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I rode the Nevis Range Red trail for the first time yesterday. Not The Witch's Trail, but the one that's lift assisted. Important point...more on that later.
First off, the trail is brilliant. One of the best I've ridden. Having read a lot about it, and watched a lot of videos, I had a few pre-conceived ideas about it. Firstly, I thought the boardwalk section would be a lot longer than it actually was. The main section is fairly short and takes no more than a couple of minutes. Secondly, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. The videos make it look harder than I found it, however there are still some issues...
When you sign the waiver form at the bottom of the hill, it describes the trail as an XC red, similar to red trails at trail centres. Never in a million years is it anywhere close to any red trail I've ridden at a trail centre. The short, sharp climbs probably rule it out as being classed as a totally downhill trail, but it's definitely way harder than any red trail centre route. If it has to be pegged to the grading system used at trail centres, it should be black. It's steep, relentless, rough, technical, requires full concentration 100% of the time and the penalty for failure can be severe. How they can class the Witch's Trail in the same category as this one is beyond me.
Now, time for a rant...
On my very first run, as I neared the end of the boardwalk section, I came round the corner and discovered a guy lying about 20 feet off the boardwalk with his bike upside down near him. I stopped and called out to see if he was ok but got no reply or movement from him. I jumped off the trail and ran to see if he was ok. His face was covered in blood, he'd lost teeth and he was in serious distress and pain. He was having real trouble breathing. I immediately got my phone out to call for help but he managed to whisper that his mate had gone for help. I told him I'd stay with him until help arrived. I tried to calm him down, kept him in a stable position, supported his head, put his smashed teeth in a jacket pocket, and generally tried to comfort him.
Meanwhile, at least a dozen riders zoomed past without even stopping or acknowledging us. Far too busy shredding the gnar. A couple did stop and I explained what was happening but most were ignorant pricks. After about 20 minutes a bike patrol guy stopped and radioed for help then another arrived and we all stayed with the injured guy until the medical team arrived with a stretcher. Even when the bike patrol guys were there, who look just like normal riders, other riders continued to speed past without even bothering to look our way. All in, from the moment I stopped until the guy was eventually rescued on a stretcher, about 2 hours were past. 2 hours that I was more than happy to sacrifice to ensure a fellow rider was ok.
Big thanks to Mike and Tom the bike patrol guys, who volunteer in that role and were a massive help. The injured rider was a guy called Simon Allen from Castleford. As well as losing teeth, he also had a collapsed lung.
Would anyone be honest enough to admit they're the kind of person that would ride past an injured rider without seeing if they were ok? I'd love to hear the rationale behind that. How would you feel if you were lying on the ground and countless riders rode past you? At least 3 riders rode past the guy before I got to him.
Pricks.
You read the form? 😯
You read the form?
You can shut it straight away and stop being your usual prickish persona
edit: your change of smiley changed the tone of your post so ignore the above abuse 😉
I'm not condoning not stopping to help, but, you said yourself that 100% concentration is needed and that could be something to do with it. I'm sure if anyone saw someone that needed help ten they'd stop to help
2 hours that I was more than happy to sacrifice to ensure a fellow rider was ok.
Good man. (Assume you are male, but it could be Bob, short for Kate)
Always stop for a rider down. Always stop to see if someone needs help, even if help is already there. You did the right thing, very, very much the right thing.
I raise my glass to you.
And to the others? Hmmmm.
😆
No need for such rudeness!!
I was there yesterday too Bob (and No, I've never ever ridden past an injured rider without asking/seeing if they were alright and offering help)
You're right to call him a prick though 😀
We were up yesterday too, only had a run of the red at the very end of the day but that is shit behaviour from the folk that went ripping past
Nice one for helping him out. I'd hope somebody would do the same for me...which is why I would have stopped too.
Sounds like the bike patrol guys are really needed up there based on your experience.
Again, good on you.
I'm not condoning not stopping to help, but, you said yourself that 100% concentration is needed and that could be something to do with it.
