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Over the years there have been masses of folk on here talking about how good this descent is. Loads of vids of the descent, including the Single track boys effort, showing fast flowing slightly rocky stuff with plenty of water bar hopping.
I have done the Llanberis up and down and thought it was pretty good, however yesterday with a great forcast for the area, I took a day off and went to see how good it is. I never wear pads but use the obligatory Xen.
The weather was mint, clear sky with a bit of snow on top.
Set off down rangers, which was very familiar from loads of vids I recognised the increasing rocky track until it turned into a steep sharp boulder fest that makes cavedale look like a walk in the park. I was armed with a Nicaoli helius FR with lyrics, but given my mincing style and the need to earn a livng, it was on foot for me and at times it was hard enough walking.
So its time to come clean who has actualy ridden this descent without the use of a full on downhill bike, full face helmet and pads etc, and if you have where's the evidence.
The rest of the ride was good enough and telegraph valley was a hoot, however I aint likley to bother with Rangers again as I clearly have not got big enough balls (or I could tell porkys 😉 )
you neet to sell that bike and get a reight un......... 😉
On one 456, pace RC41 Fighters, no pads though was wearing Met Parachute.
Rode Rangers top to bottom. No evidence though, this was before everyone had helmet camera without the need of having you home cam corder in the back pack running of AV in.
you neet to sell that bike and get a reight un.........Its not the bikes fault its the rider
Theres only really one tight choke thats a problem,most people who claim to have done it just bypass it.It took me about 20 minutes and numerous bails to conquer it in a trials stylee...not pretty but I'll take it.
On the way up...borrowed bike.
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I'm sorry but I'm with Pete on this, you'd have to be a truly outstanding rider to clear that path
Welcome to the mere mortal club Neil 🙂
I don't mind admitting when a trail is challenging, but this one in one place is more than that and that's something that can't be said for any another trail I've ridden in the UK. I'd like to see how some people have said they've cleaned that run do it.........
I love it but have never ridden it top to bottom, I've had to walk 1 section a drop of in a rocky chute 3 times now and another section I've dabbed every time, but I'd do it again because I know it can be done and I'd like to do it all.
I have followed 2 people who I have seen ride it all, one on a Turner 5 spot and the other on an orange 5.
I must admit I wore a full face helemt and always wear knee pads. Although it was on an "all mountain" 6' travel bike. Didn't clear it, but pretty close, with a couple of re-rides. One of our group is pretty handy (ex-bmx national rider from back in the day) and he did clear it.
One of the lads riding with us, who was pretty new to mountain biking and did it on a GT hardtail with Dart forks and no full face, he did walk a few bits and was bit slower mind 😉
Neil and I did it for the first time last weekend. We both bottled two bits - a drop followed by a sharp right hander near the top - which is on we were just being wussies, and the 'second half' of the rocky chute of doom near the bottom, which just looks plain nails. Again, i'm sure it's on but need some big cahoonah's and an hour of swearing...
A group of us did it, it had been honking it down with rain and I think the boulder field that you refer to was the section that had some off and walking. i was on a Kona Coiler (with upgrades) with Xen helmet and full leg and arm armour and 6" of skill compensator. I cleared the first half till the rider in front of me stalled and blocked the line I was going to take, I genuinely walked about 10 metres maximum and obviously an occasional dab but it was truly one of the best rocky descents I have done.
Anyway, you just made me feel bad now as I have since sold the Coiler as Snowdon was its last ride- i ride H/T now for everything and would still give Snowdon a go on it-with the seat dropped of course 😛
Go for it Suggsey, just stop regularly to let your legs recover. Bunny has cleaned it all on her Chameleon including the hard as nails 'Mordor' section at the bottom. I can't fully commit to it yet but hopefully I'll get it in the next couple of years.
I rode it silkily smooth on a hardtail.... oh you said the truthfull version.. not the through rose tinted spectacles account, yep you guessed it, had an off in the boulderfield and walked a section of the gnarly bit, invigorating all the same.
Silky smooth on a HT pmsl
Funnily enough Doug I am finding with big volume Ardents on the 456 that I feel pretty confident on rocky stuff and I will see how things go on the usual Peaks rock runs before I have a go at Snowdon again towards the end of this year on it. Its not the thought of the big rocks but the drops bending a wheel or popping the forks and big expense. Bones heal for free, bikes cost money 😆
I recall that at least one of the lads (think it was Glynn) who actually cleaned it but then he is renowned for his rock munching.
BigPete all I can say is speed is your friend-and 6" of travel and peer pressure 😛
Oh and as for LGB she is a seriously skilled lady but then she also has the peer pressure of Goog 🙂
I've ridden it on my Prince Albert, but don't mind admitting that I came nowhere near to cleaning it. I'd like to have another crack at it soon, but know there is at least one section that would still stop me.
Its still my favourite UK descent that I have done though.
Let Benji Haworth and friends show you how it's done!
Cotic soul with pikes.
Was back in 06 so i'd only been riding off road for a couple of years and had already collapsed a lung and tore my acj riding like an ejet a few month prior.
This was also my first ride on substantially rocky stuff so it kinda spooked me when i first saw just how rocky the area was.
Then from the top myself and a gathering of other mongs from mlehworld began the descent, some were armoured most were on full sussers.
I found myself up with the lead 3 riders and battered and clattered my way down, only in two places did i pull up and stop, even though i'd just cleaned a harder section, albeit with more luck than skill.
No armour or FF for me, though i never do even when messing aboot on DH trails.
The simple fact is Rangers is cleanable on any bike, it's been done over the years by many riders, only speed management and lack of confidence will effect whether you can do it or not.
