trail-udates-for-southern-scotland-and-the-7stanes

It seems to be just one of those things that nothing stays the same forever, and no matter how much effort we put into writing our excellent guides, trails are bound to change over time.

Check here for trail updates and for further information on routes in the Bikefax guidebooks.

The Merrick - Galloway

Access Update
The Merrick Galloway 1.11.06

The folk at Galloway Forest Park have expressed concern about mountain biking on Merrick following a letter of complaint from a walker and ask for our cooperation in keeping the path safe for everybody. Whilst the FC who owns the land concedes that in no way are mountain bikers who ride up the mountain in breach of the Scottish access code or the Land Reform Act, it is perhaps a timely reminder that our access as mountain bikers still has to be earned through responsible behaviour.

The ride up the Merrick is a fantastic all adventure ride that is quite honestly far more suited to experienced and well equipped cross country riders than to downhillers with heavier bikes, and with its two hour tramp to the top it is unlikely that the hill will ever see more than a dedicated few riders. But for those who do go up there. Please remember it is a real mountain, so go equipped for all weather and all eventualities, and that the trail is multi-use and very popular with walkers.

We suggest that you avoid busy times such as school holidays and bank holidays, always be courteous to walkers ( a smile and a hello goes a long way) and give way to them and their dogs, and to avoid erosion stick to the line of the path at all times.

For more information

Scottish Outdoor Access
www.outdooraccess-scotland.com

Scottish Natural Heritage
www.snh.org.uk

IMBA
www.7stanes.gov.uk

7stanes
www.7stanes.gov.uk  

7Stanes & Chris's Microblast

Thanks to Chris Ross for an update on his tidy little route - the microblast.

The text for Kirroughtree Chris's Microblast should read from way point 3 - "At this point leave the Red route and go straight on along a grassy track for about 500m until you join the red route again which turns back below and parallel to the track you have just ridden down and back underneath the Pyramid and we've now built another 3km of singletrack since you visited but it does not change the route substantially, cuts out more road though!

Chris

GLENTRESS FREERIDE PARK

The freeride park Glentress is now fully up and running.

Packed full of advanced level features, the Freeride Park is an ideal spot for riders looking to push their skill levels, style it up, learn new tricks or just hang out and ride with friends. It's located right next to the Buzzards Nest car park. The park is graded extreme with a great range of features, small and large. Check out the info panels on site before riding. In addition to helmet and gloves, body armour is strongly recommended!

Essentials

Whereas the two trails above have mainly medium-sized features, this new trail, built with novice freeriders in mind, is a little mellower and incorporates a wide range small features (with some optional medium lines to improve those skills). The trails are super wide and smooth with soft fall areas and plenty of spots to catch a breather.

The trail is split up into a series of short sections, each with different types of feature and dedicated push up paths.

Sections include: easy split-size tabletop and step up jumps; low raised timber north shore trails linking between large rocks; low skinnies and timber trails weaving in/out of the trees; timber and dirt wall rides; pump track; split step down jump; small and medium sized tabletop sets and a funbox.

Work continues to improve Glentress, with ongoing tweaks to the existing trails, new sections of single-track for the blue and red routes planned and an ambitious and well-equipped new visitor centre scheduled to open in 2009.

The Freeride trails

The Unnamed Packing 23 jumps into its 650m length this trail is a veritable jump-fest! Featuring mostly 'tabletops, these medium-sized jumps have fairly steep up-ramps and sharp lips that ping you into the air. If you're new to this type of jump, check out the Essentials trail first. Down the start ramp, a couple of pedal strokes and you're on the first jump. The next two come straight after but being through a left turn are trickier to negotiate. Keeping low through these sets you up nicely for two more tabletops then a sweet 180º berm. Exiting this, you're straight into two more tabletops then a hip jump dropping away into sweeping left-hander, which leads into two slightly bigger tabletops. Onto the brakes for a tricky set of rock steps through a tight right-hander and youre into a tightly spaced set of five tabletops, then two smaller jumps. The trail now drops away steeply, firing you into another set of five tabletops. After these, the trail flattens, giving time for a quick breather before two final tabletops and the option of hitting the Funbox.

Cycopath

This trail takes a more direct route down the hill and starts as it means to go on with three log skinnies in quick succession. Each is no more than 2-3 feet off the ground, but with less than 10 inches of riding surface to play with, theres not much room for error. Next comes a wide ramped drop with a long run out roll it or launch it and clear the ramp completely! Scrub a little speed for a left hand berm and youre at the Hucks three timber ladder drops (small, medium and large). The small one can be rolled off, the other two definitely have to be jumped! Land on the wide, steep run out and set up for a right hand berm that fires you onto the first wall ride. Off this one and youre straight onto a second one. These are tricky (not to mention flippin slippy in the wet), as you have to jump onto and off both. Here speed, skill and a healthy dose of courage are whats needed. Merging with The Unnamed, the trail then hits two final small tabletops, setting you up for the final feature a Funbox. At 8ft high, 6ft wide and over 15ft long, its a beast, though on and off ramps mean it can be rolled or jumped at both ends.

Stuart's Windy One

Whatho! Been meaning to get in touch for a while with an update to Stu's Windy One from the Southern Scotland book. There's now a track across the hillside after the xylophone stuff on the north side of the Borestane that avoids the schlep round on the road. Starts at NT139611 and runs across the hillside to Bavelaw at NT160627, it's a bit of a motorway (shooting track so the chaps don't spill their gin on the way to blast shit out of the partridge population) but at least it's offroad.

Cheers, Stuart

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