Nope just shit behaviour. Although you might be concentrating you'll still notice that something's going on when you come to pass an incident
The videos make it look harder than I found it, however there are still some issues...
I thought the videos I saw flattened it out quite a bit compared to how it felt IRL. Great trail though, and yes very shoddy behaviour. I must say though if I see someone down and there are already several people helping I'm not sure if more people stopping really adds anything to the situation.
The guy would have came off at roughly the 2:36 point in this video. He's messed up on the corner, flew off and battered himself off several massive rocks before landing 20 feet away.
No disrespect meant to him, but he looked like a leisure cyclist. Very basic Saracen hardtail, cheap supermarket helmet, not bike specific clothing. I do wonder how many riders get sucked in by the "lift assisted red xc" idea, when in reality it's way harder tougher than that
Shhhh.... he thinks it's a "persona" 8)legend - MemberYou're right to call him a prick though
I must say though if I see someone down and there are already several people helping I'm not sure if more people stopping really adds anything to the situation.
I was on my own for 20 minutes (with zero first aid supplies - lesson learned for me), plus several riders passed him before I even got there.
Don't see the rocks you mean at 2:36 but there's no way you could have missed a rider down anywhere around there.
I agree that if that trail is red then it is the toughest red I have seen. If you were first on scene then some others with you would have helped I am sure. No excuse for riding past a fallen MTB'r and not checking if he is okay. No excuse for that in any book as far as I am concerned. It sounds like a bad off.
When you were on scene it would have been good had at least one of the riders asked if all was okay. Again this is no more that a common courtesy to a fellow rider. You may have waved them on or you may have asked for help. Even though his mate had "gone for help" I would still have called the emergency service based on your description of the injury. His mate would have taken at least 10-15 mins to get down and that is if he made it down okay with all the adrenalin flowing.
Healing vibes to the injured rider. Sounds like it will be sore for a while.
How was his bike, before anyone else asks.
Well done BTW for doing the right thing and helping.
So you'd just ride past without even asking? 🙁if I see someone down and there are already several people helping I'm not sure if more people stopping really adds anything to the situation.
I do wonder how many riders get sucked in by the "lift assisted red xc" idea, when in reality it's way harder tougher than that
Agreed - there were quite a few people on it when I was there walking a fair bit looking a bit unhappy. I heard from someone at one of the bike shops round there that the reasoning behind calling it a red XC descent was a 'marketing decision'.
I was on my own for 20 minutes (with zero first aid supplies - lesson learned for me), plus several riders passed him before I even got there.
Not saying you're wrong, was just arguing that once you were with the other people helping I wouldn't expect others to stop necessarily. Before that though, yup, terrible behaviour.
So you'd just ride past without even asking?
Nah probably not - I just know that in an accident situation having lots of people fussing around or rubbernecking but not really helping is not good for the casualty or the people who have the skills/equipment to actually help.
I thought the videos I saw flattened it out quite a bit compared to how it felt IR
In the videos, I thought the rocky sections would stop me dead, but in reality it flows really well, helped by the red dots to indicate best line choice. Although one corner kept catching me out 😡
6:18 - looks nothing in the video but it's a couple of step downs and it's off camber. The red dots indicate a line to the left but I kept missing it
Don't see the rocks you mean at 2:36
Loads of rocks just under the heather/ turf
Seeing where it happened I'll retract my statement, should've been at least a "reet"
Nice one m8 i always do the same but thankfully it's only been people with light injury's or pucntures.lots of people have stopped and offered help to myself also but there are people that whiz past and pretend not to see you.
Well done to you and the volounteers
Yeah, I know what's littered amongst the heather/peat up there fairly well 😳 .. just meant I couldn't see the exact point he'd have been lying
To make it worse, the guy had the thickest yorkshire accent ever, and with no teeth and a punctured lung, it was a nightmare trying to understand him 😆
I'm hoping he's alright though
I've ridden this trail several times and no way on earth is it a red. Definitely a black and an awkward on too. Being a red it gives people the wrong idea so they then go and get caught out by a section that is no way red grade. Passed lots of people walking down this trail, they must get quite a shock on some of the steep rocky sections.
