Niiiiiiiiiice. Not much more to say really…

Sweeeeeeet. Cheers Alpin. Looking forward to a video for sure

So are you dropiing down on the Fernpass road at Griesen?

Good enough to make the trip over from Imst? Don't suppose you know much about the ridin around Vent Alpin?

Yup, Ennerdale into Wasdale is ace. Plus it has a very short singeltrack to pub transfer distance

Blogger / Picasa combo is nice and easy to do. Not sure if it is quite what you are after but I just like posting photos plus relevent updates and stuff. Link on me name if you fancy a gander

+1 for what Anc said about sprinkling tarn – seatoller. It is so so good.

*Cough* Black Sail *Cough*

My bruv bicycling around the Austrian / Italian alps

Niiiiiice. In true STW'er style I reckon that Langdale/Borrowdale route is better t'other way round. Still an ace day out. Hats off for going down Rosset Ghyll

Been up there four times. Still never seen a view out from the top. I imagine riding the summit ride would be (even more) ace with the view stretching out infront of you.

Stuartie – On your first map, on the descent you cross a river pretty much on the E of Ben Damph Forest. Is there any way across the river other than through it. We were there in awful weather last summer so we decided to push up the descent as far as we could then turn around, but when we got to the river there seemed no way to get across when there was so much rain about?

How superb is the Black Sail descent? I was wondering whether it was worth going to the alps after that? Just out of interest, how did you guys get from Angle Tarn over to the top of Stake Pass? Is it any good, or just one of those nessecary linking bits of trail?

Did a slightly less hardcore version of this this week, we went straight on at Sty Head though. Such an ace ride…

Very much yes. It really is exceptionally good

Heather Bash – Do you know if there is any dance or ritual we could perform to bring about a mild snap and change of wind direction? 🙂

So how long do the locals think it will take for the snow event to thaw? Planned to head up next week, and this weather is really unfair

This is most excellent news. Keep us informed +1

Another interested guinea pig here. As above, send us an email over if you do get down to it. Was thinking of getting one for a Bivi-Alpine adventure this summer, and as mentioned, the epic designs wait is a bit long. It looks really good

Sweeeeet. A decent LBS that can be accessed on good trails can only be a good thing. Hope it goes well guys. I'll be paying a visit no doubt

Pfft, don't be put off. Marin trail is one of the two best man made trails their is IMO (The other being Laggan), and I have ridden a fair few. It was even getting a bit dusty at the weekend. The final descent is so, so good.

Does anyone know if a pair of shoes exist that have the mounts for spd cleats, but that are also really good for flats, or does having the cleat on the bottom make them rubbish for using with flats? Those white shimano ones with the flap for instance? Two pairs of shoes seems a tad excessive is all. Cheers.

Another local here, I live in Delamere itself and have been riding in the woods since before I knew what mountain biking was. To be honest I can't really see how a purpose built trail would be a bad thing (allthough there has been on and off talk for years). Some of the current trails would get 'redeveloped' I suppose, but in the case of trails like the perimeter one down to fox howl, that wouldn't be such a bad thing as they get a lot of use. I assume it would be a sustainable trail, thus taking the visiting mtb'ers (And there is a lot of them on weekends) away from the other less popular 'locals' trails, which us locals would still get to keep. Trails that would be redeveloped would be the popular, and know really wide ones that 'weekenders' know about anyway. A loop out from the Visitor center to the Dirt Jumps and back could be built, still leaving loads of 'locals' trails? I think some kind of trail building on the Old Pale would be great aswell. I really enjoyed the old 'DH' track.

I do kind of agree with the 'bikes might get banned from the rest of the woods' part though

Sorry if that is a bit rambling. Just my two cents

Cheers flatfish. Probably looking for something a bit bigger though, maybee take up all of the front triangle, just to get weight of the shoulders as would be the case with a mahoosive rucksack.

Hmm, a dry bag with sleeping bag and assorted gubbins on the bars then, and everything else lashed to the frame? Or a converted duffel bag and lash everything else to the bars? Think I need to just have a bit of an experiment.

Cheers guys. I wouldn't want to miss out any good trails on the 'transition' stages, and would want to get the saddle down on the singletrack, which could cause issues with apost mounted rack? Did consider trying to make a frame bag myself, but I am pretty crap at sowing.

IanB – how stable is stuff lashed to the frame? Sounds like a good plan. Any pictures?

Oh, and the frame is a spesh rockhopper (Pretty niche eh?)

That looks amazing. Still kind of hope it melts by this time next month though

You mean these?

I could ride that….

Stuartie, if you find anything good…

Cheers Stuartie. IS there any highland trail you don't know? Tis impressive knowledge. Might do the Lairig Elide as an out and back from the Geln Coe side once all this snow has melted then. Can;t wait to get back uo there

I was considering getting a new (well, 2nd hand) hardtail. Hadn't really considered big wheels until now. In my head 29ers are good on the rolling singletrack and that, but are they up to much on techy trails, stuff like lakeland passes? Also, would they be a lot harder to carry than a 26er do you guys think? Sorry for the Hijack btw…

6'5'' here aswell, but I get by on just a large size '04 Sworks Enduro. Do have a telescopic seatpost for it though

You could come see this one[/url] in Llanberis weekend after next, everyone is fed up of riding in the snow by now anyways.

Yup, it was most excellent. Halfway cafe was open aswell. Gratuitous photo link

Got Marzocchi All Mountains which I think are 140mm on the front of my '04 Sworks. Supposed to be a tall fork for the travel aswell. Still has the normal 5' link at the back. Use it all the time and love it, allthough I had the AM's on a rockhopper before i got the enduro frame, so I am used to boat like handling.

No orange sticker, and the frame hasn't snapped yet…

I have one. Woohoo[/url]

Did someone mention Walna Scar. Was really nice at the weekend:

There is a lot to be said for the last trail before the sun sets though, dosen't matter where it actually is. Maybee I should just ride at dusk?

Lhairg Ghru is still up there even in biblical rain. I think Nan Beild is a good shout. I seem to enjoy it more and more every time

Cheers guys. Cheapo radio triggers sound like the plan then.

Completely agree with you PeterPoddy, I like just seeing what you can do, even if it means only one in every ten photos isn't crap

Er, you could read mine if you want to. It ticks neither the decent nor the informative box mind. Going to try and put decent quality pictures up fairly regularly.

The camera is a Cannon 350D and the flash gun a Jessop AFCD300. The flash gun just screws in to the hot shoe, I don't believe it can act as a slave on its own. Ie. it only works through the hot shoe connection. Basically could I be a super cheap skate and just get the remote triggers, or would it be a case of getting a trigger and flash combo?

Those pictures look great though. Ta for the help

Thanks for all your help mate. Those websites are great. I love it when a plan comes togethor…

Ah cool. Will be getting those maps I think. And yeah, it would be a summer trip. Do you know if the trails are good singletrack, or would it be more fireroad? Thanks for your help mate.