[Closed] Surrey Hills conditions today

There's quite a bit of surface water but in-between the puddles it's quite grippy

If you keep to the original trail line rather than puddle-dodge then you will end up with a lot of sand on your brakes and drivetrain after a couple of trails which will make things sound a bit agricultural

(was up there last night)

(I see the ranger has finally got fed up of the rooty stunt drop next to Holmbury lookout - or fed up of people moaning about it - either way it's blocked for good now. I assume it was Ranger someone has felled a bloody great tree across it)

Yep, it was pretty wet up there last night, puddles on the flatter stuff. Also must have chucked it down last night judging by the amount of surface water on the road when i left this morning. Pitch hill side will be better if you go imo; would stay away from telegraph and yoghurt pots.

Take a dinghy for Park Life/Yoghurt Pots.

Thanks for the info. 🙂

The others have pulled out and re-arranged for next week. So will give it a miss.

@winterfold, that tree was down on Tuesday afternoon although I didnt examine what it had blocked off.

I'd still head down if I were you. Nice cool conditions. It's great there when the weekend warriors aren't around.

I only really ride there during the week these days.

Ditto most of the above.

Pitch Hill usually okay under the trees and valley sides. Stay away from Holmbury. Leith Hill holds up well after rain. Avoid most of the more popular trails, avoid valley floors, look for the steeper stuff where it drains better. Ranmore will be deadly!

As it's poured with rain all morning I'd say you're right to avoid it! We'll have no trails left at all otherwise!

Proper weeing it down now and weather forecast is looking similar for rest of the day...dog walk and Westcott bakery for me 🙂

3.5-5hr trip to get there and back for me, so local trails later when its stopped tipping down.

Yoghurt pots being a boating lake was the final straw. 😉

@chunky, never been (or intend to go) at a weekend. So cant comment.

Thanks for all the advice. 🙂

Yeah good to avoid it, absolutely pissing it down!

Slippy and wet up there tonight. W'fold area better than Pitch but second crash on wet routes on Pitch told me to call it a day after 90 mins or so. Didn't like the idea of messing myself or the trails any more.

What is the technique for countering slipping on wet off-camber stuff? Back wheel slipped away a lot - not good for the trail or my confidence!!

Go faster. Don't brake. Keep your weight back and stay relaxed. The faster you go, the less time you spend on the slippery root and the sooner your tyres find traction again. Try and hit the roots dead on if possible. Keep yours eyes looking ahead. This way you can anticipate hazards in good time.

Lower pressures can help too, and relax!

skaifan - I guess its the same with normal off-camber stuff? seemed to slip mainly when I lost speed - more a confidence thing. Wet root flipped me off near the top of T1 (I think) but I felt unsure on most of the off-camber stuff.

At the end of T1 there are two tracks to cross the forest road. What are the names of the two obvious routes on the other side - the higher, longer one and the lower, more off-camber one?

Speed is your friend. It seems counter intuitive at first, but it does work.
With off camber, I try and point the bike slightly uphill and ride the high line. I find it helpful to drop your outside pedal too, then you can point your body slightly uphill. It get your hips over the downhill side of the bike, which encourages the tyre to bite. When I used to race motocross, you would drag the rear brake whilst keeping the power on. This also helps the rear tyre bite, but its not so helpful on a mountain bike as it robs you of your speed.
Theres some good off camber trails on Holmbury hill. One in particular that crosses telegraph row would make for good practice. Try it in the dry first though. Its pretty rooty.
Im not very good with trail names, apart from the well known ones. I tend to ride on my own, so rarely have to describe where Im headed!.

With off camber, I try and point the bike slightly uphill and ride the high line. I find it helpful to drop your outside pedal too, then you can point your body slightly uphill. It get your hips over the downhill side of the bike, which encourages the tyre to bite.

Interesting - a bit like skiing in that the best body position seems counter intuitive at first

Theres some good off camber trails on Holmbury hill. One in particular that crosses telegraph row would make for good practice. Try it in the dry first though. Its pretty rooty.

I know the exact trail that you mean. I have ridden it once (in the dry) and it was at my limit. I don't mind speed in general but I am still a wimp on off-camber rooty sections. When you hit the roots straight on there seems no problem but plenty of SH trails have nice slopey ones to keep my attention fixed!!

I'm rubbish at that trail, there's a bank of roots right near the start that I always screw up and then it just goes to pot haha!

Awkward rooty bit up there is when you come out the bombhole at the top of pitch and it goes straight into a tight right. There's a big ol' root that cuts diagonally across the corner, right where your front wheel comes down after the bombhole. Nearly stacked it several times.

