Yeah, I can imagine plenty of “it’s only a red” carnage…

I also second Barney’s statement… 😀

“Northwind – to me that looked much harder than Glentress red”

Oh yeah, I agree, looks pretty innerleithenish in places in fact. What I mean is that anyone who’s used to something like GT red, and who keeps the head, should get down it OK. It looks tougher but not murderously tough. I think probably the boardwalk will catch the most people, especialyl with teh wee jumps and berms all done in timber, and maybe people will get too used to the fast bits and then hit the slow bits at 30mph

Does look ace quite a bit of woodwork in there, does in part look like a hard red 🙂

Look forward to trying it

Looks brilliant. I also predict a busy time for Locaber mtn rescue. I Wanna go!

Aye, the Lochaber m.r.t boys gonna be busy!

yea, ther’ll be a few miss judgeing the boadwalk corners. I’m sure on at least one of them i picked out the wrong line and just jumped off forewards rather than turning then wonrdering why the video turned left!!

Agree with a few folk on here about the Red rating. Having GT Red and Black as my regular trails, I would shitting myself on some of those boardwalk sections – one slip/mistake and it is a VERY long walk off the hill. (Assuming you’re fit to walk!)

Think the Red rating will be ‘reviewed/revised’ very quickly.

Not sure I have the balls for that at the moment…

Looks fab, and I too suspect the volunteers at the local MRT won’t be thrilled. Like others have said, it looks a fair bit more technical than your average FC red route. It’s all very well on here saying it’s a DH red route, but then I hope they make that very clear to people at the gondala station, cos most people are going to think it’s just a red route and therefore quite easy. And I agree, in an accident up there you’re also gonna have that addition of exposure on a big mountain wearing shorts and a T and not much else, most people won’t think about that.

The FC grading system is far too general and not fit for purpose IMO, since when the hell have people who are experienced in growing and managing trees as a business suddenly become experts in mountain biking and grading technical bike trails. 🙂

Red is not classed as a strict rating I mean even Thetford has black route.

Looks good fun though and will probably have to pay a visit.

FCS in “inconsistent grading” shocker. What happened to John Ireland’s safety review? Its probably gathering dust in an office somewhere….

Quite ridiculous that it has the same rating as the North Face Trail in Grizedale. I think most people would be able to mince slowly down it though.

Does anyone know if they keep the 4x course open to ride outside of events? That looked fun from the TV coverage of the WC.

and dont go looking for info on the nevis range site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8109806.stm

A website for a major mountain bike championships has been “compromised” by being linked to harmful software.

I think most people would be able to mince slowly down it though.

That’s what I’m hoping 😆

AB wrote “Agree with a few folk on here about the Red rating. Having GT Red and Black as my regular trails, I would shitting myself on some of those boardwalk sections – one slip/mistake and it is a VERY long walk off the hill. “

The boardwalks are pretty wide though, wider than most of GT red’s main lines… If you were to take a dive off the boardwalk in Magic Mushroom I suspect it’d hurt just as badly, and it’s considered the coward’s option 😉 Compared with GT black, the exposure’s not worse than parts of Deliverance, but the trail’s twice as wide.

David Russell wrote, “FCS in “inconsistent grading” shocker. What happened to John Ireland’s safety review? Its probably gathering dust in an office somewhere….”

I could be wrong but I don’t think this is an FCS trail? For what it’s worth, from the video it doesn’t look harder than innerleithen red.

I think the land the trail is on is owned by Alcan not the FCS. Don’t think there is any involvement from FCS.

looks like fun, it’s just a shame that they aren’t allowed to do anything interesting with the wood sections in this country 🙄

I wonder if the forward thinking Californian pioneers of our noble sport ever wonders whether there would be 50 posts devoted to splitting hairs on the categorisation of a purpose built gondola fed DH (freeride) track as they pushed their bikes up a dusty fireroad in their jeans? Unreal.

I wonder if the forward thinking Californian pioneers of our noble sport ever wonders whether there would be 50 posts devoted to splitting hairs on the categorisation of a purpose built gondola fed DH (freeride) track as they pushed their bikes up a dusty fireroad in their jeans? Unreal.

I’d tend to agree. Looks seriously frigging tame, dull and sanitised. You could ride that on a Dutch bike and still not dislodge the cheese from your basket.

I’d tend to agree. Looks seriously frigging tame, dull and sanitised. You could ride that on a Dutch bike and still not dislodge the cheese from your basket.

What utter bollocks.

IIRC this is Nevis Ranges gig** and the land above the deer fence is BA / below it’s FCS. Ergo FCS will have entered into an access agreement with Nevis R who will be reponsible for management grading and risk

** FCS are on record stating they did not plan to build any further technical trails on the forest estate (mind you they are on record stating quite a lot which subsequently turned out to be complete bollocks)

I wonder if the forward thinking Californian pioneers of our noble sport ever wonders whether there would be 50 posts devoted to splitting hairs on the categorisation of a purpose built gondola fed DH (freeride) track as they pushed their bikes up a dusty fireroad in their jeans? Unreal.

😆 +1 and I’m not even that good a rider! I saw this track “in the flesh” and to be fair from right back at the gondola station, but it looked pretty easy from that distance. Even on the vid it looked fast and flowy rather than technical. Seriously, if watching that vid worries you there are plenty of natural trails that you should avoid like the plague

You could ride that on a Dutch bike and still not dislodge the cheese from your basket.

I’d like to see that; it would be amusing to watch. As a concession, you would only be disqualified if the Edam cheese actually fell out of the basket.

wonder if the forward thinking Californian pioneers of our noble sport ever wonders whether there would be 50 posts devoted to splitting hairs on the categorisation of a purpose built gondola fed DH (freeride) track as they pushed their bikes up a dusty fireroad in their jeans? Unreal

Is repack rider from here not one of the pioneers? Why don’t you ask him.

Looked easy in the distance and on the video. video always flattens out the trail and the features.

I saw this track “in the flesh” and to be fair from right back at the gondola station, but it looked pretty easy from that distance.

Perhaps I should qualify that the people I know that HAVE ridden it and think it is not easy and should be graded above red are capable of 14 runs in the Endurance DH on the proper DH track.

Perhaps I should qualify that the people I know that HAVE ridden it and think it is not easy and should be graded above red are capable of 14 runs in the Endurance DH on the proper DH track.

Duly qualified

new vid of it up on http://www.mtbcut.tv/

looks fun!

Saw that vid, on pinkbike I think. Looks ace. Ben Cathro’s sections was especially impressive! I bet he’s still bruised though.

I think it looks sweet. If they use the stuff that’s on the wood at Balblair you wont slip on it.

Must get down to it soon … I think a 2-dayer with the Devil’s Staircase/Ceiran Path is in order. Might even sandwich in a night in the Clachaig.

me and other neeps

bruneep – great video

I’m just back from FW. The red is good fun, and 8 inch bikes are completely rubbish on it.

Boardwalk is easy, and has enough grip in the dry. Just ride at the pace you would normally ride a 3 foot smooth trail with a drop on one side and you won’t have any problems.

Rest of the trail is pretty good.

There are uphill bits!

clicky

looks sweet

I’m just back from FW. The red is good fun, and 8 inch bikes are completely rubbish on it.

OMG, you’ve bought a Sunday to fill the rear travel void between your SX and Glory? 😮