[Closed] Your favourite DESCENT anywhere?

UK/Ireland...

Fern Alley in Kilbroney, NI. 400mt down the side of a big, steep hill. Rocks, sheep, drops, whin bushes. Fantastic.

EU...

The DH trail from Les Duex Alps to Venosc. Great, tight, drift corners, steep and fast, super flowey, big braking. Big adrenalin rush.

Tanking it down the grass towards Old Harrys Rocks and remembering the sudden sharp left hander before imminent DEATH over the cliffs .Thats quite a hoot .Purbecks in case you didn't know .

Oh and away from these shores Mr Toads Wild Ride above Lake Tahoe oh and the old Kamikaze d/h at Mammoth .It seems like a wide gravelly fire road until you realise the speed you are picking up and the consequences if you get too close to the edge !!!!

Little Stretton off the Long Mynd, Blackley Hey, Final descent on the Marin, but favouritist ever ever, from the top of Minch Moor, Innerleithen to the bottom. Brill.
Shame its so far away 8(

The descent from Kibo down the tourist route on Kilimanjaro (the looks from the walkers coming the other way is priceles) or up near MacKinders peak on Mount Kenya descending to the North. That is a real days descent, sometimes two going from around 16000 ft to 4000ft!

Hmmm?
Skyline the speed rush through the trees.
The luge for the high seed rocky rush.
S57 because it's nasty & rutty & I shredded the pack down there last night.
Lower sawmill because it's tight & twisty & just wrong.

South Downs Way - where I first started mountain biking.
Coming off the top of the Long Man of Wilmington on the SDW itself. Descend towards Alfriston. Starts with grass covered chalk and an open fast track. A few flints to dodge but otherwise just smooth lovelieness. Encourages you to really give it some stick and build up a surprising ammount of speed.
Ideally you need a friend or two to go on ahead open the gate before the road and tell you if the road is clear. The, just when you think your legs might give way you hit the technical part. Flinty tree lined gulley down the remainder of the hill. Hang on and keep the speed up, if you don't have jelly legs by the bottom you haven't done it properly.

Bealach na Lice down to Annat in Torridon. Not done any biking outside the UK. Gratuitous pic
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It used to be Cavedale but now I've discovered Carn ban mor in Aviemore.

My GOD what a trail- at the top you can get up past 30mph with big boulders everywhere and just a wide expanse of trail to hammer down. Then it narrows up and turns into the fastest, most exhilarating boulder fest in the country till the last 5 minutes where it becomes swoopy, loose corners that you can put the hammer down on. 30 minutes of heaven.

Abroad, it's the DH track at Champery in Switzerland. Lift up, tear down- it's scary steep at the top, berms, fast, brilliant.

The cheeky switchbacks on the Malverns with the rocky drop-off to finish.

Pretty sure the track is called Serpintine at Chatel bike park, Morzine.
Switchback after switchback, still think about racing my mate down there now and just hanging the back of the bike out on every corner (may not be the quickest way but soooo much fun)

In the UK, probably Rheola or Mynyndd Du. But for different reasons.

Abroad, would have to be Drum & Bass in Champery. You can ride the top section of the Champery WC track for a hoot (scare), drop out onto the fire road and hit this for something (a little) more sedate. Not a braking bump in sight.

There is a few other tracks off the main lines in the PDS which are good fun too, but too many riders & too little maintenance = not as much fun 🙁

Not cycled outside the UK yet, so currently my fav is the short but sweet Beast of Hope Cross. Trail centre descents certainly don't stir the same emotion for me as natural descents.

Yes - for me it's a toss-up between The Beast, Cavedale and the entire descent from the top of Garburn, through Troutbeck and finishing in Ambleside.

The Monkey's good, too.

UK - Mynydd Du DH track.

Best ever is the descent from the top of the Pic du Midi above the Col de Tourmalet in the Pyrenees (2877 m & you have to ride up) down to Luz (693 m) 18 km of variety starting on treeless moonscape ending in lush village with beer and patisserie from the cafe.

The 500 metres of steps down the back of the Alhambra, Granada always comes to mind, mainly because it was a bit out of the ordinary!

Only been abroad a couple of times to Mountain Bike, both to the same location, so: The White Church downhill, Levkas (Greece).

UK: "The Golf Links" Rhayader (Wales).

I can't really pick one but a few highlights spring to mind.

In the uk the dh course at Bringewood that finishes with the most amazing pump/jump section through the whoops in the trees. Cut throat bridge in the peaks toward the snake with a tail wind on a dry or frosty day.

In europe the long run from Pila to Aosta is always great, grannys garden in les arcs and various bits in the PDS if you avoid the main trails.

2 already mentioned- Carn Ban Mor and descent into Torridon are without a doubt the best and longest ST descents anywhere in the UK.

