As above - I've signed up and looking forward to it 🙂
Oh a new Muckmedden event? What's he doing now? 6 hour 'endurance' race?
Team Pedals Bike Care will be represented by myself and the girlfriend. Expect podiums.
We won't be on them mind, but they will be there.
Well, she might.
I'm more concerned about what state whatever's left of the trails will be in. March is not a time of year when the trails are likely to be more resilient.
Yeah it could be a right mess after. Aaron does a lot of the building and ongoing maintenance anyway so sort of has a right to ruin them if he wants to 😉
There was a long argument about this on either here or trailscotland already so we won't get back into it.
Looks fun. I'd of entered if I was still in Scotland. Aaron really does do some cracking events.
Whatever.
To think that trail building and maintenance is solely down to Aaron is naive to say the least. Aaron makes a profit out of abusing EVERYONE'S trails. There are no "rights" involved.
I believe the event is on the other side of the hill on newer and less ridden trails, as Aaron is more than aware of the damage that was done last time. As said above, check the trailscotland thread, as everyone who was bitching about it pretty rapidly shut up after he came on and explained what was happening.
The event uses some very well used trails, just like the last event.
Despite Aaron being "aware" of the damage caused last time he didn't seem to be the one repairing the damage. Nowt was done last time to fix the mess. Some trails have never recovered, even after 3 years.
Despite being "aware" of the damage, he is staging the event at the end of winter, with guaranteed wet ground, and guaranteed damage. The tiny amount of prep work carried out will not protect the trails.
An event that has generated much bad feeling.
History shows that the trails will be destroyed and other than lining his own pockets Aaron will cease to be involved afterwards.
This is what happened the last time, the trails are soaked at the moment and thus this is what will happen this time.
There is no point in arguing with a self deluded fanatic online, Aaron wants the money and Aaron doesn't give a *rap about the state the trails are left in, he will walk away and wash his hands of the mess that everybody else has to live with, just like Aaron did the last time.
I'm not a fanatic, although it relates very low on the scale of what I have been called! 😀
However, he was very unfortunate last time, in that it rained for 3 weeks before the first Muckmedden, and I completely agree, the trails were a mess, even after the first lap!.
But to say Aaron is walking away with a healthy profit from this? Canny see it.
Hope it goes well, trails aren't too badly affected and everyone enjoys it.
But to say Aaron is walking away with a healthy profit from this? Canny see it.
No, but then it is his source of income now as he's apparently now organising events for a living so he is looking to make money from it.
As for damage, IMO its the wrong time of year for this time of event in a forest like that. Its going to be wet after recent weather so the potential for damage is big and while there has been some work done, it doesn't look like its enough.
I hope it goes well though and that the forest is fine, but I just have a bad feeling about this....
Rain forecast all day Saturday. Very bad news for the trails.
The way the winds blowing tonight I hope the organisers have their chainsaw on stand-by!
A few misconceptions.
The trails being used are not all low traffic routes. Also they have not all been built by Aaron. One particular section was built by me so I was not best pleased to see an event going ahead without consultation.
Luckily once I flagged up my concerns I was able to meet with the Forestry Commission and event organisers to try and mitigate the damage.
However, unsurprisingly, the weather caused a major headache being initially frozen when the ground work was planned and subsequently soft and muddy for the event.
I will be up for a look tomorrow so we can work out what repairs to do as a priority.
I suspect the biggest lesson here is the need to consult first before getting so far ahead with the planning / advertising / taking money off entrants.
Like many places Pitmedden has some very sensitive trails and the work necessary to safeguard them would have been onerous and potentially spoilt the natural feel of the forest. Thus a conundrum for the event organisers and local trail builders.
There is no doubt as to the popularity of such events and each organiser approaches the planning differently. Without a governing body for such events it would be hard to instigate guidelines or rules to protect the trails. However this is perhaps an idea to flesh out for the future.
Everything coped very well today. A couple of sections worse for wear, loam lover and the old 'wooden berm' downhill track to sawmill road.
Which was your section climingcragrat?
ClimbingCragRat built Loam Lover 🙁
Lovely section, or at least it was until you destroyed it.
Had a depressing walk around the Muckmedden route in Pitmedden today. Dog enjoyed it as we played "hunt the gel packet".
Lots of damage obviously. Anything remotely damp is a real mess. Sections such as the crossroads shortly after the stanes was unwalkable, let alone rideable. Bad sections on the Eastern boundary trail and above the slabs also.
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The Loam Lover section dug by Phil has been totally destroyed. What was two lovely steep single track downhill sections have been totalled. The slopes have been scoured clean of soil, leaving a bare root nightmare with a pile of soil at the bottom. Lots of small trees either side of the trail also smashed down and uprooted.
I know how much effort ClimbingCragRat put into this trails, so to see it trashed really is a crime.
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The final downhill section is equally scoured of soil and wrecked.
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[b]Everyone who took part in this event should make a personal apology to Phil and return to try and repair the damage.[/b]
I'm sure no one will. We live in a very selfish age, as long as you got your six hours of fun and Aaron got a bag of cash, thats all that matter right? No thought will be given to the years of good riding that was in that trail.