I'm only an average rider so if i can do it, it's within the abilities of most of you.
S
The rocky chute with the drops had me walking other than that all clean.
Oh yeah, Heckler, Giro lid but no armour/full face
Love a bit of thrutching me, the second guy looked pretty chilled out on the tricksome bits, isn't that Steve Peats love child.
Awww man I'm loving that! Little group of us are going up there next month and fankly I'm pissing my pants now with excitement over that!
Sorry Simonralli you cant get a pass for that vid, much tougher sections than that. FAIL
But as you say Sharki, you can attack the trail and maybe miss the flash, or mince down and with a bit of luck come away with tea and medals, line choice and a little luck on the onsight are key me thinks.
Rode it solo last summer on my Zesty with no problems whatsoever....the best ride i've had in the UK so far!
Rode/walked up in 1 3/4 hours and wore my Xen,661 pads and some arm guards too.....the same as i wear in the Alps, no different in my eyes.
I can recall two sections that i didn't have the balls to ride but i plan to do it all this summer.
As said above - I've done all in sections on a HT. As a group it's always start stop for cameras etc, but I'm certain, on a dry day with a bit of mojo it would be doable to clean the entire thing without a dab or a stop from the top.
I personally think that the HT was a slight benefit at the bottom through the Mordor bit as the fixed BB height/back wheel was easier to predict over the techy stuff.
But you wouldn't get me down it without a fullface lid. Not a chance.
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BTW Suggs - you'd make easy work of it on your HT!
So your on a Nicoali Helius FR and you never wear pads? Why not? IS the non pad wearing an excuse to bail out at the techy bits?
I'll be riding that trail at the end of April on a Helius FR with pads and possibly a full face; wish me luck!
Rode it on a SC Superlight last October, and the only bits I didn't ride were the aforementioned 2 bits. Would like to ride it again on something with more travel and a slacker head angle.
Anyone been up in the last few days?
Hopefully going tomorrow, just wondering about snow and ice etc at the top.
thanks
Rode it on a Soda with 130mm fork on, solo last year - no pads, Giro Zen helmet. Rode the significant majority, but recognised the occasions where the trail difficulty was greater than my skill/nerve. No shame in that I don't think. Perhaps something to aspire to if (when) I go back and do it again. Bit of a write up on my blog [url= http://ianbarrington.com/2010/05/31/rock-and-roll/ ]here[/url]
There's a video somewhere of Ed and Leo Hawkes doing it on mountain unicycles.
They are quite good at riding trials mind, I don't think just any old clown could pootle down it!
Its a a great trail but most of it not that hard, apart from the 50metres or so of pretty tech.
We cleaned all but 5 metres of it i think
[url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157603296331458/show/ [/url]
Much harder stuff up in the Lakes like Rosset Gill etc
It's a great track that. Yes it's tricky but more fun because of it.
Last time was with LGB (great pics there Jo) and I still reckon this bit is the hardest - BigPete - which bit did you find worse?
It IS all rideable, but I'd be impressed to see anyone do it without a pause.
A friend (Trek Fuel) and I (soul) both rode it all in the wet (I don't actually think this makes any difference, as you're just hanging on in the chutes). Zens and knee pads as we wanted to enjoy the up too! It did take us about ten goes each(and the rest!) to get through the tricky bits. Just keep trying them and the law of averages suggests you'll eventually get through.
It really helped that we were both well up for getting everything clean and got a bit of friendly competition going.
There are only really a couple of tight sections lower down, pretty close together - which are scary but totally doable with a bit of luck, so you may as well have a crack! (I'm not trying to boast here, just encourage people - i reckon you'd be surprised by what you can do - it's one of those hang on and hope style rides).
As I said, I'd be really impressed if anyone could ride it without multiple attempts at the tough sections.
littlegirlbuny - great pics.
I've not done Snowdon yet. I reckon that step down in your second pic would have me bottling it right on the edge.
When I overcome 'the fear' I can do them, but it's just letting the bike roll & not coming to a stop that I struggle with!
Looks like you had good weather for it!
pics here [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/goognoog/sets/72157625154761154/ ]littlegirlbunny snowdon [/url] 8)
As before - nice pics!!
At what point does a full face become advisable?
I'm thinking of getting one anyway as I've spoken to my mate about having a play on Macc DH tracks and it's in their clubs rules that you gotta wear one.
Much much harder stuff in the lakes/
We mainly cleared it and it was wet/damp/slippy so a couple of sections were walked as you just could not brake /grip they looked Ok ish for the dry
Two people did it on Hardtails I used full knee/shin pads no else did iirc.
You will only need a FF if your likely to land on your chin. Think about when you normally fall off - you dont normally land on your chin. Your arms go out to break your fall. You may turn your head and hit a rock on the side of your head perhaps - not face first normally.
Id use a normal helmet. The speeds are slow for the techy bits where your likely to go over the bars.
When theres no climbing or flat ish riding involved, they're great if you walk up or can ride up without a helmet, but a complete PITA if you have to pedal anywhere off road.
Great for just crashing and bouncing back up again without worrying about head injuries, you realise quite how exposed your lower half of your head is after wearing a full face, even compared to the XEN etc which claim to offer more coverage.
Great photos, I'm not afraid to say it looks like theres definitely bits id bottle. But why were you all wearing backpacks ?
Nick
It's a fair old day out, hence the backpacks I suppose.
The stuff in the vid doesn't look any harder than the thrutchy bits all over Wales. Standard difficult grade I'd say.
Edit: IanB fancy another go in August? 🙂