Its a lot like skiing in some ways. Certainly the looking ahead part. Wherever you turn your head, your shoulders then hips, and then knees and bike will follow, so always look to where you want to end up, not at the huge tree you're worried about hitting. Looking ahead over the roots make them appear smaller than when you look down at them. This keeps you off the brakes. When you brake, you transfer your weight to the front of the bike, which makes the impact with the roots feel a lot bigger and causes more upset to the direction of the front wheel. Your back wheel will always follow the front, so as long as the front wheel is pointing the right way, the back end will sort itself out and follow the front.
When you hit a section of roots with a healthy dose of pace, you can use the impact with the first root to unweight yourself from the bike. This allows it to skim lightly over the next few roots. Its just like pumping moguls. You will find the roots feel smoother like this.

You sound like an ideal candidate for this...
http://www.mountain-bike-guiding.co.uk/mountain_bike_skills_training.htm

Awkward rooty bit up there is when you come out the bombhole at the top of pitch and it goes straight into a tight right. [b]There's a big ol' root that cuts diagonally across the corner, right where your front wheel comes down after the bombhole. [/b]Nearly stacked it several times.

Sounds exactly where I came off for a second time yesterday!! Hit that root badly and with not enough speed. Cure - splat into the mud!! Only small bombholes (if that?) if we are talking about same trail but right on the RH turn and followed by a few more little holes. I think that this is T1.

You sound like an ideal candidate for this...
http://www.mountain-bike-guiding.co.uk/mountain_bike_skills_training.htm

skaifan - thanks for the advice.

so always look to where you want to end up, not at the huge tree you're worried about hitting. Looking ahead over the roots make them appear smaller than when you look down at them.

This reminds me of my blindspot near the top of BKB. I rode this the very first time I went to the SH and about my second time on a mtb on proper trails. For some silly reason, I wimped on the drop quite near the top with the tree on the left. Despite riding much harder stuff since, I always approach that bit with a sense of doubt. Always look down not to where I want to end up on the other side and become fixated with the roots just on the lip. It is still a complete mental block which is silly because its a straightforward bit of trail!!

Yes, quite possibly the same place. They're not really bomb holes, just holes. Jump down the rooty section after the fireroad with a right turn into the first one, then the root of doom and then the second one...

I think we are at the same place Gotama. Normally easy enough but got me last night for sure 😉

Anyone got an update on conditions? Fancy a trip up tomorrow.

I always ride W/PH and Holm. Have yet to venture onto Leith. Which is the best way to connect Hol with Leith? Do you juts follow Greensands Way? Is Summer Lightening in good condition and is it obvious when you are at the bottom and how to get back?

I will probably park at Peaslake and feel like a longer round ride rather than my usual of sticking to one area?

Any suggestions welcome!!

THM my normal loop starts at box hill taking in ranmore and holmbury, leith and summer lights. I have meetings all morning but maybe able to head out in the afternoon, will let you know. In the meantime happy to send you a gpx of my loop

Thanks mashie - Ranmore's a bit hairy isn't it?

Not sure what you mean by hairy!

"Hairy" = steep and technical. Just an impression as I have never ridden there. I did see a few give a way signs on the side of the road (WD) that looked interesting, so must have a look some time.

Masie, it would be good to see your gpx tracks.

I fancy a change from usual Pitch/Winterfold/Hombury roots (joke!) and will probably start with some fun on Holmbury. My key questions are:

1. What is the best way of linking Holmbury with Leith. Do you go up the Greensands Way or just follow roads? I read somerwhere about an alternative route via Abinger Common but this doesnt seem obvious on the map. I am sensitive to the usual posting on the internet comments, but this is all pretty much well known stuff I am talking about.

2. I will simply explore around the top of Leith with the idea of working my way towards Summer Lightening. I guess this is easy to find. I am used to running the LH Half Mara and am assuming that this ends at much the same place as the mid section of the route. How do you get back from the end of SL? Do you climb back to top of Leith or is there a better alternative for looping back to Holmbury for a final loop up towards BKB and the car?

3. If you go back to top of Leith Hill which is the best way of linking back to Holm?

Cheers

TH

Masie - sorry typo, mashie!!

[i]What is the best way of linking Holmbury with Leith. Do you go up the Greensands Way or just follow roads?[/i]

[i]If you go back to top of Leith Hill which is the best way of linking back to Holm?[/i]

Both Greensands Way. Simplest route there is.

[i] How do you get back from the end of SL? Do you climb back to top of Leith or is there a better alternative for looping back to Holmbury for a final loop up towards BKB and the car?[/i]

If you head west from the end of SL you'll end up descending further (Could head into Broadmoor and then climb back up on the BW running south) or head east and join Wolverns.

TBH given you're doing Holmbury and Pitch you might be better starting in Westcott. Personally I prefer not to loop right back up to Leith after SL and would just head down Wolverns/Rookery which is not a bad finish particularly towards the end of a cycle.

To head out from Westcott, just follow Route 22 and then follow the BW down to the A25 just before Abinger Hammer, through Paddington Farm then over to the Volunteer pub. Can then head up to Holmbury via either the road to the YHA or what I tend to do is go through Car Park 9 and follow the BW up from there.

Thanks Nuke - yes, that would be a good idea to have a change and start and finish at Westcott. What/where is route 22. Is that N side of A25 ie, Deerleep Wood etc?

