it all depends on work and wont know til nearer the time (what with being self employed etc).

As a suggestion – what about the path next to “rocky road” – not that I ride it too often but it seems to attract a lot of branch throwers / “obstructers”?

Does anyone ride phantoms? I thought it was just a marsh that everyone rode once, regretted and then stayed away from.

Phantoms has been one of my regular routes for 20 years 🙂 Used to be much better than it is now.
couldashouldawoulda – thats the bit we call pistachio way I think – above kinleith farm.

couldashouldawoulda – Member

As a suggestion – what about the path next to “rocky road” – not that I ride it too often but it seems to attract a lot of branch throwers / “obstructers”?

I’ve heard people say that but I don’t think it’s true, I’ve hauled a lot of branches off it (it’s 10 minutes from my house) and almost all of them seemed to be windfall.

As was said above, Pistachio is popular with the horse-riders. I doubt there’s much that cold be done which would have any long-lasting effect.

I second an improvement to that corner on Clubbiedean though (Wounded Knee) as it seemed there was an off there every time we went that way last summer 🙂

Fair enough, sounds like some restoration is long over due.

Do horses really go on pistachio way? never seen hoofprints and it seems a bit tight and too many low branches? Just asking the question

if so it will be harder to armour it for sure

druidh – Member

I second an improvement to that corner on Clubbiedean though (Wounded Knee) as it seemed there was an off there every time we went that way last summer

I don’t think anyone knows what to do with it… Short of sticking a wee bridge across beside it anyway.

I can make the August one, working the June date.

IMHO Black Hill, Phantoms then Pistachio are priority. Other bits that come to mind are:

– As mentioned “the corner” on Clubbiedean. Also on Clubbiedean the bit between the bridge over the outlet and the first plank suffer pretty badly this winter.
– The top of Maiden’s
– The continuation of Black Hill/Den’s Cleugh. Not sure what if anything could be done here.
– What condition is the bit of path near at the end Green Cleugh near Lover? Last time I was there with was a wee while again it wwas falling in the burn…
– Boggy crossing at the start of Red Road

Obviously we won’t have time for these in the 2 days, but if a regular Trailfairies like gang can be put together I think it would be good to get them on the agenda.

TJ – how much of a lead do the Rangers want to take? Are they going to tell us where, what and how they want things rebuild/reinforced or are just planning on letting us loose with shovels and some hardcore? Do they plan to say add drainage ditches to Black Hill? Either works for me just interested what their chat was.

Sadly can’t make either dates as I will be on crutches. Great idea though.

I second an improvement to that corner on Clubbiedean though (Wounded Knee) as it seemed there was an off there every time we went that way last summer

I’d be disappointed if that gets sanitized. Its ridable as it is and hasn’t been getting any worse the last while. I’d rather see a little work to improve the drainage on the wetter bits like the bit before the log crossing and some of the muddy ruts appearing near the gate.

Fraser – I have still to discuss details with them. These two dates will be closely supervised I think. NO detailed plans yet. In future I don’t know where it might lead – depends on how well this goes I guess

Balfa – I have never seen anyone get round that, a new line is appearing behind it, I have seen several nasty crashes on it.

Clubbie dean could do with somework as well but we only have these two dates

Northwind & Druidh
I second an improvement to that corner on Clubbiedean though (Wounded Knee) as it seemed there was an off there every time we went that way last summer

I don’t think anyone knows what to do with it… Short of sticking a wee bridge across beside it anyway.

Yas, a wee nothshore bridge across the clubbiedean bit.

Ps my iPhone just changed clubbiedean to club ordeal & club Jeddah.

I too had thought that something wooden would be the most straightforward way to fix Wounded Knee. I haven’t been able to take that corner for several years.

Got both dates pencilled in my diary.

I went through Pistachio on the way to work this morning and it’s ok at the moment (just a couple of boggy bits), however there are a lot of different lines through there now so it’s looking messy.

The top priority for me would be Black Hill – not knowing anything about trailbuilding though, it does seem like it’s a big job! I haven’t been on Phantoms for Dens/White Cleugh for a while so don’t know what they’re like.

TJ,

Piscachio is on my commute and I quite often see horses on it.

On Maidens, the burn crossing about 200m from the top on the Glencorse side. This doesn’t need much doing to prevent the stream running all down the path. If done, it will prevent the whole top section needing re-done in a year or two.

I’ll try to make at least one of the days.

Great stuff chaps. I have this thread bookmarked so you are all being counted 🙂 Useful to see what folk what like to see repaired.

Ta Chris

Hmmmmm Horses on pistachio. Bugger. That will be why its so churned then.

+1 balfa. That corner in Clubbiedean is easily ridable, and fun – just go straight on across the narrow root “bridge” to the grass and then turn.
There are a couple of fallen trees in there that need chainsaw work, though, and the very muddy bits at the start and end of the singletrack need the most work, IMO.

The dates (and a link to this thread) have been posted to the ERC MTB message board, so there might be more volunteers…

I’m heading off on the Woodcock CTC for the first of those dates, but have put the second, August, date in my diary and really hope to make it. It would be great to meet some of the people local to Edinburgh… and find out some of the in-house names for trails since I rarely have a clue to which bit anyone is referring 🙁

Jules – join us on a wednesday night ride.

whyter – ta

I second an improvement to that corner on Clubbiedean though (Wounded Knee) as it seemed there was an off there every time we went that way last summer

I’d be disappointed if that gets sanitized

Ditto. Lets not trail-centre-ise the challenging bits.

I’ll hopefully make the second date, busy on 19th June.