One thing that I remember about the UK at the time I left the island was that the seasons were becoming very blurred into each other. You could have a summer’s day in February or a monsoon for all of July and August. Or more the usual steady monochromatic grey overcast dreariness that always prevailed. As a rider I became indifferent to the conditions, I’d always assume the worst whenever I was packing my gear up to go riding and even if it had been sunny and in the mid-twenties for a week with nothing but sunshine on the weather forecast I’d always have an extra layer and a waterproof tucked into a corner of the car.

Raging waterfalls in the alps as the snow from the hills above starts its journey to the sea.
Photo © Soren Rickards

Four seasons 

Since I’ve been in the Alps I’ve reacclimatised myself to what I’d call ‘proper seasons’. Although the mountains are notoriously unpredictable, even dangerously unpredictable at certain times of my year, there are at least some guarantees: In winter it will generally be bloody cold and everything will get covered in snow; this then melts in the spring and flies down the mountain and off waterfalls; the place then goes lurid green as the temperature rises during the summer; then slowly cooling again as winter approaches once more. Sometimes these transitions are like a switch being thrown. There’s been more than one autumn when I’ve been out on my bike in shorts and t-shirt on dusty trails and then the weekend after I’ll have a snowboard on my feet. Instant winter. The seasons are very much part of life here, the tourist industry, farming and simple day-to-day life are all based around these distinct patterns.

In an earlier post that I pledged my allegiance to MTB at the start of the winter and vowed to keep the wheels turning through the snowy months. What I didn’t know at the time was that we were on the brink of one of the mightiest winters of snowfall for eight or nine years! Metres and metres of the stuff came down relentlessly all winter, making for some of the best skiing conditions I’ve ever experienced. However, despite this I kept true to my promise to keep riding. I’m good like that.

Snow? Pah

At the height of winter it was utterly pointless to try to get a bike out there. Fun as it was at the start of the winter to go and thrash about in 20-30cms of white stuff, when you start measuring the snow in metres it’s a different story. Besides, I’d prefer to be out snowboarding anyway! So it wasn’t until there was a bit of a lull in the snowfall in February that I decided to get the bikes out again, shuttling some of the summer haunts with varying degrees of success with a number of other hardcore bike riders. If someone had been out on snowshoes and left a trail this would freeze up and leave a nice crust on the top of the snowpack, which would support your wheels enough to ride reasonably normally. Should you stop concentrating for a split second and let your front wheel stray from this tightest of singletrack a very swift exit over the bars would be your reward! As someone was inevitably doing exactly this at any given point of the ride it was virtually impossible to maintain any levels of concentration in between fits of cruel laughter.

Fallen trees and tons of snow made for heavy going over the height of winter.

Other times you’d find yourself trudging for hours through heavy slush, feet soaked to the bone and dragging a clogged up and useless bicycle behind you as you’d ‘underestimated’ the amount of snow on a particular trail, caught out by the conditions miles from home. I call this ‘the spirit of adventure’.

Another sortie involved taking the car up the road to the middle station of the local ski hill before bombing back down the pistes. I still remember the look that a Parisian tourist gave me as I overtook him on a bicycle as he was doing his best attempt at a speed tuck! Riding on the pistes was amazing fun but we really thought we were playing with fire after that one go at it. Although we picked a quiet time to try it the reality was that you can’t exactly stop on a sixpence with a bike on snow and ice, no matter how good your brakes are. We thought it was only a matter of time before we collided with a skier, mowed down ski school or, even worse, lost our lift passes. We thought it better to retreat to the forests once again.

The big melt 

Eventually after one hell of a winter the thermometer started to creep back into plus figures much more regularly and the lower slopes of the mountains thawed bit-by-bit. By early April spring had well and truly sprung and the lower half of the mountain, including some of the bike trails, had dried out completely. Feeling dry, loamy dirt back under your wheels is such a great sensation after months of flailing around on snow and ice.

One of the gondolas took the frankly groundbreaking step of allowing us up the lift with our bikes (either that or the lifty was such a space cadet that he didn‘t notice we weren‘t his usual clientele, this is a highly likely possibility). That’s a funny scene when you have a cabin full of people wrapped up in ski gear and two blokes in shorts with bikes!

Needless to say we milked this opportunity for all it was worth for the last two weeks the lift stayed open, skiing in the morning until the heat turned the snow to mush and then after a quick change heading back out on the bikes.

Time to shuttle

Spring is not the time to be adventuring deep into the mountains though. For the last few weeks the sounds of avalanches and rock falls have been echoing around the valley as the mountains shake off the last of their white winter coats.

It’s time to re-find the old familiar trails, brush up the skills and get your head in gear. There’s nothing quite as intimidating as steep, rooty chute full of mud like chocolate and ruts as deep as your axles when you’ve been used to pristine white slopes for a few months.

Dodgy shuttle runs r us.

With just a downhill machine to play with at the moment the name of the game has been shuttle runs as the local downhill trails thaw. The amount of snow that fell over winter caused significant damage to some trees in the forest that couldn’t support the mass of crystals on their branches, so leading a group out can be quite a daunting experience as the trails are littered with fallen trees and branches. One second you’ll feel that flow again as you start to remember the contours and ripples of your favourite trail and the next you’ve both brakes locked up skidding along yelling ‘stop, stop, stop!’ to the guys behind you as you find yourself careering towards what looks like a giant sequoia lying across the fastest bit of the trail.

Spring greens. Well, onions actually. Summer’s just around the corner!
Photo © Soren Rickards

Which monster peak next?

This little taste of summer has awoken all the thoughts and plans I’d been making in the autumn of things I wanted to do the following summer with my bike, and places I’d promised myself I’d get to. As all the loam and leaves start to brush off the trails and the same old ruts and holes begin to form, that desire to get away and up into the hills begins to grow stronger. More and more I find myself pouring over maps and glancing up at the hills, watching the snow recede exposing another part of the mountains I haven’t yet reached with my bike. That’s just the hills I can see from my window, the lifetime of riding that the Haute Savoie contains is truly mind-blowing and sometimes the toughest choice I have is what or where to ride next….

There are quite a few plans nearing fruition that I’m looking forward to putting into words, it won’t be long now, roll on summer.

Nick Maher at home in the Alps. Stay tuned for more soon.
Photo © Soren Rickards

Another day another discipline. Tracy’s been racing all sorts recently.
Photo by Doc Ward

Mojo Trail Diaries

Straight after the enduro race in Afan I stayed in South Wales and spent three days filming with the guys from Eyesdown films making the next Mojo trail diary video. That weekend was the one when it snowed like crazy, so the first day filming and riding in the Brecon Beacons was absolutely freezing and somewhat snowy under tyre… Although a very cold three days I got to ride in some great locations around South Wales, all within a very short distance from Mojo’s headquarters in Risca. I spent time at Mojo and got to ride with some amazing riders from all different disciplines. Sam Blake from the dirt jump world, Martyn Ashton the legendary trials rider and Tim Ponting, an amazing DH rider from the late 90s. All lovely guys with so much talent on a bike it was a great privilege to spend some time riding and filming with them. I also got to ride with boss of Mojo Chris Porter and a few local guys and staff from Mojo. It was such a fun few days getting to ride new trails and having a great laugh with a lovely bunch of people.

