Few of us going there for a few days, mostly will be doing XC stuff but would like to have a go at the WC course. It looks tricky but not ridiculously steep from what I’ve seen, is this fair?

Basically, is it possible to mince down?

Yes, it’s fine – don’t rush into sections and you’ll be reet. The red run is just as challenging too though

It takes a wee while at mincing speed but at least you can stop for breaks.

mincing is fine, but you’ll still be wanting a full face helmet and some pads at very least.

First time down I took 35 minutes. Got that down to 8 minutes now but it can certainly be minced down. Nothing too steep or technical but it’s very, very tough physically and takes a while to memorise the best lines, which I’ve yet to do!

The worst looking section was the root section other than that it all looked ridable and reasonably smoothly.

Maybe don’t try it on a Stumpjumper FSR with a 71 degree head angle and SPD’s first time though!

The red run is just as challenging too though

Only if you really are mincing the WC track

You’re more likely to be killed in one of the pubs in the town, than when riding your bike.

Maybe don’t try it on a Stumpjumper FSR with a 71 degree head angle and SPD’s first time though!

My mate was on an FSR XC with SPD’s and a trail lid

The worst looking section was the root section

Not available to mere mortals. Only open at races.

You will die unless you have full midge protection. They are evil bastards there.

I’ve ridden it in the dark on a fully rigid fat bike, and I only had an xc lid on.

You’ll be fine 😉

If the road gap is open that could kill you, if your balls are big enough (mine wouldn’t be)

Road gap and rooty sections are for race days open (due to the risk of people killing themselves………)

Road gap and world cup woods are shut to the public (as is the hoofer gap after the wallride)

If you can ride a bike decently, you’ll be fine, but do be a bit careful- it’s not a trail centre there are lines and options that will **** you up if you do them wrong and that can just mean going too slow, not jumping when you should, or just plain picking an undoable line. Look before you leap!

It’s possible to get down the trail without ever having both wheels off the ground, thanks to slow lines and chicken runs. The bits I consider hardest are all visible from the gondola so have a good look. Also you can cut from the red onto the wc track about 2/3ds down- so you can ride the bottom of the wc from the wallride and get a taster.

My first run (in open face helmet with xc tyres etc) took about 11 minutes of riding and maybe 20 minues of stopping, looking, pushing back up etc. It is mint though. Red also great.

It is a right hoot, just ride within your capability. Assuming you’re buying a day ticket on the Gondola do what NW suggested on the first run and then work it for the rest of the day. The Red is good value also but I did prefer the riding on the WC course.

The downhill red is absolutely great but needs some respect and you’ll get better with each run as you put together the lines over the slabs neatly. So it’s worth stopping and studying the slab sections on the first run rather than diving in.

The WC course is a DH race track – not a trail-centre trail. Definitely stop and study each tech section. I walked down one of the big rock gardens (before the bermed left-hander) as I just felt too intimidated; Hey, it was wet and windy, and I was alone. Overall, I think it was worth doing for the hell of it, but I didn’t really enjoy it enough to ride it again. YMMV.

The worst looking section was the root section other than that it all looked ridable and reasonably smoothly.

That’s the deceptive thing about Fort William. It has some smoothish, swoopy sections but after the first board walk it is R.A.F until you get to the woods.

On a non-DH bike it will definitely be do-able but will need a bit of care, some decent skills and some rather enduring forearms.

Enjoy.

Rode both the red and orange this Monday on a 160mm nukeproof mega. Red is slightly easier but the boardwalk sections can be a little intimidating in places and the granite outcrops are very steep in places. All doable as long as you check stuff out first.

Black / orange route is awesome, much more lines to choose from than the red. Rode most of it at full mincing speed and it was quite controllable in the dry. Was interesting on the last run when it was raining slightly! There were loads of people riding it on xc bikes with shorts and t shirts and no armour :-0

OK, I forgot I had this, here’s a vid of my first run down the thing if seeing how to mince it like a boss is of interest

(disclaimers- 1) open face helmet, xc nevegals. 2) Shattered from a day on the red. 3) Shitin it. 4) I’ve got better since. Oh and 5) I cheated a bit, I’d done the bottom section before. It is mostly about 3 though)

The track’s had a few changes since, no major new features on the public track I think other than a bunch of jumps I can’t do down near the bottom.

[video]https://vimeo.com/12741008[/video]

I did it on my hardtail a couple of weeks ago. It’s good fun but can come a cropper if not careful. The boardwalk sections were the worst for me – only because of the drop to the side

I walked/slid/fell down it all on Saturday before the heroes came down on Sunday morning. All minceable (bar the gaps n’ drops) but seeing the proper guys n gals come through it up close, wow. 😯 Not sure I want to expose my ego to seeing me do it. 😳

mince it like a boss

I may have to steal that for a tee shirt

Having ridden it many, many time over the years people have pretty much covered it above….

My take on it – it’s probably on a par with a FC red route (the newer ones – Golspie etc). As people have intimated the really scary stuff is closed off for regular people. From memory there are only about two drops you can’t avoid (one of which has a slippy off-camber boardwalk as a chicken run so I don’t count that). The real difference is that unlike FC routes where they’ll chuck in some hairpin bends to “control” you – there is none of that on the DH course. It’s about going as fast as you can for as long as you can. That’s really what makes it difficult.

So, yes. If you can for the FW red you’ll have no problem on the DH course – you might avoid a kicker or drop here or there but just take it easy-ish and you’ll be fine. Try and ride it in under 6 mins and you’ll probably die.

You’re more likely to be killed in one of the pubs in the town, than when riding your bike.

or by looking up at the sky with your mouth open and drowning

Great, thanks, this is what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the vid northwind, gave me some confidence, maybe I’ll even go down a few times!