2015 – A Year in Mountains – Page 2 – Bike Forum

munrobiker · 2015-12-10T11:19:52Z

As 2015 is just about done, and most of you will be winding down and dossing about at work a bit, I thought I’d do this now. As ever here’s the links to previous years’ threads, sadly time has been unkind and stolen most of the photo links.http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2011-a-year-in-mountainshttp://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2013-a-quiet-year-in-mountains2015 has gone well in mountain terms- the weather in the spring was good, even if the summer was a bit of a chilly blowout, and I have had much more success than usual in finding quality trails rather than pushing up things then walking back down them or turning back. This is in no small part thanks to the help of Sanny from this forum who’s been very generous with his time and advice. There’s another video to go with this year’s post. Crank it up to HD. I hope you like it. [videoAs with last year's post if you click the title of each ride there's more photos. [b][urlPike, High Stiles and Scarth Gap[/url][/b] We got a very early start this year- the day after Valentine’s day is, I think, the earliest I’ve had a real crack at a mountain on the bike. The forecast said light snow on the tops, the reality turned out to be blazing sunshine. I’d had a little crack at this before and enjoyed it, and seen [urlvideo with the dog from last year[/url] and thought it’d be a nice ride if we did the full loop up Red Pike and across the top. That was the theory. The reality, despite it being relatively calm at the bottom, was a slog into a headwind so hard you couldn’t breathe, let alone ride. The traverse along the ridge at the top is, under normal conditions, perfectly rideable but not today! The steep descent was similar- if you got going in a break in the wind it would soon come up again and blast you into the side of the trail and off. I’d also forgotten that the top of Scarth Gap is largely unrideable. However, on a normal day the enormously steep descent from High Crag, the ride along the top and the last bit of Scarth Gap make for an exciting day out. Despite being a short ride it feels very epic, and the climb up Red Pike is pretty serious. If you’ve got big balls and a taste for the steep then it’s worth a crack once, but there are better rides in the area. In all, we had an exciting day out and enjoyed ourselves but it wasn’t the most successful bike ride! [img[img[img[b][urlPass, High Street, Ill Bell, Nan Beild[/url][/b] Having a job postponed by a day in north Lancashire when I was already on site gave me a perfect opportunity to go for a sneaky ride in the South Lakes. Fortunately I’d banked on this being a possibility and had packed my bike and big mountain gear. This was a nice route that would suit most riders with an open mind to cheek (though most of it is bridleway) but the weather made it a real epic. To do this ride you have to do Garburn the wrong way, which is a shame as the eastern decent looked superb, if a little short. However it allows a nice spin up to High Street with only a little hike a bike. At the top the cloud was low and a lot of standing snow made it a compass and bearing job to get to the turn to the footpath over Ill Bell. A few brave walkers were out but it was eerily still and quiet up on the top in the snow with little wind. Eventually I found where the Ill Bell path should have been and it wasn’t there- it turned out to be a path about 40 metres away but was easily found. It starts off like a trail centre, metalled, flowy and swoopy before getting into a nice bit of tech to ease you into the switchbacks of Nan Beild. The snow meant it wasn’t 100% rideable but it was a nice bit of trail regardless. Nan Beild following this was as good as ever- the switchbacks exhilarating, the rocky flowy singletrack after it superb fun before a silly blast over smooth singletrack to the valley floor. There’s a reason why I’ve done this most of the last 5 years. [img[img[img[b][urlVorlich[/url][/b] Ben Vorlich’s main advantage for me is that it’s so close to Edinburgh so when my wife went away for Easter and the forecast was good (exceptional, even) I couldn’t resist the opportunity to go and catch up with friends in the city and tack this on to the end. Snow on the tops made for exciting trails (as you’ll see in the video!) but Vorlich is excellent even when it’s not covered in white. It mixes steep, flowing, gentle and technical superbly so you get a ride that covers all the bases, and on top of this it’s a very easy hill to get up with the majority of it being rideable. The fact that this is an especially scenic part of the country on a day like this is a bonus. [img[img[img[b][urlVenue[/url][/b] I fancied a big day out with a mountain in it that was between Edinburgh and Ayr (roughly). A proper day out. This loop took in the Rob Roy Way by Aberfoyle, singletrack and fireroad bashing in Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Ben Venue itself and a load of the locals trails around Go Ape. It’s a big day out. Despite only being in the r...

stevenmenmuir

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Haven't managed anything like this this year. Must try harder.