FOD DH Summer Series

From there I had a few days at home (finally) to recover and get some training in for the fast approaching season. As I was heading out to race at the Sea Otter Classic later in the month I thought I should get a little time in riding downhill, so I went to the first round of the Forest of Dean Summer Series. The forest is such a great location now for riding and the choice of DH tracks is brilliant. The race was on one of the newest tracks called GBU. It’s pretty much a jumps, berms and pedalling track from top to bottom, perfect preparation for the Sea Otter Downhill. I took my Trek Slash and decided to use the day as great training not only on the downhill but also some quality uphill work too. I just put on my (Osprey) pack so I could have food and water and was also able to attach my full face helmet to it on the way up and just spent the morning riding up and then back down the hill. I could do runs quicker than getting an uplift. 10 min pedal to the top and then two back down! I did about 6 runs and then I was ready for racing. I forgot to take my pack off for my first race run, so ended up racing DH with my pack on, which caused a stir amongst the DH crew! I am going to have to race enduros out in Europe like that so I guess it was good practice. I had a good race, taking the women’s win ahead of Jess Stone and recording the ninth fastest time of the day. Happy with that and a great training day done.

Racing DH at the Forest of Dean.

Midlands XC

From DH racing I then went to XC racing to take part in the second round of the Midlands XC series in Chesterfield. It was a pretty fun little course once you got in to the woods, but the first section was just horrendous. A gradual climb on grass that was as soft as a sponge into a massive headwind. It was so hard just to move forward and it was a tough start to each lap. I found myself in second place fairly soon after the start behind Jessie Roberts who won the first midlands race I did a few weeks ago. I really wanted to try and stay in touch with her this week but I just couldn’t seem to close the gap. Every lap ended with some downhill sections and I felt as though I kept making time, but would then lose it on the climb out of the start. At the start of the last lap I really had closed in and I dug deep to try closing the gap. Slowly as the lap went on I was getting closer and closer and it took me almost the entire lap to finally get back to her and I was able to pass her just as we entered the last descent with about 1km to go. I just put my head down and managed to stay away to the finish line to take the win! I was happy as I had worked really hard all race to stay in touch and definitely got a good work out!

Spot of XC racing for good measure, with a win thrown in just to be sure.
Photo by James Richards

Sea Otter

Straight from the race I drove home and quickly packed my bags ready to leave for San Francisco the next morning. The Sea Otter Classic is a season opener bike festival in America and a race I haven’t been to for a few years, so I was excited that Trek wanted me to be there. This year I was doing something a little different and taking on the cross country, the short track and the downhill race… All good training for the upcoming World Enduro Series, that’s what I was telling myself at least.

Not a bad result then in the Sea Otter DH with most of the world’s top racers kicking about.
Photo by Carol Stacy

The short track race was a short 1km loop around the pit area of the venue with some tight turns, a few rocks and a 50m section of sand to try and ride through. It’s a mass start race and you race for 20mins plus 3 laps. I had no idea what to expect from this, as I had never done anything like it. I had a great start and went from the back of the grid to about 10^th place after the first corner, but soon the speed of the girls was too much for me and within half a lap I had already dropped off the front group and just found myself slowly going backwards and trying to stick to the wheel of the next person that came by me on the flat. I felt great around the corners, but as soon as it opened out they just sprinted flat out. I lasted for about 14mins and 21^st position. It was quite an experience and highlighted just how much work I need to do to improve my speed on the flat for XC racing.

XC racing at a world level too. Tracy is mad for it!
Photo by Carol Stacy

Next up was the XC race the following day. This one was just one big lap of around 20miles, so there was no chance of getting lapped or pulled from the race! Again I had a good start and stayed with the front group until it started to climb off-road and then the pace just increased and I found my legs and lungs unable to maintain their pace. I need a downhill section to recover after every few minutes at that speed! I completed the course and finished 33^rd out of around 45 starters, so I was again happy with that as it was a pretty stacked top part of the field with legendary female road and cyclocross racer Marianne Vos taking the win both days. I actually lined up next to her at the start which was pretty amazing. I just wish someone had taken a picture.

My final day of racing was the downhill. What should be back in my comfort zone, but having spent very little time actually riding downhill this winter I felt a bit rusty. I had only done a few runs of practice on the first day I arrived due to my XC races so needed to get a few more in before the race on the Sunday morning. I managed to take 2^nd place behind one very motivated Jill Kintner, who I think will have a great season on the DH World Cup circuit. I definitely did not get the jumps that good at the top of the course so I think lost some valuable time to Jill there but I was happy with a podium to round out my busy weekend of racing.

UK Gravity Enduro Innerleithen

From the sun of California it was then back home to the rain/hailstone showers and sunshine of Innerleithen for round 2 of the UK Gravity Enduro series. My busy few weeks of racing and travelling finally got the better of me and I spent the weekend with a sore throat and full-on cold, so not feeling me best. Sadly the on and off rain and some freshly cut tracks also made for some very muddy tough conditions just to make things harder for me. It is always going to be the hardest enduro of the year in the UK as the hill at Innerleithen is a good one, so transitions between stages were 40-plus minutes. I set off at 9am and got the finish at 2pm, so it was a big morning out with five tough stages. I managed to be pretty consistent all day, only making a few mistakes on stage 4 and managed to keep my bike running well all day. Continuous mud removal with a stick was the key I think!

Finally a win at the UK Gravity Enduro series to round off the pre-season training… Now to the Enduro World Series which Tracy will be racing at the end of this week.
Photo by Doc Ward

I was happy to take the win and finish the day knowing I could now take a few days off to get rid of my cold and get ready for my trip to Europe for the first World Enduro Series race in Italy, which takes place at the end of this week.

Read my last blog here.

Map of the trails for the opening Enduro World Series event in Punta Ala, Italy.

Manufacturers, multiple world champions, downhillers, cross country racers – they’ll all be there. The event is part of the Italian Superenduro race series (as each event in the EWS is also part of an existing series), which has helped no end with lifting the stage race discipline into the limelight since the series’ inception only a handful of years ago.

Anne Caloline Chausson with Superenduro organiser Enrico Guala.

This is not going to be an easy event by any means, as 19 time MTB World Champion and Olympic BMX Champion Anne Caroline Chausson puts it, “This race will be particularly demanding, the transfers are long with little time available, this will favour those who are in better shape.”

Read our interview with event host Thomas Daddi here.

The five timed stages will be long and varied and the transfers between them will not leave a huge amount of breathing space for mechanical issues or slacking on the long uphills as we found out when we interviewed the event host Thomas Daddi recently. You can read his thoughts and how he has worked on making this the right level here.

Last year’s Superenduro event from Punta Ala.

The event program consists of one ‘prologue’ stage on Saturday, which is basically a showcase downtown event through the nearby town of Castiglione della Pescaia, and then five stages on Sunday with a total distance of 65km, 1780m of climbing and taking an estimated six hours for the entire day’s racing. Full details and stats can be found on the Superenduro page.

Details of the event timetable.. More can be found on the Superenduro website.

For us, the most interesting aspect of this and the rest of the Enduro World Series is that many of the sport’s top riders from all manner of disciplines are signed up and clearly taking it very seriously (as are their sponsors). Steve Peat is one example and he is signed up to almost the entire series and with his contract at Santa Cruz recently renewed for multiple years we suspect that enduro glory is in his sights. We’ve even heard that he’s stopped boozing!