My cheeky fave is always gonna be the Winter Hill descent to Belmont.

Outside UK, Alpe D'huez has a hidden gem in the trees down to Bourg d'Oissans, not far from the megavalanche trail

Megavalanche in alpe d'huez. In the uk i love the descent down to the corner of the road it ladybower. Not hard but you can pedal like hell all the way down and its fun

UK - Prob Rangers path or the pre levelled Addams family sections at Coed Y.

Elsewhere - The whole of Sun Peaks BC for the fact that its a 5 hr drive from anywhere so they figure if you're gonna make the journey, we better build something worth riding.

my favourite anywhere is lick her sore-gillard creek -british columbia

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

my favvourite over here is probably still cadon bank for sheer floaty flowy fun.

UK:

Dumyat from the top down to the road, just love it.
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Ben Cluegh, just fun from start to very long finish. Getting to it is a grind though...
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Gypsy Glen. Fast and a reet larf.
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Aviemore, can't remember the name of it... Rocky, rocky, rocky.
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Abroad.

France, Whisky and Rye with the The Whiteroom. I was having too much fun to stop and take pictures. Probably the fastest I've been on a bike and knew if I came off it was gonna leave a few marks...

Canada, Whistler Mountain. So much choice. So much fun.
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UK - Tough

Crazy Wobbler - Track Athertons ride in Earthed 4
LLangollen
Bala
Secret Jazz in North Wales....

Europe
Sprint Alvalance Track in OZ
Crans Montanna Black Run

Canada
Goats Gully in WBP
or In Deep

Ranger Path, snowdon
Gargamel, Whistler
Sex Boy, Northshore
Holy Trail, Chamonix
Jack of clubs, Verbier
Summer lightning downhill, Surrey hills cos its local!

Cut gate going south, the switchbacks before the stream!

Mainly because I folowed a mate down there and he straighlined down to the stream off the cliff at the penultimate switchback!

Dodgy little cheeky trail under the big cable car at Champery. Very hard to find, but ooooo so tech 😀

The Beast is definately up there for me. It will take your soul apart if you get it wrong. Such a perfect description.
The bridleway off Rushup Edge, from the west end ENE down to the road. Something Gate, can't remember. Now rocky with eroded away Tarmac giving you natural north shore. I've been riding that for 20 years and I still love it. My brother will tell you (peterpoddy) about the time we did it the first tine and I went past him sideways round a corner. Sounds skillful but in reality even my XT11 cantilevers with Scott Mathauser brake block never stood a chance of slowing me down from the speed I was at!!! I could lay the blame on the Tioga farmer john tyres as well. 😉

that'll be chapelgate robdob! excellent choice.

robdob, thats chappel gate

Am I the only one that finds the beast just a little boring? Unless you hit it at warp speed, at which point its just scary?

Smith's combe in the Quantocks, fast grassy drop into a loose rocks and roots which can spit you out anywhere prior to dropping steep into the first combe crossing, then twisting through the heath crossing the combe several times...ohh mamma!

A descent in the hills behind Finale,Italy. drop steep into a left hander then underneath a tree branch into a 6ft gully whooping it up. Lush berms,do it in the morning in september with the sun piercing through the trees and the dust rising, oh yes!

another vote for the beast. It's not as good now as it was the first time in 1996 with Q21R's and 1.95inch tyre on a hardtail though, or is it just me?
and cut gate path derwent end
(robdob that is chapel gate you are thinking of.)
EDIT: but you know that already

UK - I just love the drop down from the top of Cut Gate to Langsett. Not techy in the slightest...

??

it starts off with a multitude of lines over grit and peat banks with large gritstone boulders to negotiate before tracking along a dry riverbed and then turning into fast singletrack interdispersed with rocky sections to negotiate/smash your mech off. granted, not the most tecnical piece of singletrack you'll find but i certainly wouldn't call it 'not techy in the slightest'!

it is great though, i'll join. you in that!

garburn pass down to kentmere side has to be up there for me. love it.

Sooo many to choose from

San Marino (the Belmont Descent off Winter Hill)
Snowdon Ranger
Walna Scar to Coniston
Moor Lane in Grizedale.

UK. Oooh. Lots of choice. In no particular order:-
Snowdon Ranger
Chapel Gate
Cavedale
a couple of cheeky Peaks descents
Dollywagon Pike/Grizedale tarn (not done that in quite some time though)
Some of the lesser known Surrey Hills stuff.

