[Closed] Fort William uplift

The red is not a red, it is as techy, if not techier than any black trail centre in the UK. However, it is all completely rollable, there are options for air, but you can squash everything, and all the drops are lower than the height you state.

It is also very tough if you're not at your fittest, particularly on the upper body, thighs and achilles, as you'll be descending off the seat for around 15 minutes per run.

It's brilliant though, the most descending you'll get anywhere in the UK in one day. You also have to have a run on the WC track too, if even to get an appreciation of how the top gals and guys really are. It's not actually that much worse tech wise than the red, but IMO it's a lot more relentless.

Take yer sarnies in the gondola, eat whilst yer going up, need to maximise your fun.

Another tip is to just roll it down the first time, it'll take a couple of runs to get your eye in, and also the red dots all the way down are the suggested 'easiest' line, which help early on.

The non-gondola trails will be fine. I.e the witches trails and the 10 under the ben stuff. Fore the gondola ones, nobeer has covered above.

You also have to have a run on the WC track too,

If abilities are that lacking I would strongly recommend against this. Not the first time some have a go hero has mullered themselves bimbling down it on an XC bike with no armour. You need speed/airtime to clear a lot of the worst bits or you are going to have a really bad time.

You need speed/airtime to clear a lot of the worst bits or you are going to have a really bad time.

No you don't, and how do you know the OP's abilities are lacking, is on an XC bike, and doesn't have armour?.

I'd say your comments are far more apt for the red, as I've seen loads of folks over the years walking down it, as they could ride the red at GT and thought this would be the same.

Its surprisingly knackering

I was absolutely rinsed after 4 runs down the Nevis Red

Its an amazing trail though, I've not ridden anything else like it

Having just done the Fort William Endurance downhill, I can testify the WC course certainly takes it out of you. I would also suggest a certain level of confidence is required to ride it well.

Thanks for the replies thus far folks.

I'll be on a Whyte T-130 with full body armour. My fitness is okay tbh, been cycling to the office a few days every week (10 miles e/w). I'm just a lazy ****er and the thought of cycling up hills on my holidays doesn't appeal in anyway - I totally appreciate going downhill is just as tiring on the body but in a slightly different way.

I'm also hoping this trip will reignite some love for trail riding. Last couple of years I was out almost every week whereas this year I've been twice.

I think the WC trail would be a stretch for me tbh. All I'm looking for is loadsa fun, not to push limits.

The "red" at fort bill is great. Very tough but i rode it fine on a 120mm trance.

It starts with some slippy boardwalk that gets fast and high off the ground. Then its old school technical rock before some faster trails before the bottom. 4 to 5 runs is possible but kills you. I aint rode it in a couple of years but keep looking to go back.

Must say its easier than laggan black but i still maintain thats the hardest man made trail in the uk bar proper downhill.

I can ride the red no bother and rode the black no bother for 90-95% of it. There were a few short bits/corners where I got off and walked down rather than crash but otherwise it's fine. I do not intentionally or willingly get air and my riding style is go far too fast for my ability and then make unreasonable demands of my brakes and tyres, if that helps.

I'll be travelling up to FW from south London so I want to make sure it's worth it.

I probably wouldn't travel from London to ride it on a 130mm bike, TBH.

You could pick your way down it I'm sure, and it's fun to ride repeatedly and improve your lines - but it's gonna be either slow or quite punishing.

Would you be better going and venturing onto the harder tracks at BPW etc? FoD is great for trail bike uplift.

4 to 5 runs is possible but kills you

If you're heading up this way and want an uplift, consider Dunkeld too, only runs on a weekend mind. IMO T130 will be fine on FW red.

I've not been up this year, really need to get up, it's only about 2.5-3 hrs up the road, that and Laggan is a fine weekend riding, camping and beers.

No you don't, and how do you know the OP's abilities are lacking, is on an XC bike, and doesn't have armour?.

I was making an assumption based on "Not a fan of my wheels leaving the trail though I'm fine with drops up to a few feet in height".

And yes, you absolutely do, if you aren't confident going into the likes of the rock garden drop you can easily hang up and go over the bars. I speak from experience. Also seen a couple of folk getting winched off the slab after messing up their approach. Having done my fair share of DH there are still plenty of incidents where I was lucky to walk away with just bruising, I remember one of the Vibe guys (Stuntman?) perforated his liver coming into the 4x track too hot.

Never ridden the red so can't comment but your appraisal seems fair enough. I just don't think recommending folk do the WC track for the experience is particularly good advice.

You could pick your way down it I'm sure, and it's fun to ride repeatedly and improve your lines - but it's gonna be either slow or quite punishing.

All that said, I did it on a 130mm hardtail absolutely fine, albeit the track killed my PX Bommer and the attached MX6's blew the seals but the Le Toy managed absolutely fine with Z1 FR SL's. I would still do it on my Trailstar TBH, yes it's punishing but there are plenty of places to take a breather.

Fair enough, my recommendation was purely based on doing it as an experience, and that it's not as if it's Champery, where once your on the track the only way off is to keep riding or on your face, there's plenty of options on FW to stop and have a look at stuff IMO, as you allude to yourself.

When I went my thoughts were "Which sadist graded this 'xc' track a red?" I would say the 'red is on a par with a black at Stinog.

The WC track is brilliant! Much like alpine DH difficulty. In all honesty, if you're not confident and you don't want your wheels leaving the ground, then you will be getting off to push a few times down each run.

DH is definitely alpine, stood me in good stead for Morzine and the French National 🙂

Think I'm gonna be heading up there and Laggan soon myself...

Oh and yes, there are places to get off and push which I guess is fine, wouldn't fancy pushing down the whole lot though (again!)

The only bit of the red that's a bit dung, is the last bit, you do lose a wee bit of height on a kinda fire road, though I'm sure by now someone must've cut more stuff in there?.

There are 'jump lines' that start just 30 yds or so along the puggy line from where the red crosses it and finish at the car park, so the gash bottom bit can be avoided. They're fun and, if necessary, excessive air can be avoided with desperate braking, skidding and squealing.

Lol!

Indeed, but also totally true 🙂

Another big fan of the red here, did it with my 100mm Anthem a few times then uped the forks to 120mm. Its the arm pump that gets me , usually manage 6 runs before Im borked.

Last time I went down with my 160mm Cove & I was so much quicker ,till I stacked it on the first run. Thankfully I'd previously realised a full face helm was necesary, that decision has saved my teeth. Yup face first into a mahoosive boulder.

Its great though , do it! 😀

Hopefully getting a day at Fort Bill on the Rocket in a few weeks (and maybe even have a pootle down the WC course if I'm feeling brave), but first did a couple of (admittedly slow) runs down the red on a 130mm forked BFe a few years ago. With a modicum of 'average' riding ability and following the pink dots it's proper tech but not REALLY tough.

Easier than the double black at Antur. I've only done the short lower blacks at BPW, but I'd say it's on a par with those - just a LOT longer and more relentless.