stories

Cwm Carn Freeride

Id been to the freeride section at Cwmcarn once before, but after snapping my rear mech hanger on the first drop of the day and having to set my heavy full susser up as a single speed it became about as much use as a glass hammer. Not being able to get enough speed up for the jumps got really frustrating so I was keen to get up there the next time I was down South. A couple of weeks back I happened to be down that part of the country so I dragged my mate Oli out for a ride around Cwmcarn. This time I decided the weapon of choice should be the hardtail, the reasoning being that it would be nicer on the jumps and easier to pedal around the XC loop. So we set off looking forward to getting to the top and messing about on the jumps and drops. If youve ever been to Cwmcarn youll know that the first climb is a bit of a killer as far as trail centres go so as you can imagine we were chuffed to have got to the top and got it out of the way. The sun was shining, clear blue skies, so after a sarnie or two we were more than ready to have a few hours messing around.

The run in was the same as any other go, the take off was fine, its when I came to the landing things went a bit wrong. As I landed, as smooth as the last few runs, I heard a huge crunch. I had time to think This is going to hurt! as I hurtled towards the floor. I managed to snap the steerer of my forks just below the stem, causing my handle bars to drop and me to hit the deck pretty hard. Luckily Oli who was training in behind was far enough away to hear the crash and slow down enough to do the drop and steer around the crumpled mess below. I got up, jumped and ran round in circles trying to escape the pain, initially thinking I had broken my fingers or knuckles on my right hand which instantly seized and swelled up. I checked the rest of me for damage, I had a bright red bruise across my hip and a beaten up shoulder (which seized that evening and couldnt move for the rest of the week). From then on deciding that that place and I were cursed, I hobbled around taking pictures of Oli, who was awesome to watch. It was good to take time out to watch as Oli Pumped through the turns, launching the jumps, all so smooth and effortlessly. Enough of me feeling sorry for myself and more on the freeride section.

The run starts off swinging round a berm, over a hump or two and onto a selection of three drops ranging in height. The smallest is little more than curb height, the middle being approximately a foot and a half high, and the biggest at about four foot. In theory they dont sound huge, but with speed you land a good two or three foot down the landing. The down slope is the perfect angle, with even the biggest drop feeling smooth on a hardtail. It spits you out at some speed and over a hump into a mad looking 270 degree berm. Sounds crazy doesnt it; the berm is like a big plug hole, drops you round left and sends you through a tunnel underneath the top. On paper it sounds great but in my opinion was a big disappointment. To get high enough and over the tunnel there is a short uphill section which zaps all you momentum off the drop and leaves you scrambling to hang on to a nice line around it. Now a short straight blast to get the pedal strokes in and pick the speed back up into a series of berms and a small double or two, which are a huge effort to gap considering their size. After another few berms are a couple of sweet table tops in succession. I cant comment from personal experience about these jumps because I had never got this far with a bike intact, but from watching Oli these jumps looked great and if landed nicely into the down slopes looked ultra smooth and fun. We stopped here for a while to try and get a decent photo.

From here start a series of almost hipped jumps into berms going from left to right. Watching as Oli flicked the back end in the air to catch the berms I started to feel slightly jealous, it all looked great fun. As the trail weaves its way back into the open there is a funny step-up to step-down jump that Oli made look easy which Im sure it wasnt. This was followed by a series of about four table tops ranging in size, slowly getting bigger as you make your way down. I set the camera up at the first one and watched as Oli powered down into it, he obviously hit it a bit keenly and almost over shot the down slope. Attempt two saw better results as he sailed over them one after the other. After the table tops is a big curved wooden wall-ride which looks insane, this was given a wide berth as Oli finished up on the last couple of berms. I hobbled over to meet him on the picnic table, as we finished off our butties and I contemplated the long walk back down to the car. 

To sum the freeride section up, it looked like anyone regardless of skill and ability could have fun on it in one way or another. Everything was completely ride-able with a selection of options in places to suit each rider and every jump is completely roll-able, so there no pressure to go for them. If you are feeling daring its a great place to push yourself and develop your skills and you dont necessarily have to be a pro downhill or freerider to get some enjoyment out of it. All in all it looked great fun, so fingers crossed next time I venture to Cwmcarn my bike will hold up and Ill be able to sample some of the trail myself.

More info on the trails Cwm Carn

Get a map for the DH at Cwm Carn

Get uplift at Cwm Carn