No you maniac, you're not supposed to lead with the new trails, you're supposed to moan about how everything is ruined and then mention the new trails as a grudging afterword.
It's got the potential to turn out fairly badly or really excellently tbh, the proof of the pudding's going to be in the digging. The bits I do will probably be alright 😉 And the plans and intent is all good, it's just whether it ends up that way. But hopefully it's the injection of new official trail that glentress's been crying out for. And a proper skills area!
How do you seclude 56 cabins?
Plant trees round them...hang on...
The approval is news ..the planning old news .
Makes you wonder how much will be lost though as well as the free ride area at Buzzards Nest..a lot of trails branch out ( pun intended ) from there ..
There is the moaning bit the OP missed at the beginning ..
Done right this will be a great thing.
Freeride is fun but getting tired. Skills area is worn out and doesn't have enough in it and a new green starting from the peel is a far better thing than having to drive up to Buzzard's nest.
They're supposed to be linking the blue red and black into the top of the freeride as well.
I'll miss Zoom or Bust, but any losses are currently more than being made up for by the expansion of the wider network of awesome unofficial trails in the valley.
the real outrage is there's no mention of someone specifically employed to let stwers into the showers at 6am on a Saturday.
I think you can use the "we were here first" clause and knock on the door of a cabin to use theirs.
So a sort of “Centerparcs for biking”? Sounds good for the local economy and families. I guess the new trails will be lowest common denominator stuff/dictated by health and safety/legislation but people wanting more will be riding the more off piste stuff anyway so something for everyone in the area.
No you maniac, you’re not supposed to lead with the new trails, you’re supposed to moan about how everything is ruined and then mention the new trails as a grudging afterword.
It’s got the potential to turn out fairly badly or really excellently tbh, the proof of the pudding’s going to be in the digging. The bits I do will probably be alright 😉 And the plans and intent is all good, it’s just whether it ends up that way. But hopefully it’s the injection of new official trail that glentress’s been crying out for. And a proper skills area!
+1
I'm trying not to get too sentimental on the loss of the original freeride park and skills area. This has great potential and looking forward to it. More for my kids in future than me, as I'm rarely at GT nowadays and even when I am it's usually mostly on the unofficial stuff.
If done well this could be brilliant.
Interesting use of hyphens in that press release.
What an utter crock of shite. The way that they call them eco cabins just boils my piss
£200,000 TO BUILD A WOOD CABIN. OMFG
Presumably they're going to cost that much because they're going to bulldoze a ****ing great hole to put the in like they did that cafe.
Very eco.
Glentress: the world famous ground breaking log cabin centre (with a few tired old trails scattered about)
They could have made it so great
trails destroyed, posh cabins built, and a couple of trails built as a bribe for the cabin company. I'll believe the improvements when I see it given the past attempts.
Meh, I'll not miss the skills park, Does anyone other than local bairns actually use it? Onwards and upwards, Tweed valley needs to make a tourist pound somehow, most bikers I know spend very little of their hard earned on a day trip there...
As said above, it could be the start of something really good again, GTv2, or not, we'll find out.
It took a while, but the usual tone of discussions about Glentress has finally appeared.
The FCS staff have put a lot of effort into ensuring that any trails that will be lost to the development will be replaced before the old trails are removed. The cabins should allow the forest to make more money, which should result in more funds being available for things like building new trails and maintaining existing trails.
So a sort of “Centerparcs for biking”? Sounds good for the local economy and families. I guess the new trails will be lowest common denominator stuff/dictated by health and safety/legislation but people wanting more will be riding the more off piste stuff anyway so something for everyone in the area.
The replacement trails will cover all the current grades, as they're intended to replace what's being lost. I've seen some ideas for the trails heading down to the Peel and they included a range of grades. They may have included some BPW "plus" trails which would be more explicitly jump-oriented too.
I’m trying not to get too sentimental on the loss of the original freeride park and skills area. This has great potential and looking forward to it. More for my kids in future than me, as I’m rarely at GT nowadays and even when I am it’s usually mostly on the unofficial stuff.
Original freeride park? Well the current one is built in the same location as the original one, I suppose. 🙂 The MTB rangers at Glentress are quite happy that the freeride trails are effectively being moved down the hill to near the Peel, they tend to be a large source of injuries for one thing so making them more accessible for ambulances is a good thing!
I've just realised I will actually be a bit sad to see some of the woodwork on the Essentials freeride trail go, as I helped put that up. I'll also miss Zoom or Bust, but the gradual loss of its original wiggly character over the past few years has prepared me for its departure.
If some of the cabin roofs are not incorporated into features on at least one of the new trails then it will all be for nothing.
I’ll also miss Zoom or Bust, but the gradual loss of its original wiggly character over the past few years has prepared me for its departure.
+1
Are the plans available somewhere? Didn't see them in the link.
