Cwmcarn, horrible first part and no flowing, aleast two section is unrideable with high rocks and a very deep tree roots, but the rest of the trail is good.
[i]Few of the unknown trails on the Champery hill were pretty daunting too, it's certainly redefined my opinion of what's steep & rideable.[/i]
Too right. We rode one that had been a world DH course. I say 'rode', thats if you class sliding down on your ar$e hanging on to the bike as 'riding'
There's a nice and steep but short section on Deliverance at Squamish.
in the uk would be nant gwrtheyrn dh track steep and loose from the start
not me but you get the idea
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JonSadist - MemberEuro - where is that? That looks like exactly my cup of tea!
It's in Donard forest, Co down.
Derenaz with Phil & Jason.Long climb followed by a mental DH in the rain and fog/mist. Couldn't see a lot(probably as well!)as my glasses were forever steaming up or covered in water droplets!Very nearly bailed on that one and was thinking about going back down on the fireroad, but Jase "persuaded" me that the rest was easier...Never been so glad to get down in one piece,oh, and the Bar was shut when we got to the bottom. 😳
651 trail Lake Garda
Probably been the Ciaran Path for me. It was basically like riding down a stream the day I did it. The rocks were smooth, round and loose so the bike was all over the shop. It's also quite up and down which combined with the conditions made it very hard physically. I've ridden more technical stuff but it's usually shorter and less sapping.
The woods behind the nationwide in Swindon
End of thread 🙂
Verbier: Various trails 🙂
The original Champery world cup track after some rain. Words can't describe.
after watching a couple of those vids i am redifining my idea of steep and techy and selling my bikes 😳
Good thread this. I've been doing too much road mincing recently - need to get out and do something tech!
EuroIt's without a doubt the hardest trail i've ever ridden. It's in this vid (starts 1.24) but the camera really doesn't show how gawd darn steep, narrow and rocky it is. Makes me feel like a wee boy every time I ride it.
My current favourite trail, by a country mile. Absolutely love it. And yeah, it's a bit steeper than it looks in the vid alright 🙂
Guess I have to say Fort William... Not because it's technically the hardest I've done, tbh it's not close but because it's such an allround challenge- tricky enough, steep enough, but long, fast, unrelenting... And all multiplied by the little bike By halfway down my arms and hands were just screaming. And then that feeds back into the difficulty o'course. Riding past the wallride onto the lower section that I already knew felt like surviving 
Brilliant really.
I think some of the trails off pleny, morzine after a rain fall. I didn't ride some sections as was solo but not sure mates around would have changed things. hoping to look at them again in the dry in the summer.
Parts of leckhampton hill keep me on my toes. found fort william dh fairly easy technically.
Golspie climb was fun.
Morgin freeride descent was steep and hilarious first time I rode it but easier the second year.
Can't wait to try ullswater
Hey JonE,
Aye, I still give J-Claw a good old reach around on demand. Of a more heterosexual nature, I'm happily married, a permanent resident in Canadaland and a mechanic in a decent shop earning my millions. Got any plans to come over again in the near future?
Hardest trail ever ridden?
The uncompromising, take your life in your hands, come rain or shine, sheer mind killing crapness of it daily commute to work. Funnily enough, in contrast, the ride home is the easiest!!
Hardest trail ever ridden?
The uncompromising, take your life in your hands, come rain or shine, sheer mind killing crapness of it daily commute to work. Funnily enough, in contrast, the ride home is the easiest!!
I suppose when I think of "hard" in the context of riding I immediately equate hard with mentally draining/challenging, or difficult to maintain the motivation for, whereas any good or unknown trail might be physically demanding, physical pain is generally short-lived and easy to ignore, and as long as it doesn't form part if the daily grind, all other riding is all good.
Not sure about hardest but my 3 favourite toughies:-
Stainburn black when its green and greasy
Kona Dark Side at Mabie
Ride don't slide in Whistler
Rossett in the lakes is Harsh.
There was a trail in whistler called 'No Girly Man' Not sure if it still exists this was 12 years ago now, but that was a bit mental I couldn't believe people could actually ride that stuff! One section had a fixed rope to get down if you bottled it which I did! One of the guides up there who was from vancouver Northshore showed us it as is was off the beaten track. Its name still makes me smile when I think about that trip.