Have a look at the Teams page on the World Series site to see who’s racing.

Anne Caro testing the water. But how many of the big names racing here have done one of these events before? There could be some surprises coming this weekend.

However, the interesting point is that many of the top pro riders who are taking this very seriously don’t seem to have a great deal of experience of the events or the racing format. The first Superenduro several weeks ago would have been a great testing ground for these riders but the top end of the start list was not hugely different to a regular Superenduro. Olympian and 4X Champ Jared Graves for example has been racing both DH and XC at home in Australia and talking of a full enduro season, but will he be in for a surprise at Punta Ala?

Jerome Clementz talks with organiser Enrico Guala about the coming season for the discipline, the sport and the riders taking part.

Is your money on the ‘regular’ enduro faces of Jerome Clementz, Andrea Bruno and Remy Absalon or will the race be dominated by the undeniable talents of the downhill World Cup stars? We’ve got a funny feeling that Peaty might pull one out the bag…

We’ll be at the event this weekend the 18/19 May with blow-by-blow coverage so stay tuned for more.

www.enduroworldseries.com

The UBYK Oxford store offers bikes and components from high end brands such as Lapierre, Ibis, Yeti and Santa Cruz as well as a level of service above that of many ‘normal’ bike shops with expert riders, coaches and mechanics making up the staff and their experience and service coming into use with every customer query. If you’re serious about mountain bikes then UBYK is a great go-to for sales, service and repairs.

The UBYK Oxford store. Get down there for high end treats and superb service.

The Reverb prize is a generous offering and it would make for a fantastic upgrade to a trail bike. If you haven’t already got one, then get entered!

If you need a little more convincing (which you probably don’t), then here’s RockShox’s description of the Reverb:

When you’re ripping through rolling terrain, cranking the pedals one minute and getting off the back of the bike the next, no seat height is “just right.” The all-new Reverb gives you infinite seat-height adjustment and control of your return speed in a hydraulically actuated remote package. A custom sealing system means the plush and consistent feel of this seat post won’t degrade, no matter how much the weather does.

So there you have it, in our experience the Reverb is the smoothest operating and most advanced dropper post on the market and therefore the most desirable, making this one of the best prize draws we’ve had on Bike Magic.

Simply answer the easy multiple choice question to be in for a chance to win this great prize thanks to UBYK:

Closing date for this competition is Thursday 23rd May so get yourself entered to be in with a chance of winning the Reverb! Good luck.

TERMS & CONDITIONS: By entering you are agreeing to receive details of future offers and promotions from Factory Media and related third parties. This competition will close on May 23rd, 2013.

PERSONAL STATEMENT: By entering I also confirm I have read and accept the terms & conditions of the prize draw, competition rules and privacy policy.

A destination of choice, in the opinion of most people who have ridden there it’s possibly Europe’s best riding spot. It’s got everything you could possibly ask for as a mountain biker and, even better, you can climb off the bike and sit down to amazing food at a fraction of what you’d pay over here.

Richard Williams of Riviera Bike.
Photo © Ben Winder

We sat down with Richard Williams, publican turned events professional turned trail guide for Riviera Bike, to talk how you end up in such a place, what it’s like, and why he can’t go back to his former life now.

Bike Magic: So a bit of background – who are you, how old are you, and where are you from?

Richard Williams: I’m 32 years old at the moment, and I had a bit of a strange upbringing. I didn’t really come from anywhere, as my parents were military diplomatic service, so I grew up all over the world, really, then got dumped in boarding school. So I guess that’s where I’m from, Stamford – I spent ten years in boarding school there, then university and then I lived in London.

BM: What were you doing in London?

RW: I went to university first – I had to spend a year doing art school to do graphic design, so I spent a few years of university there, and then got into the pub trade. I ended up working in nightclubs and stuff – I loved all that life, but I ended up buying a little pub in Battersea and had that for two and a bit years before I sold it. Then basically I got a bit of money from that, so I thought rather than take my parents’ advice and invest it, I’d go and live a little, so I moved out to Meribel and pissed around for a year and learned how to snowboard really well – something I’d always loved but never had the chance to do. I did that as long as I could, then came back to the UK and went back into the pub trade and the nightclub trade as an area manager for Virgin, and I hated it. Being in the great outdoors for a whole year, I couldn’t go back to the office thing – it ruined it for me. But it was the best thing I did really, because it set me onto the path I’m on now. So from there I got into event work – started off just in the summer and became a lackey just working with marquees and things like that. I absolutely loved the outdoor life and that sort of stuff, so I just worked my way through and ended up right at the top, working for quite a large Europe-based event company, doing that for about eight years really.

BM: What made you give all that up and move to Molini?

RW: Well the Italian government were running a sort of competition because there was a disproportionately large number of females to males up in the mountain villages, so I thought, you know… that’s where I need to be going! No, that’s a lie.

London life wasn’t really panning out how I hoped it would – having had the opportunity to live in quite a few countries, I never really enjoyed living in England that much: it’s very expensive with most of your money going on rent, and what little money you do have left over at the end of the month – and I was on a really good salary running the company – you either save and don’t live, or live and don’t save.

I didn’t really have any ties. I picked up a mountain bike about five years ago as I got bored of snowboarding, and it took over my life. One thing came to another, and I decided to combine the two, and after a few fortunate events with my boss Ady (Aidrian Nash, Riviera Bike owner), I just decided this was definitely the thing to do.

BM: So Ady in one sentence? What’s a mountain bike company owner like…?

RW: Grumpy, Welsh… No, I shouldn’t say that. Ady in one sentence is very hard-working, forward-thinking, an entrepreneur, and my boss. He’s done an incredible job really – he’s really put this place on the map. Before he got here a few locals knew about it – Roberto Vernassa had done the downhill (in nearby San Romolo) and some of the tracks, but he’s really worked very hard to forge it as a destination of choice for UK riders, and it’s testament to him that it’s so popular – we’re booked up all year.

BM: So how would you describe this area?

RW: Very remote, I wouldn’t say backward, but lots of little villages ruled by farming life, high in manual labour and things like that… And a lot of Italy perceive it as backwards, so people don’t really bother coming down here. But to outsiders, it’s absolutely stunning: it’s got amazing topography, an incredible area not just for sport but to relax in. It’s very quiet – there’s not a huge amount of tourism at the moment, and while there’s more in the summer, if you compare it to Nice or Monaco down the road, it’s very underdeveloped. So just a beautiful, tranquil little place.

The riding is phenomenal. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done – it’s just got everything you could possibly want. Twisty, turny, flowy amazing trails through the trees that incorporate pretty much every terrain imaginable. You have to come here to believe it. The return rate for customers is almost 100%. Do I need to say any more?

Here’s a video to demonstrate just how good the riding is around the area:

BM: So is this the dream job? What would you sum your job up as?

RW: Essentially I’m a full-time guide. It is a pretty dream-worthy job in all respects, really. I’ve traded London with its fast-paced life, good money and city living for a completely departed existence, living in a small village with a couple of hundred people. So the change has been a bit of a culture shock, but it is all about the lifestyle. It’s a very simple life – you’re out and about all day every day and you’re not back until about 7, but you don’t really see it as work. I don’t see many people getting out of bed every morning really being able to say they’re looking forward to going to their office-based 9-5… I certainly didn’t.