EDIT : https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/downloads/file/1160/glentress_masterplan_guidance
One question. Big forest, why build in the heart on top of the existing facilities? Why not beside or near then it's win win for all? I assume the developer just drove up the road and pointed at the bit he could see/ wanted? (I have seen this on numerous occasions)
Are there plans to weather proof the road up to the buzzards? Frost or snow puts it out of action pretty quickly, so if they want to ensure access to the cabins during winter I'm assuming it'll be upgraded in some way?
One question. Big forest, why build in the heart on top of the existing facilities? Why not beside or near then it’s win win for all? I assume the developer just drove up the road and pointed at the bit he could see/ wanted? (I have seen this on numerous occasions)
Have you read the thing or thought about it?
It took a while, but the usual tone of discussions about Glentress has finally appeared.
hilarious isn't it! mountain bikers never fail to amaze me.
This kind of development was inevitable. Most visitors are day trippers coming in and spending very little. I know that certainly describes me. The cabins will attract visitors staying a lot longer and spending more in the area.
Ths trails we’re losing will be replaced. What does bother me is losing the Buzzards nest car park. A lot of beginners and families use it to avoid the drag up from the peel. Ok, the ones that just use the freeride area won’t be affected as the new one will be next to the car park. However, what happens to the ones that want to ride the blue but would be knackered by the initial climb?
Beginners and families will pedal from the start like they do at every other trail centre.😂
Bring it on, development, new trails, all of it.
Judging by the plans it would appear that the cabins are going to be on the flatter ground and the new trails on the hillsides.
Is this really that difficult to comprehend?
I'll just point out here that the guys who are pretty happy about this on this thread are the guys who actually put time and effort over many years into building these trails.
thanks guys - you know who you are. Without your work we would not have a Glentress - and I remember the original freeride before the current one was built.
Glentress is a fantastic facility. You should be happy that its being extended and that more income will be coming in
TBH, zoom or bust was the first trail I ever worked on and I will be Super Bummed if we lose it (which seems to be a bit up in the air, unless it's changed since I last discussed it). And I really do think we'll miss the "hub" feel of the buzzard's nest, when I took my little brother to GT for the first time we parked there and rode little loops and tasters for ages.
But GT needs investment, it's fallen behind and the FC can't just dig into their own purse, so investment from outside it is. Shame the council can't kick in a bit to recognise the benefits to local business but hey. And the planned new trails should fix some of the place's problems- proper skills and taster areas, down at the bottom for access (both emergency and parent), getting more stuff happening near the cafe and car park etc so it's more connected.
I won't repeat conversations I've had with the rangers, just because it's possible I'll pass on some misunderstanding but I really like the sound of what's planned for the tasters.I think the entitlement crew will always be grumpy, if they put in 16km of double black diamond then they'll complain that there's only 3 hamster wheels.
I've been watching this for a while. I get the evolve or die argument, but on a purely selfish level, my two wee boys, 4 and 7 really enjoy riding on Blue Velvet, BBB etc. There is no way they have the legs to ride up from the Peel, so the Buzzards nest access is a really important aspect to their riding. I won't "shuttle" the road as a point of principle, but we do tend to end up at the Peel eventually, with someone (an adult) riding back up to get the car at the end of the day.
Page 15 of the plan indicated that the road closure is not definite and that if it is closed, there may be privately run uplift.
I look forward to seeing a new tranche of quality trails.
Northwind hits the nail on the head, had to do it a few times and missed it altogether 3 times but he did it. Have faith guys.
I always park at the buzzards nest. hate the climb up and the trails back down are not interesting. parking at the nest means my boys don't have to climb up and spend more time on the trails they enjoy. My worry is that ease of access to beginner level trails will be removed.
Sales of front derailleurs in South Scotland to experience a sharp increase?
Silver lining: we may never have to race Death Hill ever again😎
Meh, I’ll not miss the skills park, Does anyone other than local bairns actually use it?
I certainly used it last time I was there. I could tell from the mornings riding that I wasn't moving properly on the bike so I took myself off to the skills are to do some drills that I could repeat over and over to get the movement back to what it should be.
There was a group getting tuition there too with barely a bairn in sight. Hopefully there will be some sort of equivalent to replace it as it was looking pretty tired.
If people put all the effort into climbing that they put into whinging about climbing they'd be up at Buzzards in no time.
Great news regarding the development, look forward to seeing how it goes.
So are they going to have the place shut for quite some time with all the changes or will the new stuff be built before they dismantle everything?
They are putting things in before they take things out was what it says.
Great to see development in the forest, with all change there will be positives and negatives. FCS are trying to do a lot with a declining pot, trail management isn't free and increasing the network will be great. There's so many options in the valley i doubt there isn't something for everyone, the challenge is maintaining access to areas where the trails are currently 'wild'.