It is completely pointless developing new trail in the forest, as you never know if it will be sacrificed to Aarons wallet.
Disgraceful.
Everyone who took part in this event should make a personal apology to Phil and return to try and repair the damage.
😆
There is a sensible argument to be had here but most of the people involved seemed to be screeching nutters. Recommendation- if you have a valid point, don't be batshit crazy about it or people will assume it's a batshit crazy point.
The Loam Lover section dug by Phil
The definition of "dug" must have changed since I last looked at a dictionary. Loam lover was about the most natural trail going, zero digging or bench cutting.
And the last time I checked, building trails doesn't also give you ownership of the land...
STW's middle class whiny cockbags strike again.
And the last time I checked, building trails doesn't also give you ownership of the land...
Spot on. The FC must have OK'd it and if they didn't bother to put conditions on the event, then tough imo.
There seems to be a lot of resentment from some of the posters above about the fact there's a possible profit being made. Unfortunately, that's the way the world works.
Pitmedden is not an exclusive MTB venue. Others use it and making a mess is going to attract unwelcome attention. Terrible time of year for such an event and you have to ask: is this responsible access?
I am not the only whiney cockbag, and what would the FC do if a lot of Auchermuchty's dog walking finest start acting up.
Dougal: did that trail form from volcanic activity? Glaciers? Deer who like a nice bit of downhill? No, someone had to make it. The trail fairies are not real fairies. They are actually people (just like the tooth fairy). Sorry to break this to you. We'll chat about Santa later.
BoardinBob: no, building trails does not give you ownership. Neither does buying Aaron a new Telly. I would hope that you would have some respect for people's effort. However, you epitomise the selfishness of the times, congratulations.
Did the forestry commission ok this event after consultation? and were all parties not invited by Aaron to meet up and have a walk round the trails in question so that any concerns could be raised and changes put in place if need be?
I ride a fair bit at Pitmedden and so many of the trails are eroded and well used. I doubt this will have much of an impact as the warmer weather is on the way and the vegetation grows back. Which it will.
Plus guys it is completely understandable objecting to events but by persistently coming online and harassing Aaron after he has done what has been asked of him by the Forestry commission then it appears to be nothing more than a witch hunt. I don't think it is but it is how it comes across. Your very valid points are being ignored because of the nature of your posts.
For some reason I had thought that loam lover was one of Aarons, it looks like this isn't correct so yeah, sorry Phil it is rubbish to see something you made get a years worth of traffic in a day. Once it dries out and what's left of the topsoil smoothes out it should be great again 🙂
There are a few plus points for the trails that have come from this event, the 'wet point' re-routes on heart of darkness are now well bedded in, the trail after heart of darkness that has been closed since the felling is now open again and running great, and the new climb and descent (that looked like it was built for the event?) will be well bedded in and hopefully a lasting feature of the forrest.
I still think compared to the last event damage has been small, partly because the lack of timed 'enduro' dowmhill sections mean people haven't been riding there for 2 months prior trying to scope lines.
i agree, stop bloody whining. Its a forest that destroys itself then rebuilds itself as part of evolution. Just cause you built stuff doesn't give you sole or any representation of who can ride those trails. Do you ask anyone when you ride other trails? thought not. As for the
and what would the FC do if a lot of Auchermuchty's dog walking finest start acting up.
So what, what would dog walkings finest do if we complained about dog poop all over the trails that people walk on?.
Scotland has thousands upon thousands of miles of trails, tracks etc and what may get damaged today, another will grow tomorrow. Corrosion is part of the way of the earth. A race happened, areas got damaged, area will repair themselves and new trails will be found, formed and built
Jeez, some people
I've no problem with the forest gently changing and evolving through normal usage. I do have a problem with trails in a shared resource being wiped off the map when the sole motivation is one mans profit.
Well, and the enjoyment of everyone that took part 😉
with the amount of time effort and money needed to get these events going and ( what seemed like) the lowish numbers who took apart ( compared to bigger events like GT7 or 10 under) then i dont think he made much profit
Bewildered Sassanack: [i]when the sole motivation is one mans profit[/i]
I doubt everyone who went along to either participate, marshall, watch or sponsor was motivated by the thought that they were making a profit for 'one man', so no, that wouldn't be the 'sole motivation'. Everyone I spoke to seemed motivated to ride responsibly and appreciated the trails, support and organisation that went into the event. Sure I saw some gel wrappers - I picked up a few up - but nothing like on the scale of some events. In fact I would have believed that there were few enough that they were accidental.
The trails were actually drying out as the day went on, not getting worse. There was the odd puddle that spread, but nothing like the carnage suggested above.
the sole motivation is one mans profit.
😆
If you think the "damage" shown in those trails is bad then you best avoid pretty much any course after a race. We live on a soggy island in the north Atlantic. Trails will get muddy and they'll recover. There's nothing big or clever about NIMBY-ism
[quote=fasgadh ]you have to ask: is this responsible access?FWIW, as an FCS event sanctioned on land owned by the FCS, the Land Access Act definition of "responsible access" is irrelevant.