Not sure if its the same one but we did Khybers which had a rope climb down feature. It also featued a mosquito infested swamp and lots of fallen trees which marred an amazing trail.
Champery is pretty mental, and the first race they ever did at glencoe was soul destroying... One particular corner springs to mind in in Sierra Nevada as being a ball buster too. Damned if I can remember the name.
robdob - Member
Tell me where this Ullswater beast of a trail is!! Grid ref maybe? Must go and ride it soon!!
It's this one [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=339480&Y=518040&A=Y&Z=120&ax=340120&ay=518735 ]here[/url]
and it has been mentioned several times now, so defo one to do
Not having tried anything in the exotics, the most frustrating one I've experienced is part of the Tollie - Slattadale track at the NW end of Loch Maree.. Western end is ok -
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4719709243_0ff7483199.jp g" target="_blank">
but the bottom section is a boulder strewn nightmare that refuses to allow a wheel to turn more than a few metres.
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4162938256_714b5033a2.jp g" target="_blank">
A few days clearing a route would make one of the Highland 'must-do's'. Granted, it doesn't look too bad in the photo, just be aware if it's on your radar. It's part of a Kenny Wilson route too, but I'm sure it's lost a few inches of hard-standing through erosion.
I'm happily married, a permanent resident in Canadaland and a mechanic in a decent shop earning my millions. Got any plans to come over again in the near future?
Living the dream, eh? Good stuff! Plans to come over? Quite possibly, but not sure when. Maybe 2012?
Give John a slap and tell him I said hello.
I'm happily married, a permanent resident in Canadaland and a mechanic in a decent shop earning my millions.
Where are you based and do you have any jobs going?! 😀 I've just had my Canadian working holiday visa accepted and paid for it so I now need to see how I'm actually gonna earn enough money to keep me going there and in reasonable distance of trails. email is in my profile if by luck you do know of any jobs going 🙂
I think Lining Cragg,North of Greenup edge central Lakedistrict is one of the hardest I have "attempted to ride",Hopefully i will do it again this year and make a better job of it!
The ullswater singletrack is also exellent and a real challenge for any mountainbiker,theres nothing really steep though, its just about momentum,sticking yer tongue out and going for it.. 🙂
Lining cragg decent,Both myself and Max Cousins got about halfway down before dabbing, I tink its possible to clean but it might take a few sessions to do it,Its not good to get too either.. 😐
Anyone else remember the first year they held the Scottish downhill series at Strathyre? 😀
some of the technical Descents in Les Arcs with TA.
Elephants tail - Alpujarras , Spain, c/o Ciclomontana
I think is the hardest/scariest for me.
The penalty for failure is high.
Never cleaned it all in one go , but I do more every time i go.
Lemmings in the Alpujarras for the 'if I get this wrong I'm dead thoughts' and...
winstonsmith - Member
seosamh77 - i think that singletrack back down from lochan fada is the trickiest thing i've ridden in scotland. it didn't help my confidence that i was trying it on my own. steep, tight and rocky...as you say tho, stunning views up there
I did exactly the same. You need someone with you for that ride.
Borderline lords wood cant get my self and bike down that £&@@ing trail!!!! With out dabbing nothing a chain saw and mini digger would sort!
Nan Bield with Danny Mac/Rowan Sorrell filmed last year..
Full Vid here.. http://www.singletrackworld.com/2010/04/video-mojo-trail-diaries/ 😉
I've only really MTB'd in Scotland. Technically hardest natural trail I've done is the Drochaid Coire Lair to Achneshellach section of the Torridon loop.
Ciaran Path is physically tough but but by a long way the worst "downhill" trail I've done. As much climbing as going down, and the down sections are mainly loose rubble
Coming down of Carnedd Llewelyn was the hardest thing I have tried to ride. Didn't go so well. Quite a lot of tripoding and a decent amount of walking was done. A fairly intimidating drop and a super steep trail breaks up to sections of ace singletrack.
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[/img]The steep bit
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[/img]The ridiculous bit
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The rest of the steep bit. The 2nd bit of awesome trail is in the background
For something that is rideable but lunacy, probably Haute Voltige near Bourg Saint Maurice. Not terribly technical, but loads and loads of switchbacks, which get tighter and tighter as the exposure gets bigger and bigger. I nearly ran into a chamois the first time I rode it, which probably tells you quite a lot...