Glentress is a fantastic facility. You should be happy that its being extended and that more income will be coming in
Agree - we spent a week in Peebles a couple of years ago so my other half and I rode Glentress a lot and really enjoyed it. The blue was great brain out fun for me and for my other half who isn't that confident they were enjoyable too. The red was fun too, especially not stopping from the top down but I wasn't that fussed about the black; some really good bits but a fair few meh bits too.
I think we're really lucky having trail centres like Glentress these days - when I started riding it was footpaths and building sketchy trails in the local wood and hoping they survived.
The blue was great brain out fun for me
Aye, there's some great bits of blue at GT - One near the end - the admiral? is great fun flat out.
Glentress is fantastic. Lots will moan and bitch, but the effort, investment and support for biking is brilliant IMO. Not all of it was Forestry Commission either - lots of volunteers. And yes, FC have cocked a few bits up in the past.
It's change, I'm positive about it, with slight concern of how the new trails will ride. When's the memoriam last ride on the trails?
I also suspect that despite warning signs there will be young kids and picnicking families on trails around the cabins area, so care needed.
<div class="bbp-reply-content">
"I always park at the buzzards nest. hate the climb up and the trails back down are not interesting."
</div>
ChrisL is coming to murder you as we speak.
Seriously though? Falla Brae's mint and if you don't like the official trails the Fort's grand too
Aye, pedal up janets and do yer stuff, then finish on fort, guid way to finish. Then into Forsythes for a lasagne pie, fair warms the arteries. 😊
I was introduced to Dave's Trail on Monday, lovely stuff.
The various final trails are the stuff I look forward to the most:
The main final black is great fun. The red is great too. Falla Brae blue is a bit tame but at full speed it's still good.
Ewok - double x - the bitch - ponduro is awesome
Dave's Trail
Jenny G-string - Papa G's mud deluxe
Etc
Hopefully they're not lost
If it brings further tourism and money into the local economy than that’s no bad thing. However are the new trails construction to be funded by the FC or are they operating the same policy as many FC England sites ie get volunteer trail building organisations to pay for and build the trails then reap the financial rewards that this brings in, with little if any money going back to the trail builders?
reap the financial rewards that this brings in,
lol
Bigjim maybe glentress is different and fc Scotland put significant financial support into trail building but there are plenty of trail centres where they don’t, they just provide land which they have a statutory duty to provide amenity access, and little to no financial support. I bet car park ticket turnover and many sites runs into the £100’s thousands pounds take away the trails and it would be a fraction of the level, so yes reap the rewards. Lol? I have nothing against volunteer group building great trails to very high standards, said groups seeking funding through charitable donations grants etc, I just think in many but not all cases the FC could give more money back to the trail builder groups for further trail building and maintenance. I’m sure there’s not many trail builder groups that would object to even 5% of revenue from parking going trail building.
first time there at the weekend racing the vallelujah, great weekend with some really good stages. hope they dont loose to many as want to get back up there at some time. think it mentioned in the race notes about being the last enduro possibly to use one section.
I took part in the Innerleithen DH trails dig days that were part of the Take Care Of Your Trails Weekend these last couple of days and was able to learn more about the forthcoming changes to Glentress forest:
* There's 16k of new trails on the way.
* We're losing 3.5k of existing trails, primarily the freeride park and Zoom or Bust.
* There'll be a new climb that will avoid the area around the cabins.
* Blue Velvet will end a little sooner.
* Berm Baby Berm will get a new (longer) entrance and its end will be modified.
* There'll be a bunch of new trails coming down the hillside that overlooks the Peel centre. These will be a mix of grades and will include jump lines as well as more regular trails.
* The new trails will be built before the old trails are decommissioned.
* The current aim plan for the new trails to be in place in the next year.
Sounds good to me - I will miss zoom and bust tho and is it still the plan to close the upper car park? I have used that when taking newbies so they don't have to do the big climb
I don't know for certain but I expect that the upper car park area will be going and/or become focused on the cabins. However there'll be a bunch of "taster trails" down by the Peel so there'll be more fun to be had at the bottom of the hill than there is now.
While it's sad that Zoom or Bust will be lost there's space for some new handbuilt trails amongst the other new builds so hopefully that'll soften the blow.
Are the 16k of new trails going to all be like actual trail sections and not counting any new access tracks and climbs?
@rene59 I don't know. I'd expect it'll refer to new singletrack sections. I don't know if the new climb will be singletrack nor whether it'd be included in the total if it is. That wasn't a question asked when I was in earshot of a ranger, sorry.
If the numbers that were at Inners this weekend were to make a more regular appearance at normal fairy sessions just think of the new zoom or busts that could be created. I say this as a somewhat lapsed fairy these days but I have done my time in the past helping with zoom or bust, pie run, mushroom pie etc. Hopefully I'll get to a few more in the future.