If there's one moreal here it's [i]don't build trails on land you neither own nor control access to unless you're prepared for other (perhaps less sympathetic) users to make the most of them and/or have them removed[/i], regardless of how disheartening that might be.
Absolutely correct scotroutes. The mountain bike community have demonstrated that they will happily destroy anything to get their fix. Sums up human nature perfectly. Can't say there is any motivation on my part to repair or maintain anything in the forest anymore (which I did on a daily basis) knowing now how little the resource is valued.
Looks like awesome fun. Wish I was there.
http://enduro-mtb.com/en/race-report-muckmedden-6hour-endurace-xc-race/
It's a commercial forest, it'll be felled and gone for good soon.
I just wanted to be part of this thread really.
I DISAGREE WITH BIGJIM
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Some good info shamelessly borrowed from Trailscotland -
[i]'Just want to get a few facts straight on this, before it gets blown out of all proportion, although I'm heartened to see a few replies above with suitable reality checks. I was heavily involved in this, and all of Muckmedden's events, as the event safety officer, one of the very few paid roles in the event along with the Medics, and the MC.
Fact 1. For the record, I know that Aaron didn't make any money (wage, profit, or otherwise) from this event as I reduced my bill a bit so that he could break even, just. Taking money off a good friend and business colleague when they're loosing money is not cool in my book.
Fact 2. Part of my role as safety officer was to open and close the trails at the start and end of the day. So I can categorically state that they rode better at 330pm than they did at 730am. The effect of lots of wheels passing them help to bed them in, disperse the wetter surface mud and create a surface that one rider described "as if it's been whacker plated" - overstating it maybe, but certainly many of the usual Pitmedden wheel sized holes were gone at the end.
Fact 2a. As I closed the trail, I picked up every gel wrapper I saw and so did all the marshals. one or two may have been missed, but I very much doubt it. On top of that, I also picked up a large pocket full of old random litter that had been blown in, or been there for years. The forest is tidier than it was before.
Fact 3. The sections of trail that are described as 'unwalkable' are always like that at this time of year. We purposely taped off the high line on the Thurlstane - Muckmedden corner link, to ensure it wasn't affected, but the lower line is a mess at most times of year. The boundary trail always has boggy sections too, it's Pitmedden, and occasional wheel grabbing bog is part of it's character. It will also dry up, grass will grow where the trail has braided a bit, and in a couple of months it will be back to normal, but still boggy.
Fact 4. The Loam Lover trail described was ridden by almost no one, and chosen for the race for exactly that reason. It is not wrecked, it is still a great trail to ride and is actually vastly improved thanks to the efforts of a large team of volunteers and Aaron who borrowed in stone from the quarry (several hundred metres away uphill) to armour the last section onto the forest cutting.
Fact 5. Countless hours of volunteer labour go into keeping Pitmedden riding as well as possible despite the fact that it's naturally a very wet, boggy place. Some of these volunteers are racers, but most are Muckmarshals who then volunteer again on the day to marshal, and Aaron himself who has done more work at Pitmedden than anyone in recent years I'm sure. Pitmedden is undoubtedly a better place to ride following the race, not to mention safer as we've properly brashed every tree on the race route, right to the trunk as it should be done. This has all been done with the agreement of the FCS, under the guidance of an expert environmental impact reduction strategy.
I think that'll do as I see that during the time i've been writing this several other people have had their tuppence worth and as Phil has said, an online forum is not the forum, for anything constructive really. But I had to get the facts straight so that people who don't know any background aren't mislead by uneducated and ill conceived nonsense.'[/i]
don't come waltzing in here with truth and facts instead of biased nimby opinion 😡
😀
Had a ride there this morning, followed the course for a lap. Most of the time is actually hard to see there has been a race on. In lots of places the trails have even been cleaned of debris by the volume of riders.
Loam lover is hardly the Passchendaele described by B.S. above. The climb is in the great nick it was before. The descent just has a more obvious line in it now, with a little bit of a channel on the flatter bit. The roots exposed at the top of the first steep(ish) section are the same roots that were on the surface before. This is exactly how I would expect an [b]un-dug[/b] trail to evolve during a race.
Well done to Aaron and co on the armouring work that went in on various bits, they chose where to put effort in carefully, and it has worked well.
With the level of interest being shown in Pitmedden and trail building / maintainance I assume I can count on your help clearing up New Hill after the Foresters have finished.
'Please do not feed the Trolls'
From the Pitmedden Riders FB page.
Looks like the FC are happy with things.
Aaron Muckmedden Ok, I spoke to Forestry Commission this morning. As we took every practical measure to minimise the impact of the race according to a 7-page mitigation plan it has been decided there is no real need for a site meeting. As agreed before the event, we installed drainage and stone causeways at the most vulnerable areas, we re-opened disused trails and opened up several new trail sections to avoid damaging the local favourites. Some displacement was always going to occur but it's minimal and as it's coming into Spring the vegetation will start to grow and the trails will dry out. After a few weeks recovery time we'll go back and have a look and see what we can do to help them along. "National Take Care of Your Trails Weekend" on11th/12th April would be the perfect time if anyone is interested?