Forum menu
The bit that's south of the road and the railway line - can you go in there?
Peter Poddy to the Forum!
used to loads of lurvelly stuff to ride there
Just had a look on the mapping software. I believe there is a perimeter track that leads to Colony Gate. Am certain we quaffed mulled wine and mince pies there a couple of years ago.
Any Trolls out there that could help?
That is Ash Ranges. You can go in as long as the red flags/lights aren't flying.
The other Danger Area nearby (to the north, the other side of Pirbright Camp) does not allow any access at any time, apparently there are still too many explosives in the ground.
What Jason said. Flags tend to be flying from very early in the day until mid-afternoon. Occasionally shut overnight also but that's relatively rare. Some good stuff in there but Tunnel Hill offers more singletrack.
There is a perimeter trail as stated above ^^ but can be rather wet in places. Rode across the "danger area" yesterday, the red flags were not out. Loads of fresh snow and twas good fun in the slippery stuff.
You can go in as long as the red flags/lights aren't flying
So how often is that?
Are you saying that it's not worth going in there then?
If the flags are flying stay away. They do fire real guns in there...
To be honest it's red more often than it's not nowadays - when I was a teenager I was in there all the time, but now it's hardly ever open in the day. That said, in the evenings it generally is - often run round it in the summer.
There's stuff in there but it's not as good as the surrounding areas.
It does seem a bit random when it is open. I think it is always open over Christmas, Easter and in August, as mentioned above it is normally open in the evenings.
The area is mainly heathland (it is the largest area of heathland in Surrey) so the riding is fairly different to the other local areas, there is not loads of singletrack, but the fireroads all ok if you just want to get a few miles in. The perimeter track is not too bad for a 7 mile undulating fireroad ride - you can't get lost just follow the track, you just need to negotiate a couple of gates. The part of the ranges nearest Ash Vale often has lots of dog walkers, but as soon as you get slightly further away it is fairly deserted, just a few deer, cattle and occasionally lost soldiers wandering about
The last round of the Merida Brass Monkeys series was on the ranges, and they managed to put together a decent course. I think I have a GPS plot of the course if that is any good to you, although I doubt you will be able to find the course until all the snow has gone.
The area immediatley behind Ash (Normandy Hill & Gravelpit Hill) is out side the fenced off area and does (or at least used to) have some nice bits of singletrack and is worth an explore.