BM: Could you ever go back?

RW: No, not at all. I came here with a very open mind – I gave it six months because it’s so different to what I’d been doing, I didn’t know how I’d take it. I was pretty certain it would be fine, but I did have an open mind. Within a few weeks I knew this was for me. I went back in the winter just for a few weeks to catch up with my friends in London and it really brought home every reason I moved away. I couldn’t imagine going back – I’m here for the long run.

BM: What’s a day in the life of Richard Williams, pro bike guide like?

RW: Essentially, we have people who come for weeklong holidays. That’s the main structure to what we do. So what I’m doing is guiding people, looking after them and showing them the trails we have in Molini. We’ll take them up in the van or do a bit of climbing and get to the head of the trail, and I’ll show them down and tell them how to get there. It’s a lot more involved than that though – there’s the teaching element, the coaching element, there’s the medical side of things, organising people – it’s all-encompassing basically.

BM: What is the plan for the future?

RW: This is definitely the career path I want to go down in terms of the industry and being out here. With my background in event management, we’ve already spoken about doing events down here and bolstering the pre-existing enduro circuits – that would be a good thing to do.

Also hopefully setting up something more adventure-based, working in line with Ady, being able to do more point-to-point tours, enduro holidays where we take on board all the different areas here rather than just a couple – I think people would really enjoy being able to sample all the Riviera spots because they’re so different to each other.

For myself, I’ve got a couple of ideas – I’d like to create a professional outlet for World Cup teams in this area, I’m possibly looking at the hotel in San Romolo [where many of the downhill teams spend time training], converting it into somewhere with a gym, sauna, rehabilitation room, somewhere where you can have full working with garages and working space… something like that, so that everyone can be housed in one big unit and go out and train together from there.

The important thing is not to step on people’s feet here – Ady’s been very good in taking me on board and teaching me the ropes, and Roberto too… so you don’t want to suddenly set up shop next door and try to compete – that’s the way to do things. Maybe something completely different to something that’s already being done here.

BM: Finally, three or four reasons why the UK rider should come and spend a week out here with you?

RW: For one it will develop their riding dramatically – they will come back a much more competent and accomplished rider*. Secondly, it’s nothing like a resort or a big uplift centre – you experience the local culture, the people here – you feel like you’re part of the village. I really do recommend that people try it – I don’t bother with bike parks any more. It’s better here, it’s cheaper, it’s beautiful, tranquil… and the weather. The coast is right on your doorstep… I could go on but you’re best just coming over and finding out for yourself.

www.rivierabike.co.uk 

*Ed. note: And with more of an understanding of the effects of local Grappa…

Despite living in Wales for over ten years up until recently, I have never had the chance to climb Snowdon on my bike. All that changed a couple of weekends ago when I was invited by Hit the Hills to do just that.

I called up old mate Rhys Holtham to see if he was keen on this mini-adventure, who responded with his now age old retort of ‘I’ve got stuff to sort on the house.’ Luckily for him he followed it up by calling back and saying the house could wait, as it was an experience he didn’t want to miss.

Setting off from Bristol at 7am on a Saturday morning to pick Rhys up in South Wales en-route I’d forgotten that despite already being in Wales it was a four-hour drive to the northwest of Wales and the peaks of Snowdonia.

Welcome to the mountains. The peaks are savage round here. Perfect for a bike ride.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

Arrival and the epic climb

On arriving at our destination of Ben’s Bunkhouse, just south of Llanberis, we were greeted by Hit The Hills boss Christian (read his interview here), who told us our three course dinner would be ready at around 8pm so if we liked we would have time to go up and come back down Snowdon.

The climb is long but worth the effort. Remember to respect the walkers though.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

Given that the weather was meant to be frankly sh*t on the Sunday, we jumped at this and, accompanied by Christian, we set off from the bunkhouse in a rare moment of glorious spring sunshine. A quick 1km warm up on the road to the foot of the mountain and we were straight into the climb, which starts off with a very steep energy sapping tarmac climb. Enough to just about finish me off before we had even started.

Snow on the ground still, but spring is a good time to be out on Snowdon.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

We were riding up the Llanberis path, which is used by most of the punters walking to and from the summit. Setting off late in the afternoon was a good call for the descent from the top but for getting up there it was a bit of a pain as with that many walkers you have to do a fair bit of politely waiting for large groups of people to wander slowly by before you attempt the many technical sections. About 75% of the climb is ride-able and pretty challenging in places, with the rest being a push or hike-a-biking.

Shorts and t-shirt? Whatever next?

Once up into the snow line the temperature dropped significantly and many of the walkers looked pretty bemused at our shorts and t-shirt get-up. On reaching the summit we were greeted with stunning views as far as the eye could see, but accompanied with a bitingly cold wind. We hung about at the top for a while then set about getting off the mountain using the Ranger’s path, which it turns out is a pretty technical descent in places. Our host Christian lasted about three turns from the summit before his chain ripped through a few spokes and potato-chipped his rear wheel, so he unfortunately had to pootle back down the main path as it was pretty far from fixable.

Nearing the summit. Christian unfortunately couldn’t benefit the efforts and had to limp his way down.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

All that climbing/pushing/hike-a-biking was well worth the effort as the Ranger’s path down is sublime – a mixture of the best the Alps and Scotland have to offer in terms of technical rocky riding; if you can get down the entire descent without dabbing a foot then you’re a pretty gifted individual. We stopped en-route to capture some pretty pictures of Rhys sessioning certain sections, so I’m not entirely sure how long a non-stop run would take. As we started off late we had the trail to ourselves until we came across another group of riders who were dealing with their second or third puncture each – take note, run your pressures high and use some heavier duty rubber for this trail!

The descent is not for the faint hearted.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

We rolled into Llanberis at about 7pm and trundled the short ride back to the bunkhouse ready for the cake (many slices of) followed by the grub Christian had prepared us. He runs Hit the Hills on a kind of ski chalet system – afternoon tea and cake, then a three-course dinner. The food was fantastic, and there was no need for all the Spar snack grot we had brought with us as there was a serious amount of food on offer and at a very high standard.

Sunshine, hills, epic descent. And a fried breakfast the next morning. Not a bad combo.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

The Cli-Machx…

The next day we were greeted (after a very large fried breakfast) with dark skies and rain so we decided to wuss out of clambering up any more mountains and headed to  Machynlleth on the way back south for a spin around the Cli-Machx trail.

Oh yes.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

The beauty of staying with Christian is that for not much cash you can base yourselves with him, and not have to worry about food and all the boring bits in-between riding and just get out there and ride. His base near Snowdon is ideally placed for Snowdon (obviously, duh), but there is also a massive amount of other natural riding as well as the numerous North Wales trail centres, which are in close proximity.

Inside the accomodation. Christian runs a chalet-style set up and it really works.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

Please be aware that there is an mutual agreement between mountain bikers and other mountain users not to ride Snowdon between certain dates and times, so check that out online before planning this one. Having said that you can always ride it early in the morning (and I mean early) or in the evening.