Have ridden (or indeed, failed to ride) harder trails, especially when out "prospecting" for new stuff but it's not necessarily stuff that's fun to ride.
Downhill, probably the World Cup (World Champs?) trail in Pila. Madness. Super-steep rooty corners with about 18" steps between some of the roots!
steepest/scariest/worst trail i have done is from the iron cross above brides le ban in the 3 valleys area.
it follows the olympic cable car down.
some might thing it nothing, but it terrified me.
_Tom_, I've sent you an email.
Borrowdale bash,its not super hard but parts are scary,and I would prob never do it again.
The bogfest that is The Monk's Trod. Three times.
flyjay - you mean the bit down to Rosthwaite? I love that bit. 🙂
Several others have metioned it, 'Lemmings' in the Alpujarra's. I rode it with Switch-Backs XC last year and bumped in to thisisnotaspoon
p.s. not my video
Has to be the one day I spent near verbier a few years back. If there are any Verbier area specialists on the forum could they tell me if there is a name for the trail south of Lourtier below 'Le Tongne' and 'Le tailon' (i think this is the trail we rode but it was a few years ago now)? We only did the small link between the roads but that was a cracking trail. Been trying to find out for years what it was called (if anything), and we never took any pictures or video of it but it is possibly my most enjoyable piece of technical trail riding I have [attempted] to do.
Don't think it ranks tough among some of the other trails mentioned here, but the hardest section of trail I have attempted to ride.
Round coniston lake on my road bike yesterday. It was snowing and raining and windy and Ive never felt as cold in my life.
Never ridden abroad, so Rossett Ghyll in the Lakes is probably the hardest thing I've ridden. Mostly because I was on my own and the light was fading. It's not so bad if you 'cheat' and ride on the grass at the side of the trail but it's pretty tricky if you stick to the path. One dab I think for a particulary wide and drainage ditch. Didn't make it right to the top as I was worried about the light. Also good was Coire Dubh Mor at Torridon, about 4km of down after a couple of hours of pushing, carrying and swearing.
As others have mentioned Lemmings with Switchbacks is the hardest trail I've [i]tried[/i] to ride. I also found the Ranger's Path off Snowdon really hard, although that was on a new bike at the time and I'd like to go back and try it again some day.
Hardest trail I've cleaned is probably Fort William red, not for it's technicality but for how long and tiring it was for me.
defaultslipper,
I think the trail you mean is Vertigo 😀
Vertigo <sighs and smiles> It would make for a fantastic night ride.
What a magic trail. There is a section on 200 switchbacks that is a step up on Vertigo or New Vertigo.
One dab on Rossett Gill?
Looks like it might be vertigo. Has anyone got any pics or video? I only did the bottom link but we had seen the obvious line further up the hill but one of our group wasn't keen so we only did the bottom part while she went down the road.
200 switchbacks!? Did a trail near briancon that had over a 100 I think but your mind starts to melt!
I want to go back again this year but my mates are doing the Megavalanche- not really my kind of riding. Much prefer to stay away from the crowds not ride in the middle of them!
Gav.. Lining crag... Hats off.
I walked up it as a kid and it was bloody steep. Looks like its been pitched since I was there though. Top bit of riding.
Cheers Lowey,Greenup edge is a great route, and (lining cragg) is usually best done as a carry, but its just one of those sections of trail that tempts you back to ride down it if you can.. 😉
One dab is how I remember it. Might have been two.
New Vertigo
[url] http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=yp6pug&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1 [/url]
[url] http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=yp6puk&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1 [/url]
Waiting for the guide to catch up Jackass
[url] http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=yp6pva&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1 [/url]
Thanks Jon Taylor, we went out to Switchbacks in around 2006 and rode that trail, I remember it but I dont know if it had an official name then. I seem to remember the usual Switchbacks beers and pizza on the other side of the valley after we got to the bottom. Good times.
You've also helped me remember the complete @rse on a Intense that was with us, American, kept doing that bullhorn hand salute things that they do whenever the cameras on him. He was sh 1 te, couldnt ride for toffee. Fat too. Jeez. Still good times though.
Lemmings looks interesting, can't figure out if I've ridden it, the pitched bottom section looks like one we did but I don't rememeber the top loose section, mind you it was a few years ago.
the flying circus - fromme vancouver
I think Lemmings is known by Ciclo Montana as "Tourettes".