Abroad
LaVarda, Grange Hill, Double Header - Les Arcs
CBC->Neds - *the* 'shore. Or O-sin/In Deep/Fatcrobat/Too tight/Schleyer/Clown Shoes in WBP
Artigue, Benque Ridge/Saccourvielle/Black Rocks - Luchon
Mega Qualifier - Ad'H

Have to agree with Conor in this thread. The descent in Kilbroney is amazing, the amount of speed you pick up is unreal and the views, if you have time to look, are pretty breathtaking.

Colin

Maybe I've always been going too quick to notice peachos!

Conor is clearly a man of great taste. the track to Venosc is legendary.
Pleney is still amazing fun on a DH bike, provided you're quick enough to skim over the braking bumps...
Pont Bourquin trail in les Diablerets is delightful.
"student houseparty" in Morzine - blissfully under-ridden.
the old WC track in Metabief - simple to ride, not simple to ride fast.
Chaumont Shore in Neuchatel
Glacier DH in Saas Fee (in winter, on snow)

I could go on...

Coogan, that one you can't remember near Aviemore looks like Carn Ban Mor

Stert/Somerton Combe on the Quantocks. Nothing too tech, just nice, flowing singletrack for a couple of minutes.

hmmm toughy - toss up between the north side of mount keen and the walkers trail from lochnagar to loch muick

Mega Qualifier in Alpe D'Huez I reckon.

Honourable mentions must go to Moor Lane in Grizedale and The Calf-Sedbergh in the Howgills though.

didn't take much thought this one:

PHD (from the top top, incl. the hike!) - Pemberton, BC (full stop)

freeridenick - Member
Summer lightning downhill, Surrey hills cos its local!

Honourable mention. I concur, but if you start at the cricket pitch, you can link in Summer Lightning to a much longer down hill (of varying gradients) then on to the side track to Wolven's Lane (fast!) ending up on "The Rookery". The whole thing takes about 20 minutes (15 if you're not me). I have independently dubbed it "Go All The Way". 😉

Can't remember the names other than widow maker but most of the descents round dartmoor that Tim and Woody have taken me down have been brilliant
camber and 3 bears in the wyre are both good too

UK - Local, Elland Park Woods the long, winding way, not really long but super flowing with alsorts of fun if you know it.
US - Porcupine rim - Moab

cheese - I've classed that as my fave singletrack (see other thread)!

The descent at the end is brilliant though! Bonus having it on my doorstep nearly too!

Something in the dyfi forest probably!

I suppose Cut Gate northwards down to Langsett can be described as technical in Uk terms but in Dark Peak terms it isn't.
When I returned to chapelgate after maybe a 8-10 year gap I started hooning down it at 30mph expecting it to be the gravelly speed fest I remembered it as. Imagine my suprise when I came accoss the first bit which was a 6inch wide piece of crumbly Tarmac 4 foot above a jagged chasm of death.

It's fair to say I soiled myself. Amazing!!

I did crash on it the next time and hit the rocky trail chin first. My jaw snapped shut so hard I broke one of my teeth in half. However, being a true Atkin I still managed to eat my lunchtime cake.

UK - Theres a few round where I live like parkamoor, ickenthwaite etc that are all good fun. Also Make or Break followed by cadon bank at inners

Abroad - Morgins in Switzerland, Swiss cup course and Alp D.

Crans montana is also awesome but never got to ride it

Carn Ban Mor. Ben Rinnes. Bannachie. Party Quarry in the Oakwoods. The Chute on Mach3. Climachx final descent. Cadair Idris. Laggan Black. Jacob's Ladder and that one off Rushup Edge with lots of drops on it.
Depending on what day it is and what I had for breakfast it could be any of the above.

My local faves are, moist badger and re-bored frippet.

I do like the trail centres but there is no substitute for getting down a natural descent in the Peaks and being glad you're still alive. 🙂

There isn't an element of risk in the trail centres. I thought the black run at Glentress was quite easy.

Davey - didn't realise my local regular ride had a proper Name and everything!
Headless if you hit the swings!
I love to "wall of death" the top bombhole and slingshot out

UK - Tough one this. From the following;
The massive berm section on the Raven at Brechfa
Barry Knows Best (Looking forward to the new stuff!)
Hermon (Down to the cafe through the bluebells)
The end of Climachx
And, finally, a lovely short section out through a local set of woods. No name, just a lovely trail that makes me smile.

International-
The Wall - Off the top of the deserted camp by the Portman Guns! (You'd know if you'd ridden it!)
The old school Cap d'Ail DH course from back in the day!

that one off Rushup Edge with lots of drops on it.

I think that may be chapel gate too?
Although Rushup edge westwards has drops in too. Eastwards is good too. Oh darn it, it's all good!

The walk downstairs the morning after knowing you have a beer in the fridge and a cold kebab on the side. Breakfast of gods before a day out on the bike.