Not a bad spot for a stay near Snowdon. But remember that Christian runs many different packages in various locations across the UK and this is just one example. Have a look at his website for all the details.
PIC © Andy Lloyd

Hit The Hills offers this trip and many similar options in various UK locations, with natural and trail centre riding on tap and a wild abundance of cake and coffee thanks to the quality catering service laid on by Christian.

A big thanks to Christian for the support, food and for pointing us in the direction of one of Britain’s ‘must do’ rides.

www.hitthehills.com

Your trusty reporter, Andy Lloyd.

Trek’s Superfly 100 is trail-ready with 110mm rear travel and a decent build kit.

The Superfly 100 of course used to be a Gary Fisher, but a couple of years ago parent company Trek rolled the Fisher bikes into their range and dubbed them the ‘Fisher Collection’. The only clue to this is a tiny GF graphic on the top tube; otherwise Trek logos dominate the frame. I think it’s a shame they’ve eliminated the Fisher logos as significantly as this, but there’s little point in dwelling on it for too long.

What Gary Fisher set out to achieve when he started championing 29ers a decade ago lives on in this bike, and that’s the important thing. It also benefits from Trek’s mighty depth of resources and borrows from their own full suspension bikes.

The AL Elite is the entry-level model in a five bike range.

Its Alpha Platinum Aluminium frame is cold extruded and butted at key points, giving shape and profile where it’s needed most. The down tube is curved at both ends and the cables are slung across the top and bottom making for clean routing. The straight top tube carries the shock mount and the short rocker that is driven by the straight seatstays. A curved tube struts the extended seat tube.

Asymmetric chainstays keep the drive side stay lower and away from the chain, making for a quieter rider. Trek’s clever ABP (Active Braking Point) Convert places the chainstay pivot around the rear axle. It can be switched from 135x5mm to the stiffer 142x12mm setup. Clearance around the rear wheel is impressive, and there’s room for much wider tyres if the fancy takes you. Rare to see such tyre/muck clearance on a US designed bike.

HUGE mud clearance.

Other details include a Press-Fit bottom bracket, direct-mount front mech and an E2 tapered head tube – 1.5in at the bottom and 1 1/8in up top.

The Superfly 100 has a different approach to 29er geometry. Gary Fisher’s G2 geometry uses a custom fork with an increased off-set to get around the problem of slower handling of the bigger, heavier wheels, without resorting to a crazy-steep head angle (imagine the difference in angle from crown to hub with a ‘normal’ fork compared to the G2’s extra off-set/curves at the crown which give the fork a steeper angle without upsetting the head angle or wheelbase of the bike). The fork is a Fox 32 Float Evolution with a 15mm bolt-thru axle and shares the new CTD low-speed compression dial with the Float Evolution rear shock.

Trek made the job of setting sag easier with the provision of plastic clip-on sag indicators. They’re marked with 20 and 25% and you simply fit them to the forks/shock, sit on the bike, and line the rubber band with the desired position on the indicator. It certainly makes the job a lot easier and gets you a very good setup that should be spot on from the first ride.

£2,200 is a lot of money but the Superfly 100 is well kitted out with a predominantly Shimano SLX groupset, but with a downgraded M552 triple chainset. It’s a shame Shimano don’t do a well-priced double 2×10 chainset at this level yet. The rear mech is upgraded to an XT Shadow item and the 11-36 cassette provides plenty of low-end gears. Brakes are SLX as well and the levers feature a nice easy to use lever reach dial.

There’s a lot of Bontrager kit on this bike, as you’d expect, and fortunately it’s all very good stuff. Bontrager Mustang 32-hole rims with alloy hubs with sealed bearings with very fast-rolling Bontrager 29-1 Expert 2.2in tyres. They might be fine in the dry but I can’t see them hooking up much in the wet.

The stem, bars, saddle and seatpost are all Bontrager too. The stem is 105mm so that might be coming off for something a little shorter, and I’ll see how I get on with the 690mm bars.

The Superfly 100 is available in five sizes. This is the 19in and the important geometry numbers look like this:

Head angle: 71.0 °
Seat tube angle: 73.6 °
Chainstays: 17.80 in
Bottom bracket drop: 12.80 in
Effective top tube: 24.29 in
Wheelbase: 44.84 in

So that’s the gist of the bike, I’m going to start thrashing it on my local and more distant trails with an interest to see how it compares to other 29ers I’ve ridden, such as the excellent Santa Cruz Tallboy and Specialized Camber, both similarly equipped 29er full-sussers.

Price: £2,200.00
More information: Trek Superfly 100 AL Elite

Day 3 – Mar Sein Leibh Loch Carrann

After what can only be described as the fastest consumption of dinner and deepest sleep ever, we were primed and ready for our final day in the mountains. Having been out for so long the day before, we opted for a ridiculous combo of porridge and a cooked breakfast. Both Rosie and I struggled to finish the latter portion but certainly made a hefty dent. Much needed fuel for the day ahead. After mucking about with Woody the Collie for the final time, we settled up and said farewell to our most excellent hosts, the rather lovely building and of course, Woody. More live Iron Maiden got us primed for another long day out; we couldn’t wait, not after the previous day’s antics.

Rosie saying a final goodbye to a rather rad pup.

For the final day, we’d be joined by Fort William supremos Joe Barnes and Fiona Beattie. This mirrored the trip we’d made here in October as the group comprised only of people who would much rather be out in the hills on bikes than doing anything else. It also meant that everyone had someone to chase/put space between. Huw had his eyes set of hunting Joe down, me and Sam exchanged places more times than Sam had punctures (that’s a lot of times) and there was now a duel in the ladies’ camp between Fiona and Rosie. All good natured and never planned, but just another facet of the final day.

The rough plan was to again head from the same spot, not that adventurous to be fair, but the path that follows the Fionn-abhainn is a great way of accessing the very heart of the area best known for its amazing descents. We’d again be heading up to, and past, the bothy. The plan was to again ascend to Bealach a’ Choire Ghairbh and around the back of Maoll Chean-dearg, skirting Loch na Eion and off the top of Bealach na Lice.

Skirting Loch an Eion looking out at Beinn Damph, Joe and Huw miles ahead.

We bumped into a local member of the Marines out on his own, heading over to Torridon and back, who said our chosen route was not the most optimal as there was no real descent around the back of the peak and we’d be better off heading in the opposite direction. Everyone knows that while big days out on the bike are the business, there has to be a descent that warrants the amount of climbing involved. Seems like common sense doesn’t it?

Pete taking in the Highland scenery.

We took the Marine’s advice and turned our route on its head. We’d ride a familiar climb before hooking left between Maol Chean-dearg and Meall Dearg. The trail that skirts Loch na Eion is a blast, another case of ‘get out what you put in’. Not massively steep, but with good flow and quite technical in spots. This trail was new to us all and I had one of the most bizarre crashes I’ve ever had only a few corners in. Some walkers had stopped to let us pass shortly after the trail crossed a stream. The stream looked fairly non-descript but was far deeper and the sides more precipitous than I had anticipated. I managed to send myself over the bars, but with my hands on the ground, my feet clipped in and the bike hanging vertically in perfect balance. Fiona arrived shortly afterwards and couldn’t get any words out she was laughing so much. She’d seen the whole event unfold and almost fell over laughing. I was pleased to provide her with amusement, which seemed to last most of the day…. The loch still had some thick ice where the sun hadn’t paid a visit, but was far from ride-able, despite Huw’s investigation. We spent some time trying to skim stones into a large hole in the ice some 30 feet out. Joe proved once again that he is the stone skimming World Champion and made us all look fairly average. Is there nothing this guy can’t do?