Posted : 11/12/2015 4:56 pm

edenvalleyboy

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Great post OP - sums up well what it's all about (IMO)...I'm only slightly jealous of your photographic ability and obvious tenacity to capture the moments...

Posted : 11/12/2015 5:38 pm

Rockape63

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Nice....in fact very nice. Makes me want to pack the bike in the back of the car and head North!

Posted : 11/12/2015 6:38 pm

scruzer

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If this doesn't get you out riding, then nothing will. Thanks for sharing!

Posted : 11/12/2015 10:21 pm

scuttler

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Bloody 'ell is it that time already? 2015's been a bit quick. Post of the year again OP. Love it.

Posted : 11/12/2015 11:30 pm

pedlad

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Having done just one big wild mountain this yet after a collar bone in may so I'm v envious. Some great trips. Just to go against the general love in suggest you tone the HDR down a tad.

Posted : 12/12/2015 1:05 am

rascal

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Whiteless is accessed from the Braithwaite side, climbing Sail, Crag and Wandope before a low tech but flowy, enjoyable trail down Whiteless and to Buttermere.

😯 Clearly you're a much better rider than me - I did that descent in June and thought some of that was a bit bonkers!
Brilliant vid, pics and write-up - inspiring!
Def going to get out and do more of this kind of riding next year -cheers Luke

Posted : 13/12/2015 11:39 pm

grum

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Great post. Lots there to add to my to-do list in the Lakes. Nice one.

My one criticism - too much clarity/HDR style effect on some of the pics leaving a pretty strong 'halo' around riders etc. Still some great ones in there though.

Posted : 13/12/2015 11:50 pm

munrobiker

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Grum- I see what you mean. The photos are only tweaked in Microsoft Photo Gallery so the ability to tweak them properly is limited. The photos from the High Street ride were all done on a self timer in horrendous conditions with the camera set up wrong and getting anything viewable from the shots was hard!

rascal- I remember some technical features that were 99% rideable but the majority of it flowed fairly nicely for me. I'm not an especially good rider but it could be rose tinted glasses as it was such a nice day out.

Posted : 14/12/2015 9:38 am

Spin

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“90% unrideable bog and bouldery shite” in that time seems drastic. I have a feeling the mag put the wrong route on their website and that the best descent of this is to the south, not east into Glen Nevis like we did. Regardless we have learnt the lesson on your behalf- don’t bother.

Now do you believe me about Stob Ban Sanny?

Posted : 14/12/2015 10:26 am

jameso

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Best thread of the year. Again

Agreed. Been reading in stages and feeling slack for not having done any big hill days like this for a long time. Motivated to use these threads as a guide for next year - and have a hunch I said this about a year ago..
Good work!

Posted : 14/12/2015 10:40 am

jambalaya

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Thanks as always @munro, proer adventure riding

Posted : 14/12/2015 11:01 am

stick_man

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Always a v inspiring post, thanks for sharing. Not got any pics but we did the Lakeland 200 this year, in 3 days, which was our proper big mtn ride. Tough but stunning scenery.

Posted : 14/12/2015 10:18 pm

jody

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Stunning pictures!

Posted : 15/12/2015 5:57 pm

Teetosugars

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Great stuff Luke!

Posted : 15/12/2015 6:00 pm

Sanny

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Spin

I still don't believe you! 😆

Posted : 15/12/2015 6:07 pm

munrobiker

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Sanny- believe him. Good god it was shit.

Posted : 16/12/2015 4:31 pm

Nobeerinthefridge

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Always a v inspiring post, thanks for sharing. Not got any pics but we did the Lakeland 200 this year, in 3 days, which was our proper big mtn ride. Tough but stunning scenery.

Stick man - where did you start and what were your overnight locations? Trying to hatch a plan for next year.

Posted : 16/12/2015 4:37 pm

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