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If you are thinking of riding Pitfichie downhill courses in Aberdeenshire any time soon don't bother. The comedians at the SDA decided to go ahead and let hundreds of racers ride it after 2 weeks of torrential rain. Better still, they chose to use the newer course that is muddy at the best of times but now it is total carnage. They also decided to push up the old course so hundreds of pairs of shoes have fairly annihilated that one too. It is pretty much unrideable on both courses except the solid granite bits on top. There are very deep ruts in the mud everywhere and any further riding of it like this will cause a massive amount of erosion and environmental impact so please don't. I am convinced that when the forestry see it they will close it.
They are going to have to leave it alone for months or get a pro builder in to fix it. A very important venue for all kinds of local riders and promising young racers wrecked.
Nice one SDA.
get a grip. its a DH track, its not supposed to be smooth and without ruts.
Is this another Scottish NIMBY thread? Right to roam, my arse! 8)
Why shouldn't the race have gone ahead? A muddy course is hardly special, and I'm sure you'll be up with your shovel to help sort it
It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who raced there the other day, or has seen it since.
Having seen the carnage that the FC have allowed to main paths in kirkhill/countesswells, I'm nae surprised. Paths that used to be used by families are now 6-8 inches of gloopy mud. Trails are nae much better, but it's chance to build new.
I just got in from a couple of runs.
Its very wet and a bit boggy in bits but the course is not damaged in anyway what so ever so far as I could see.
I never rode the new or "05" course as its obviously going to be churned up after a race.
The original track is fine just wet.
Kirkhill on the other hand is gubbed!
Having seen the carnage that the FC have allowed to main paths in kirkhill/countesswells, I'm nae surprised. Paths that used to be used by families are now 6-8 inches of gloopy mud. Trails are nae much better, but it's chance to build new.
Went to Kirkhill last night and the forestry commission have pretty much destroyed the place. And now they have started to charge you to park your car after what they have done 👿
People riding trails in serious gloop winds me up something rotten. Ok you're getting out on your bike on a mediocre ride but only to taint rides when things dry up due to the damage caused.
People wonder how good stuff gets damaged 🙄
I'm all for playing in the mud, i have certain trails for that, saving other trails for best in the dry.
In this case, i hope that the money raised in race fees by SDA gets spent on track maintenance, only fair, right?
you mean like mountain mayhem?
The damage to the trails is non exsistant. In a month they will be back to normal.
A couple of weeks of dry weather and you would never know it had been so wet and there was a race; about 10 years ago the same happened... the course recovered.
This wet weather can be depressing, all the trails are the same muddy mess, if your going to cry every time you go out in the mud I suggest moving somewhere dryer or taking up an indoor activity.
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"money raised in fees" LOL. AFAIK SDA are a registered charity and run events to break even, for the kids and the love of the sport.
I wouldn't worry too much, sometime soon a great big FO logging truck will clear fell the lot.
From what I remember of Pitfichie it always looked wrecked and unrideable, I thought it was just that kind of track. I was amazed at how such a steep hill could hold so much water for so long.
It’ll be fine. As messiah has already said, the Pitfichie DH track has been through this before and it recovered ok. It’s not the most groomed of tracks, but because of that I love it….it’s a challenge to ride, especially on a hardtail, and in the wet it’s a hoot. The same goes with Kirkhill…..the mud will clear and new tracks will spring up in the areas that have been felled……all will be good.
is this a real thread?
What Hels said is correct, now sort yourself out and stop being a cry baby..
"I am convinced that when the forestry see it they will close it."
doubtful - ever ridden swanley ANYTIME bar when its frozen ? its hub deep mud and standing water most of the year - forestry came in - you know what they cared about - the jumps and woodwork.
all the forrestry care about is man made features that mean they could be sued.
is this a real thread?
The worst bit is that the main line at Pitfichie is actually shit as a dh race track. Flat pedal, ok middle, flat pedal. It's fun to ride in the dry, but as a race track it's poor
No, not "NIMBY, cry baby or worried about mud" and if you had ever ridden with me you would know better. Seriously, go look at the damage for yourself, to say there is no damage is simply not true. This is not the usual wet race on Pitfichie old course that mends after a few weeks. This is the new course that a lot of us up here put a lot of work into. Why on earth didn't they just race on the old course with all it's granite and rocks instead after so much rain?
Pitfichie is not a dedicated DH race venue only, it's a public venue for all users but it has no dedicated repair team/budget like Fort William/Innerleithen etc and as such can't cope with that sort of damage.
It's really sad that the majority of responses on here seem to be determined to ridicule and give the impression that downhilling is all about we can do whatever we want, cause severe damage, then act all macho about it and there is nothing you can do about it.
Great! Let's see a show of hands for volunteers to rebuild it then or as you say, does it just magically repair itself in a few weeks?