How to ruin a perfectly good view, part 2.

From the ice smashing, we headed up a fairly gentle and fast climb where it was all about the legs. Where the trail peaks, the view across Strath a’ Bhathaich and to the Beinn Damh massif matched the surrounds of the previous days and would produce a postcard in any direction. From here our movements were hampered by a number of landslips that had seen the original trail long gone and the going more stop-start. We eventually decided to turn back on ourselves. The lure of the descent out of Bealach na Lice was too strong. We’d ridden up it 3 times now, so it was very familiar and we knew fine well that we would be descending for some time on some sweet singletrack all the way back to the van.

Joeman showing us how it’s supposed to be done.

We weren’t to be disappointed. Swooping turns punctuated by ridiculous rocky gulleys that promised to snap off all extremities of bike and body came thick and fast. There’s no reason to back off where the going is good. The standard trail format here is a 3-foot wide patch of white quartzite gravel that weaves its way across the valley floor. Staying light on your feet and on the brakes pays dividends, rewarding your efforts for preserving momentum. The sun was still high and the breeze light, what a day for riding bikes! We were all having far too much fun to stop and regroup, everyone assuming the bothy would be the best place to get back together so the hammer was down. Joe made haste and proved his talent on a wee bike is not to be taken lightly. His change in velocity in all situations has seen a major jump over the winter. Huw set about hunting him down, using all the knowledge he gained guiding in the Alps and his XC racer legs to keep Joe in check. Sam and me were again at each other’s rear tyres until I had a big moment and let him pass. I left a big enough gap to not see him again until the bothy. By now, Rosie was in a sugar coma, but still trucking well with Fiona not far away. I forget which order they were in….

Pete starting back towards Bealach na Lice.

Between the bothy and the bridge, the trail starts to hit you with relentless water bars, each one vying to steal the wind from your tyres and at this late stage, 7 hours in, any one of us could have fallen foul. Luckily, we all managed to steer clear of the flats and made it to the bridge. The last few corners before the river crossing are high on grip and flow, offering some sublime riding. A short, sharp climb from the bridge presents possibly the second best descent on offer from the 3 days. It appeals to me, as it’s suitably long and rough, with multiple line choices favouring a cheeky backside of a rock to clear the rougher sections. My riding style in a nutshell. By now fatigue was setting in, so it was all about riding hard but keeping it in your pants. I’m sure we all had a moment or two where the bike decided it was going one way, followed by a strained facial expression and a summoning of all available strength to save the situation. The final stream crossing spells the end of the proper descending and was a chance to regroup and watch Rosie try and negotiate another river (she’s not a fan).

Huw getting his rear wheel steer on under the watchful eye of Sgorr Ruadh.

The last blast to the road is another where a decent set of legs and an inclination to pedal pays off. By this time I’d bonked, as had a couple of others. Rosie and myself had notched up 20 hours riding here, on top of the 6 the previous two days. We were all a little wrecked. There were no major style points available on the last section, so it was seats up and spin to the road.

The latest in helmet technology as modeled by Huw Oliver.

Another amazing day out in the wilds of Highland Scotland and more reason to go again. If we’d arrived earlier on the Monday we could have easily made it 24 hours riding in 72. It’s almost too easy to make a steady ride here last all day; even if you’re cracking on you’ll be out for several hours.

The Knowledge

We attacked this trip from Lochcarron, opting for the shorter drive but perhaps missing out on the ‘classic’ Torridon descents. Glen Torridon and the village itself has plenty of facilities much like Lochcarron but is obviously going to take longer to get to. We couldn’t find anything wrong with Lochcarron that would make us want to go elsewhere.

Travel 

Trains: Only an option if you live near or can get easy access to the Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh line. Lochcarron would be the best as it has the best facilities. A multi-day trip would mean you’d need to carry all your kit, plus the bike on the train. Bonuses are you don’t have to worry about driving or checking in. Downsides are listening to gabba blaring out of a youth’s phone for the duration of the trip.

Planes: Inverness is the nearest airport, an hour and a half away. This option would still leave you needing to catch a train or hiring a car. Bonuses are access to Inverness from most of the UK and you cover most of the distance very quickly. Downsides are you have to deal with ‘suits’, luggage restrictions and waiting lounges. 

Automobiles: If you’re lucky and own a suitable vehicle, this option allows the greatest flexibility. Put the fuel in and drive. Yes it requires one of those riding to get behind the wheel unlike the other options, but the scenery is the best, you can take as many pee breaks as you want and you get to choose the music you listen to. The major downside is the cost of long chain hydrocarbons to fuel said vehicle, small roads and crap drivers. 

Other options: Andy McKenna of GoWhere Scotland plies his trade here and seems to be the best at doing so. Nobody knows the best places to ride in this part of the world more than Andy. If you’re looking for the all-inclusive or a tailor-made package, do yourself a favour and give them a shout.

Accommodation: Rosie and me stayed here. Emma was the perfect host, had plenty of good chat, knew the area very well, had the best sheepdogs and even offered to let Huw and Sam camp on their lawn and use our shower. Breakfast options were hearty and varied to suit all tastes and the shower, while not enough to take your scalp off, was certainly a potent machine. Prices are £30 per person per night which is buttons considering what you get. The bed was so comfortable it almost made me forget my own bed. There are plenty of other options in Lochcarron, ranging from cheap to ridiculous and for those going solo or large groups.

Food: The Lochcarron Hotel is the best place to fuel up after a day’s riding. Dinner finishes serving at 9pm and we almost missed the cut on the first night but the bar staff clearly saw we were desperate and made room for us. Much of the food is caught, reared, grown and made locally and is all top notch. Service is rapid and the desserts to die for. Local beer, ale and whiskey is all available, just take it steady, you’ll want to be riding in the morning!

Part 2 of the story here.
Part 1 here.

Christian Newsome of Hit The Hills.
Photo © Andy Lloyd

Does it sound like we’re selling his company too much? The truth is that he has a great set up and most importantly the right ethos – he strives to make a modest living and not to take over the MTB holiday world. Leading a great lifestyle is of utmost importance and that’s why we’re fans of what he is doing.

Ladies and gents, may we introduce Christian Newsome, founder and chief grafter at Hit The Hills: 

Bike Magic: So Christian, where did you grow up and how did you first get into riding bikes?

Christian Newsome: I grew up in “Sunny Rhyl” on the North Wales coast wondering the local hills. I had a few friends at school who were into mountain biking so brought a Raleigh Ti 1000 in 1993 from Halfords for £280 and went out riding with them. They beasted me in the beginning.

When did you really get into MTBs and where/how did you develop your hobby?

Living in a seaside resort with loads of tourists milling about kind of pushes you to seek quieter spots and explore further afield. On the North Wales coast you have two options: the sea or the hills. After doing a few local trails with my mates I started riding further afield to the Clwydian Range and Gwydr Forest in North Wales on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. This sparked my love of the outdoors and doing epic days out.

