Hey, i have been up to GT a few times now and i was wondering what the best way was to get to the top of spooky woods. I usually start a ride with a blast in the freeride park so a description of how to get from the osprey’s nest car park to the start of spooky woods would be much appreciated. 😀

From the top of the free ride follow the road past the first red downhill and keep going up the climb past the first picnic bench and keep going up the hill, for maybe 1/2km, It’s a bit of steep fire road and then the road flattens out and you’ll see a picnic bench. Turn left off the fire road up the singletrack and follow the signs and you’ll end up at the top of Spooky Wood.

Best in what way ? I.e. quickest, shortest, most scenic route ?

You could also go about 200 yards past the picnic bench and follow the left fork of the fireroad where it splits then after another 200 yards take a left up the shortcut to top of SW.

Edit: Least scenic and steepest but probably the quickest way.

Cheers, Also do you reckon a 120 travel hardtail would be ok for the red descents or should i use full sus?

If you want quickest and don’t mind pedalling up steep fire road then take the fire road to the left before the quarry then take the next right. This is the fire road at the top of the spooky climb.

Cheers, Also do you reckon a 120 travel hardtail would be ok for the red descents or should i use full sus?

Either will be fine. It’s pretty smooth with a couple of small drop offs, give the full sus a try maybe and see how you go.

Cheers bud.

Up the red route properly- ie past freeride, down Pennel’s Vennel, then up the red climb to the top. Not the fastest or the easist but the most interesting IMO.

Easiest is to skip Pennel’s Vennel and ride from the top of the freeride up to Spooky climb.

Fastest but more horrible is to go up Anderson Road.

Longest is to go via the black 😉

Neither of the above. Go past the entrance to pennel’s vennel, go up the fire road, go past the spooky wood climb, take the left fork at the next fire road, then take the next fire road on the left. Takes you right to the start of spooky wood – no messing about. 😉

As for your next question – I have ridden everything from full on DH bike to singlespeed cross bike down spooky wood. Had most fun doing it on a BMX.

Up the red route properly- ie past freeride, down Pennel’s Vennel, then up the red climb to the top. Not the fastest or the easist but the most interesting IMO.

I strongly agree. Pennels Vennel is a great bit of trail and taking the singletrack climbs is far nicer that slogging up fire roads purely to get to Spooky Wood a bit quicker.

The route by Anderson Road and the route glupton suggests both involve particularly grim fire road climbs.

A 120mm travel hardtail is easily capable of giving you lots of fun on the Glentress red. A full sus will give you lots of fun, too, though a burly one may add more effort to the climbs than fun to the descents. It’s all down to taste. I can have a blast there on my Chameleon (hardtail with 140mm forks) or on my (140mm travel) full sus, or on my 100mm travel full sus, for that matter, though they all make it fun in slightly different ways. 🙂

is this a serious question? Just asking cos of your smiley face, maybe a sarcastic smiley?.

Glupton….. a bmx , really? i smell poo poo

Well a kids bike that looked like a BMX. Group of mates messing around of an evening type of thing.

group of mates, ha ha. Pull the other one 🙂

120 HT is plenty of bike for GT red.