UK - Cumberland Brook and Charity Lane / Oven Lane continuation, both Macc Forest / Wildboar Clough area. Never got board of either during the 12 years they were the most local trail. Not the longest or most technical descents in the peak but good enough to keep you coming back.

Great Dun Fell - radar station road, yes its tarmac but its also starts at around 850m and drops, down and down and down.

I think that may be chapel gate too?
Although Rushup edge westwards has drops in too. Eastwards is good too. Oh darn it, it's all good!

Was the westward route I did. I'll give that chapel Gate a blast next time I'm there. Trouble is there's an awful lot of brilliant biking between me and there so my trips are few and far between.

mega qualifier alpe d huez for me

i love the descnet from the top of innerleithen xc, cadon bank and beyond always has me grinning

can be described as technical in Uk terms

so once you leave our shores the term technical shift's it goalposts? wtf

I don't get out much...

Was - GTress black just before the radio mast (Britney Spears?)
Then - Inners-Minch Moor down to the valley fire-road (slowing down ='d much more fun)
Now - sheep track on the steep north side of Castlelaw in Pentlands ('FOCUS or fall off') -

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(pic- crtsy Kit, of this parish)

Abroad - Gisburn canyon (in the dry..)

so once you leave our shores the term technical shift's it goalposts? wtf

Not the point i was making. Keep up please. 😉

Good thread!

For me, as a few have pointed out it has to be:
- Cavedale
- The Beast
- Jacobs Ladder (surprised nobody has said this?)
- Innerliethen (sp?) decend on the black run

Probably more, but i can't remember. Can somepoint point to me on a map just where Cut Gate is (us multimap OS) i'm sure i ride this all the time, but not sure the name...

Looking forward to sunday now!

I've never been down Cavedale, is it really that good? Pushed up it a few times!!!!!

France, Whisky and Rye with the The Whiteroom. I was having too much fun to stop and take pictures. Probably the fastest I've been on a bike and knew if I came off it was gonna leave a few marks...

I was riding that at the end of the season, usual drop in and go directly to warp factor hoon. Then I discovered that one of the local old boys had managed to roll his car off the forest road above the trail. The car had then been pulled-out by JCB, leaving a 5 foot-wide trench across the trail. I (just) got away without crashing but it definitely left a few marks (mostly in my bike shorts...)

Didn't get round to doing any repairs after the season finished, will need to be next spring, but the trail's been churned up in 4 or 5 places by this. The plan is to take advantage of the damage to put in a couple of cheeky rock-drops...

i'd hazard a guess 99% of people saying Champrey are talking bull or not been down the WC track!!

I know a number of Elites and Experts who would not even ride sections of it never mind enjoyed it!!!

It's owt but enjoyable... And has sod all flow unless your surname is Hill!!

My Favourite is fantastic single track always dry and dusty and just lets say Jesus is always looking out for you , but its my little secret !

My total bestist most fave ever, rad to the power of sick........

Is going downhill fast into a few beers and some whiskey with friends.

SB

The track with the big rocks that comes out at Grizedale visitor centre.

Might be known as "Babies Heads"?

Always provides an amazing end to an amazing ride.

Belmont descent - Winterhill.
Cumberland clough - Macc forest (as oldagepredator said)
The Banks - Local Marple descent, short, rocky, switchback, dropoffyheaven. It always scares me though.

The track with the big rocks that comes out at Grizedale visitor centre.

Riverbed?

After riding up from Hurstwood near Worsthorne on the pennine bridalway, the descent down to widdop is one of my faves.

minch moor summit to carpark
lawson park to either nibthwaite, or the park
moor lane
tittys track
ullswater singletrack
finish of penmachno
elland woods

and in the alps, from the summit of the solour above courcheval ant 2900m
to brides le bain at 600m.

ton - your first choice isn't a descent, it's half a trail centre route with 2 ascents 😕

I don't have a favourite but some top ones for me are..

Aberfeldy SDA track
WC track - Champery
Run of the mill (Avoriaz-Morzine)
the really mental steep Plenney singletrack descent - Morzine
Mynd Du (Dragon track)

a lot of my other favoutites are sadly no longer there due to felling or other reasons

The track from Cam Head down into Starbotton.
The track down into Kinlochleven from The Devils Staircase.
Some in France I can't remember the names of.

gw, when you suffer like i do once a year to ride up to the summit of minch, it is a very very welcome descent mate........... 😉

Ah, I get you 😀

BTW there's no shame in walking. all the best riders do it 😉

🙂 A recent trip to the Ecrin with Mr Martin Gill was particularly nice after a 5-6 hour xc trug and battle we had a descent perhaps only a handful of other riders have experienced (col de montbrison) This type of riding is spot on. I doubt even anyone here has done it. Thats what makes it good, but perhaps not the best. Hope your well Dave and family is good.