Once I passed my driving test I got a bit lazy on the exploring front and then went to University in Leeds so had less time to ride but still managed to fit loads of time on the bike in when I returned home, I especially loved the Scouse Track at Moel Parc and Coed-y-Brenin.

Over the years I tried a few disciplines: cross country and downhill racing, street riding, trials, hike-a-bike, lift assisted etc. and after spending summers in the highlands, French Alps and Whistler I finally settled on what I guess you would call ‘all-mountain’. To this day there is nothing I love more than wondering round in the hills with my bike, a map and some good friends.

What’s your history in the Alps? Where have you worked and doing what?

After hitch hiking round China the year before I acquired a love of cooking so enrolled at my local catering college and learned how to do it professionally. I got a job in local restaurant and when the summer came they wanted me to work 80 hours a week for minimum wage. I decided to spend the summer managing a Chalet in Morzine instead and got a job for a well-loved alpine holiday company in 2005. It was great; I rode about 5 times a week, got horrendous sunburn and was acclaimed for having “le grand cheveux” (massive bouffon) by the locals.

Christian at work preparing the all-important MTB energy food of choice – cake.
Photo © Andy Lloyd

How did working in the Alps lead you to want to start your own company?

While working in the Alps I realised that there was a market for the chalet style experience in the UK. The set-up worked really well: an easily accessible base where you can ride all the great trails from the door, somewhere to hang out in-between riding, amazing food, like-minded guests and someone working to make sure it all goes smoothly.  All the riders loved switching off and being well looked after and I loved ensuring they were having a good time. I have found that this approach works really well in the UK and all the guests seem to love what Hit the Hills offers.

What does Hit The Hills do exactly then?

Hit the Hills offers guests fully catered weekends in the best locations for mountain biking in the UK.  It’s a base to hang out with your mates, ride some awesome mountain biking trails and let us take care of you. We offer breakfast, packed lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and as much tea and coffee as you can drink during your stay. Each venue has a dedicated host to make sure the weekend goes smoothly and that guests enjoy themselves. There is also a good supply of bike magazines, maps and guidebooks for guest to gander at when not riding. Guiding is also offered at an extra cost as well as other outdoor activities such as white-water rafting, gorge walking and coasteering.

Where do you operate?

In North Wales: Coed-y-Brenin, Snowdon, Berwyn Hills, Gwydr Forest (Llyn Crafnant). Then also Bamford – Peak District, Hubbeholme & Chapel-le-dale – Yorkshire Dales, Portinscale & High Wray – Lake District, Forest of Dean and the Long Mynd in Shropshire. Hit the Hills is customer led and super flexible; if a group of riders wants a different location it’s no problem as I can accommodate most requests.

Christian Newsome taking some time out in Snowdonia.
Photo © Andy Lloyd

Favourite location? Is this because of the facilities, the riding, the place or all of the above?!

All the venues have something about them, for example our Coed-y-Brenin venue is a upmarket cottage with a great view towards Cadair Idris and easy access to Pont Scethin, and Coed-y-Brenin; from the Snowdon bunkhouse you can ride (with a little bit of carrying) from the door to the summit; the Chapel-le-dale (Yorkshire Dales) bunkhouse is opposite a cracking pub and sandwiched between Yorkshire’s highest peaks and not much else; and then the Gwydyr Forrest venue is super remote, set amongst some of the most stunning scenery in Snowdonia and on the massive Llyn Cowlyd route. Shall I go on?

Are you aiming to build this into a full time living? Do you do other work to subsidise the company and do you have a long-term plan for Hit The Hills?

I am committed to creating a customer led mountain biking holiday company that offers guests an awesome experience every time they come to stay. The goal is to build a brand and become one of the top 5 mountain biking holiday companies in Europe. Hit the Hills is in the second year and after a lot of hard work is now self-funding. The next step is to make it pay a liveable wage so I can do it full time but until then I have a day job to pay the mortgage and for bikes.

Is it just you running the company? It must be a lot of work for one person to work behind the scenes on bookings, promotion etc. and also to do the groundwork?

I run the company and have a few guides, chefs and hosts to help me out when needs be. I am a massive fan of concentrating on what you do best so I have automated as much as possible and I’m getting in the experts to help me where I don’t have the skills. I built the first website myself which got Hit the Hills noticed and then re-invested the profits and updated the website and automated the booking process. I now have a PR company helping with the promotions as well. This is great as it allows me to concentrate on what I do best: finding great venues with amazing riding from the door and the food!

Another day, another epic hike a bike. Stay tuned for a write up of riding Snowdon with Christian coming next week.
Photo © Andy Lloyd

Do you always get to ride when you’re on a Hit The Hills trip? Is that the aim at least?

I tend to ride at least once during the weekend. Sometimes I like to stick around at base to make sure everything is running well and help guest out with repairs, advice on trails and providing vehicle support if necessary. The weekends aren’t about me though they are about ensuring that guests have a great time and if that means I don’t get to ride then no problem.

www.hitthehills.com

All photographs in this article © Andy Lloyd.

Part 1 (Barcachd) here.

Part 2 – Achadh nan Seileach

Our second day in Lochcarron started well. My original plan to wake at 6am to see the sun rise was thwarted by my ability to sleep through even the harshest of onslaughts on my ears. We’d opted to stay indoors, defying the very spirit of adventure, but saving our energies for time on the bike rather than burn all available stokens by shivering to death in a tent. Our erstwhile colleagues, Sam (Rosie’s brother) and technical riding wizard Huw Oliver, had joined our party that night. Sam hopped aboard the Iron Maiden train in Fort William while Huw drove his Berlingotron solo the previous night from Dundee. We were all in for a treat.

How to ruin a perfectly good view.

Our accommodation was far plusher than the price tag would have led us to believe. Loch Dubh B&B sits unassumingly above Lochcarron but offers a frankly ridiculous view across the loch and beyond from the solid oak breakfast table, flanked by two stag heads. With the sun crashing through the large ceiling-high windows, we knew the Achnashellach loop was going to be a winner. After we’d shovelled down porridge, two rounds of toast plus gallons of coffee and orange juice we were ready to hit the hills.

Woody and the Blingblingo

Every trip to the van was delayed by Woody. Who’s Woody I hear you ask? He’s the 18 month old Collie that is as stoked on everything as I am, possibly even more so. He’d have happily joined us for our adventure, if he’d been allowed. Both Rosie and myself planned to steal him, but decided against it in the end as we planned to return!

This shot captures a rare moment of composure on the loose rubble.

We arrived at Coulags to find Huw and Sam in deep discussion about the dashboard features of the Berlingo. Sam, most inquisitive about the automobile’s many functions, listened intently as Huw laid down the knowledge. Anyway….bikes, yes. We had a long day ahead as both Huw and I knew from riding this loop before. Both members of Clan Holdsworth hadn’t and were most excited. Me and Huw weren’t exactly calm either. I’d say we all involuntarily hit every surface of our respective vehicles on the way there, such was the anticipation. Rosie smacking the first disc of Iron Maiden’s ‘En Vivo’ into the CD player got us to fever pitch, with a perfectly timed track change to ‘The Trooper’ seeing the occupants of our van almost self combust.

Snow starting to make its presence felt.

