Planning to take my 11 year old daughter on her first outing to a trail centre this weekend, would like to take our time so don’t want to get in the way of the regulars, is a early trip better than a late session for trial numbers?

Ta

Yes, the earlier or later the better. All of the monkey is closed at the mo and a fair bit of the dog, you may like to go somewhere else.

Al of the Monkey closed? I went the weekend was only Lower Cliff that was closed…has this changed? There was also a couple of big chunks of FTD but still enjoyed it I’d have said plenty for a newbie/11 year old!

http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/2015/03/current-trail-closures/

There is also a big bike demo weekend at TackyPoo so will be busier than normal (plus the trail closures)

OP: Later on Sat/Sun afternoon tends to be quiet but with the demos and the closures expect more angst than usual

You missed a good one last Sunday the place was deserted (Mother’s Day )

Perhaps consider parking at the campsite or marquis drive, doing the shorter blue from there for a trip out and then do the dog from tackeroo to birches valley then back along the single track that runs alongside the road. That way you’ll avoid cardiac hill, which is a bit pointless anyway since high voltage is closed.

Trail itself tends to get busy from 10 onwards up until 3ish.

jekkyl route is ideal, I often do that with my children.

Keep it simple. Park at Birches Valley, earlier the better.

Ride Follow the Dog as signposted. Yes High Voltage and Bombhole are closed but the diversions will take you along high ground and parallel to Marquis Drive.

Tackeroo campsite will be busy because of the demo day but not impossible and then you get the descent all the down from Tackeroo to the end.

For a first time ride finishing with a long climb isn’t ideal and is unlikely to leave her enthused about coming back to ride it again.

I’d expect the whole hill back down Tackeroo to Birches Valley to be busy with the increased traffic due to Leisure Lakes so be prepared to stop at suitable points to let the warriors go past.

Then to finish take it easy over the rock rollers if your daughter isn;t used to this kind of thing as it will be easy to take too much speed into them and end up airbourne.

Thanks ST looks like an early start then 😉

“The entirety of the Monkey Trail is closed due to Forest Operations during the week of 16-20 March 2015.”

Ok for the weekend then …………

Not sure how long it will take you to get round the bits you want to do but if you aim to finish for 1030am you’ll only see the odd person.

I don’t live near Cannock anymore but when I did I always set off at 9, pretty much had the trails to myself. Still see the odd person but no large groups bobbing past.

Don’t forget the bacon butty at the finish 😀

try and avoid early morning if you want it quiet. after 2pm the trails quieten down quite considerably.