Is it easy to park in Westcott?

Yep north side of A25...basically take the BW west from Balchins Lane (Starts as a tarmaced road then becomes gravel road, then by Park Farm a track) and keep following it past Park Farm etc There are a few signs saying Route 22 on it. Just make sure you take the right path when you get to what is showing as Broomy Downs on the OS map. It should lead to a gate after about 50m from the main path then head through a field before another gate then a faster descent down to the A25. After you've crossed the A25 it's just a case of following the road around the pond and up through the farm. Bit of a climb after that.

[i]Is it easy to park in Westcott?[/i]

It's alright certainly on a work day. Not an expect as I live locally so don't tend to park there (Well except when going to the bakery). Around the green or up near the church I believe is the main areas 😕

Thanks Nuke - I will try it out!! Didn't fancy the climb all the way back up from SL!!

[i] Have yet to venture onto Leith.[/i]

So you haven't ridden Leith before? Or Wolverns? Do you know roughly where the trails are?

I'd show you myself today if I wasn't looking after the puppy dog 😐

In the summer Wolverns lane on the left and the Rookery are like an extension to SL.

The climb up the Rookery on the way out is also a good way to justify what you are going to eat at the Tower 🙂

I have run over/around Leith lots and have seen bits of SL. I know roughly where the trails are and will explore the area around regurgitator etc before heading down to SL. I normally stick to narrower areas repeating shorter runs around Pitch and W'fold but fancy more of a tour today. Need to shift the weight put on after 2 weeks of low exercise!!

As always - there will be a mix of finding new runs and getting lost at the same time. The joys of Surrey Hills!!

THM - GPX on its way.

oh whats your email address?

Thanks all for the advice - great 19 mile round trip today in surprisingly good conditions. Only a few puddles (Parklife as you would expect) and off-camber stuff generally in good nick.

Took Nukes advice and parked by Westcott church and enjoyed the pipe-opener on the other side of the road. Missed the turn through the gate at first! Crikey the road comes on you quickly at the bottom and was a bu&&er to cross!

Followed you idea including CP9 (much better) and didn't know about those short switchbacks and rooty bits nearby (nice little detour!!). Went up to the top of Holmbury via a few deviations on trails I hadn't seen before and then YP/Parklife a couple of times and TR. A few puddles but nothing to worry about!

Then Greensand up to Leith. Made mistake of going into quarry instead of going left and then right and got slightly lost there. But surprisingly easy climb on that side of the road. Wow, so much to do and explore. I didn't know where to start. Lovely mucking about at the drops and bombholes near the Tower. Does anyone fly that rooty lip to the RHS of the more obvious drop? Stumpled on Deliverance later but bottled it (maybe next time, with some company to push me) and then down the trail to the side (is that the one you are meant to go up?).

First time on SL - I am the only one to make the mistake at the start? The signpost points you down parallel to Wolverns. Fortunately realised quickly and was able to turn back and UP to the actual start. I was surprised by (1) how little erosion there was on such a well-know trail, (2) how much fun it was at the end of the day and (3) a couple of surprisingly little jumps including the n shaped one just before you emerged from the trees.

Good day out - only saw two other bikes all day (on TRoad). A bit of a cliched route I guess but found lots of nice stuff on the side of the well known trails but a nice change from usual shorter up and down repeats. But there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of climbing versus downhill particularly if you stick to the obvious recorded routes.

Went into Nirvana on the way back. Some great stuff and good prices but felt a little bit intimidated as a relative novice and didn't stay long.

Thank again for the advice. I hope this doesn't break the code of hidden messages too much. Didn't mention any of the less obvious stuff, only the trails everyone knows about.

Did you go far on the trails going N from the tower?

So many lines, so much fun, worth following all the way to the log rolls

The gully at 1'30-2' ish in the vid below is splendid.

The gully

That looks like the bit we call Trench Warfare. Starts of with ducking under a fallen tree?

Which means WW looks like the bit that starts between the two short exits (one of which is just past what used to be that single piece of shore) that spit you out onto the more fire-roady type trail. WW then starts on the opposite side, goes across the little play area and heads off about 1/3 mile or so? Can turn right near the end and go down the steeper section or carry on and head back up? Looks totally different on that vid.

EDIT: hmm, looks like a totally different trail nearer the end. Maybe there's a split we're not seeing?

There's about 3 or 4 splits off that trail that you can take

No Winterfold, sadly I was starting to run out of time. So messed about on all the dips quite close to the Tower (@600m radius at most). Clearly need to go back and just explore Leith alone. There seemed to be tracks everywhere even criss-crossing the main track up from the road.

That looks a great video. I need to study carefully to work out where the start is. I guess you just have to head N/NW and just explore?

I live the other side so tend to be lazy and park at Winterfold or Pitch Hill Quarry or Peaslake. Now I see the incentive to drive a little further.

Where is the best place to park for exploring Leith? I would prefer to avoid the ride up from Westcott.