Hardest trail I've done is the one form stonethwaite fell to the bottom of stake pass (not a downhill), bloody awful, absolute nightmare. Infact it's bloody awful all the way to sprinkling tarn, the downhill is worth it tho (which tells you just how good it is to make you forget the preceding 3hour sufferfest) The most downiest downhill ever.
a bikevillage 'savage wednesday' (staff ride) - a certain spineology about 40 mins drive from there.
if you think la varda/sketchy dismount was exposed, try having the same exposure on [i]both[/i] sides.
i shat myself, and walked a large proportion of it.
sam didn't (he's in there somewhere!)
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DONK, it's Langstrath that you write about. Ditto, don't know why I thought that was a good idea! Up Rossett Gill (2 dabs from the very top? Trials skills?) down to Stockley Bridge then back over Stake. Some of the poor chaps I was showing around wanted me dead on the climb out of Langstrath.
Laggan Black route for me. Done it twice and I think cleaned 40-50% at most (and that may be a generous estimate). Compared with the likes of Innerleithen and GT black which I can ride 99% of no problem it was an eye opener.
For physical toughness the climb up Glen Finglas clockwise had me beat once you see the trail zig-zagging away in front of you
Would like to try Laggan again now i'm fitter
For physical toughness the climb up Glen Finglas clockwise had me beat once you see the trail zig-zagging away in front of you
That's a soul destroying climb. I was off and pushing after the last cattle grid.
I quite like that section Donk - on the right hand side of the beck ?Hardest trail I've done is the one form stonethwaite fell to the bottom of stake pass (not a downhill), bloody awful, absolute nightmare.
Paul yep langstrath, might have been you who directed me there actually 🙂 the guy I was with was not impressed and disagrees that the down was worth it. I shall have to find a fresh victim for when I return this summer, but I have another route up planned. Well not so much a route, more just "the other side of the river"
EDIT parkedtiger no the left GRRRR. Will be trying the right next time 🙂
Noooo the trail on the left as you look up the valley is great from half way down, before that you go up the rightside and cut over at the obvious crossing. Love slow techy stuff, its like the fp to watendlath, trying not to dab makes it a interesting challenge. It can be wet up there so its best in the summer mind. Up Stake is a ball-ache I'll give you that!!
Part of the NPS course in Rostrevor, Co Down, NI. Ended up on my arse after about 50 yards, freewheeled the rest, crying inside my helmet.
Must go back and give it another go sometime 😀
wtf anc! It's horrific, I remember it being 10m of pedalling through energy sapping grass and/or bog, followed by 5m of pushing through an unrideable section, then repeating the process for miles and miles to to the bottom of a cliff. Then going up the cliff. I say again WTF!
box hill zig zag road
Paul... you was on the wrong bit then!!! Its all rideable to the foot of stakes. Its techy, but mainly rocky, step-up, step down, with the occational grassy bit(which is why its better in summer). Judging by the riding you do well within your capabilities, so I think you must have hit the wrong path.
Mr Cousins is a fan too 😉
Max - Member
Don't completely write off the bridleway on the right hand side of the river as you go down Langstrath - it's a great challenge and well worth a look, just of a different character to the track on the left.
clown shoes in whistler. The only mtb trail I have properly lost my nerve on
I think Lemmings is known by Ciclo Montana as "Tourettes".Ahh....tourettes.
Smart.
P.S Max is talking about heading down Langstrath in that quote so his right is my Left up the Langstrath valley... Great trail. 😉
Got to be Goats Gully in Whistler, always pleased to make it out of there!
Stake Pass side of the river anc? That's where we were.
I'm just going to say a random name in an exotic location and watch everyone nod and stroke their chin. 😉
Stake Pass side of the river anc? That's where we were.
Yep thats it. You do the first half on the right side under White crag then the second bit on the left under Blea crag(stake side). Cracking 😉
On a Side note there's a hidden bivvi cave in Cam crag, worth a look it your into that sort of thing.
baileybailey - Member
Got to be Goats Gully in Whistler, always pleased to make it out of there!
you found that harder than Clownshoes? Not saying its easy (its not by a long shot) but I found Clownshoes another level compared to goats gully. Suppose its just different strokes for different folks