Not much easier than the dh track in certain places. No wonder people get hurt.
And in my experience the first aid capabilities of the staff at Nevis range are not the best.
And in my experience the first aid capabilities of the staff at Nevis range are not the best.
Bike patrol guys could have used a survival blanket, but once the others got there they were excellent, and there was a surgeon waiting at the top station for him. Lots of communication on the radios too and they were very in control once they got there.
I really wanted a helicopter evac though!
My mate crashed on the boardwalk and immediately lost feeling in both legs and said his back felt funny. After 30 mins or so the first aid guys turned and told us they were going to carry him down on a stretcher!
We refused to let them and insisted on a helicopter. Sure enough he had broken his back and had a piece of bone pressing on his cord.
He's recovered ok but has a metal rod in his back and pains in his legs but he's riding again.
And in my experience the first aid capabilities of the staff at Nevis range are not the best.
I would think that is a bit of a sweeping statement? Surely it depends who/where you ask for help.
I lived in the Fort for a fair while and met and worked with some of the folk who have been involved in patrols/first aid (not MTB right enough)and there are some very experienced first aiders/med technicians - and the Belford is excellent as far as traumas on the hills go.
That's why I said in my experience. Sure in other peoples experiences they have been quite good.
Trying to carry someone with a broken back down a mountain is not a good idea!
My mate crashed on the boardwalk and immediately lost feeling in both legs and said his back felt funny. After 30 mins or so the first aid guys turned and told us they were going to carry him down on a stretcher!
😯
The first thing I did was make sure the guy could move his hands and feet. I kept him in one position but I wanted to reassure him he hadn't broken his back.
Trying to carry someone with a broken back down a mountain is not a good idea!
Sometimes there isn't any alternative. Helicopters aren't always available, and can't always fly into these locations if the conditions aren't appropriate. So sometimes it's carry them, or stay up there.
Hope you remembered to give him his teeth back or they still in your pocket? 😀
😆
I told the bike patrol guys they were in the pocket
Oh aye, I forgot about the highlight of the day.
A deaf couple walking UP the orange DH
(sign language confirmed the deaf aspect)
But they could not read the signs that said it was a MTB DH trail..
No disrespect meant to him, but he looked like a leisure cyclist. Very basic Saracen hardtail, cheap supermarket helmet, not bike specific clothing.
Or maybe that's all he can afford. Travelled a fair distance for his 'leisure' ride...
Here's my video of my mate and I doing the Nevis Red last month.
We both had pretty big offs, not because it was underrated as a RED trail, but because of human error.
[b]From the 7 stanes website:[/b]
RED = Difficult: Challenging climbs, tricky descents & technical features such as drop-off's and large rocks.
Apart from the challenging climb, that pretty much sums up Nevis red for me. It also mentions quality mountain bikes I think. 😉
I would stop for an injured rider, always, so good on you.
However, if I was passing an injured rider that was already recieving assistance I'd [i]maybe[/i] ask if everything was alright, but there again, if there was a problem I'd also expect a cry for help. 😉
so he can only afford a cheap bike but has a car and he can travel a long way to ride.......mmmmmmmmm is not convinced by your reasoning.
I would stop if i saw a rider down, i would stop if i saw a rider down and only one helping. If i saw a group I would ask if they were OK
What car? Missed that bit of the story.
Oh sorry in your hypothetical account of his abject poverty and how he got there he hitched there...my bad 😳
Never got a lift from someone to go mountain biking? It's not that unusual among friends, you know...
Or maybe that's all he can afford. Travelled a fair distance for his 'leisure' ride...
It's got nothing to do with money. I rode a cheap bike and wore basic gear when I was inexperienced.
The guy drove an Audi and was a regional manager for a company.
his choice of bike and attire wasn't a dig at what he could afford, it was a gauge of the level of rider he was.
Of course plenty of awesome riders can and will ride basic bikes with cheap clothing and equipment.
EDIT:Thinks better off it, well wishes to the injured rider and OP you did the right thing