The faff was unusually limited as we’d all ridden the day before, so bags just needed a quick change of water, sweets, gels and tubes. A brief pedal across the bridge from the car park gets you onto the public right of way to Torridon towards the Coire Fionnaraich bothy and beyond. The first climb was the same as the previous day, so needs little introduction. Rather than hook left at the first split in the path towards Bealach a’ Choire Ghairbh we kept turning right, taking us towards Loch Coire Fionnaraich. It was here we took our first pit stop and looked back at the distance we’d already covered. The beauty of riding in this part of the world is that you never feel like you’ve ridden as far as you have. The trails are as engaging as the landscape, so you’ve little time to spend thinking about tired arms and legs.

The trails are as engaging as the landscape, so you’ve little time to spend thinking about tired arms and legs.

At the loch, you can see why coire, a Scottish Gaelic term for cauldron, is used many times in these parts. The UK’s glacial past is very obvious here as the mountains rise sharply from the loch damned in by the deposited moraine. The loch itself sits at 236m above sea level with Meall Chean Dearg and Sgorr Ruadh rising many hundreds of metres above it. All the surrounding peaks are as impressive as they are imposing, especially when still capped by winter snow still clinging to the higher peaks.

Huw can’t beat Pete’s time on the bridge wrestling.

The climb from the loch towards Bealach Ban is less gentle than its predecessor but is mostly ride-able if the legs allow. A few steep, loose climbs punish tired legs, as they are unable to meter out the power to find whatever grip is available. The views keep improving until you scale the 45-degree quartzite slabs at the head of the bealach. There is only one view on this route that gets better than this. From here, there is an uninterrupted view of the Liathach, a 5 Munro mass that rises sharply from the deep Torridon sea lochs to over 1000m at its height. Skye can be seen to the west on a good day and the view from where we’d come from was only smeared slightly by, almost unbelievably, heat haze. We took a moment to sample the unrivalled grip of metamorphosed quartzite by stoppying down, and wheelying up, the steep slabs of rock. The grip was so readily available that Sam’s jaw dislocated, as can be seen in the photo below. Luckily, he didn’t require medical attention and another stoppy in the opposite direction saw his jaw swung back into place.

Sam negotiating the paved section on the climb to the bothy.

And then came the snow

Above the slabs, the terrain became tougher going with the addition of wind-hardened snow. What had been a fast and flowy trail before the scree slope below Coire Grannda was reduced to walking pace and finally, walking itself. I paused at the top of the scree slope to ensure our companion Stuart, a gentleman in his late 70s walking the route on his own, made his way up safely. In all fairness, with all our stops to admire the view, he wasn’t too far behind us. The coire offered sights we hadn’t yet seen, owing to the presence of the sun beforehand. The amount of snow and ice here confirmed its northern-facing aspect and the quantity of frozen waterfalls were immense. Everything here was covered in snow fallen weeks ago or ice that had been that way since winter first came to say hello. I was slightly concerned as even as dry as the climb up the corrie wall was last time, it wasn’t easy. Being covered in snow and ice would be another matter altogether. This is where the adventure portion of the trip came into full effect.

The rather impressive frozen waterfalls in Coire Grannda.

At the base of the corrie wall, it was clear we wouldn’t be walking on rock or earth at all until we were some way down the mountain. The presence of snow and cramp-on marks made me even more worried, but upwards we went anyway. Being a midget in these circumstances is never the best. Where the snow was deepest and had sat above gaps in the rocks, I lost most of my leg into the snow. Weighing in at just under 9 stone makes me 20% heavier with a bike on my back. It was tough going until the snow hardened enough for me to play my trump card and not break the surface.

Weighing in at just under 9 stone makes me 20% heavier with a bike on my back. It was tough going until the snow hardened enough for me to play my trump card and not break the surface.

That was soon ruined by the presence of sheet ice and I must say, my bottom was all a-quiver. This was something I was completely unprepared for and the group of walkers with full winter climbing gear made me realise how daft we were in pursuit of this descent. The view from the top of the corrie is the business. Again, the Liathach is in full view but you can now see the descent stretching out in the opposite direction down to Achnashellach railway station. The line here is accessed from Inverness and runs all the way to Kyle of Lochalsh, but is a fairly roundabout why of accessing the area from the south.

Huw makes up for the bridge-wrestling by owning the frozen lochan. Don’t try this at home.

With that out of the way, we quickly decided to try and ride across the frozen lochan. Huw was confident that it was ride-able when one of the hill walkers smacked the ice with his axe and barely marked the surface. Rosie played it safe and stuck to the path, while me, Huw and Sam set about seeing how brave we wanted to be. Huw won by deploying a one-handed wheelie on the ice. Good effort sir.

We had a brief time riding on snow before the sun finally had the height to peak over the top of Sgorr Ruadh and find the ground below Benn Liath Mor. The upper stretches of the track here are littered with bright white quartzite that presents itself as the loosest surface going. Rocks of varying size lie upon a fine gravel of the same stone. The best approach is to hit everything flat out and allow the bike to handle the task of dealing with the hits while having the reflexes to make split second decisions should things start going wrong. Lines don’t really exist as the trail doesn’t see any significant traffic and the weather is the determining factor to trail conditions. After some wild rides above Loch Coire Lair, the trail flattens out but still offers some amazing riding if you have the pistons to make it happen.

After some wild rides above Loch Coire Lair, the trail flattens out but still offers some amazing riding if you have the pistons to make it happen.

A decent trail bike, a dropper post and a pair of well tuned legs will love this part of the ride as you get from it exactly what you put in. At full chat, which is the only way we saw feasible, the trail comes alive. Water bars and natural jumps come at you thick and fast, leaving you wanting more. Speed allows you to use transitions to great effect with great sections of trail cleared with the wheels off the ground. Where the trail widens, the surface worsens with a few hairy gullies to negotiate. I’d said my goodbyes more than once on this section. Where the trail starts to climb is always a good place to regroup and we all struggled to get the words out while breathing heavy and thinking of enough superlatives to do what we’d just ridden justice. Me and Huw were wide-eyed, knowing full well the descent that was about to come, Rosie and Sam could only sit gawping when we pointed out we were still 300m above the road. We’d already been descending for a good 25 minutes!

Sam takes the pro line and adopts Pete’s ‘puff your cheeks up’ technique.

The trail splits several times more but sticking to the left of the River Lair reveals what this ride is all about. In stark contrast to the loose rubble of the upper reaches, the dark quartzite slabs offer unrivalled grip. Where a dropped banana skin has the lowest grip coefficient of anything known to man, the rock slabs above Achnashellach are the antithesis of that. This surface has to be ridden to be fully understood. Both times I have ridden this section of trail, I have immediately wanted to ride it again. My mind conjures up how much faster I could have hit every section only once I’m done. Needless to say we spent some time sectioning the best bits as the sun was still very much on our side and the trail had definitely given us a second wind.

Before the final descent starts proper, there is what I can only describe as the best section or sections of any trail ever. A fast double-track with rolling slabs offers multiple options to double things up and make yourself feel like a king. Shortly after there is a mega rocky section that can only be hit flat out for good effect with a couple of pro lines and finally a right-hand rock berm followed by a left-handed rut full of gravel (that offers no option but to rear wheel steer the living daylights out of it). From here on down, water bars are maybe the only complaint. These can be easily negotiated with a decent hop and are usually just before, on the apex of, or after a turn, so there’s no relaxing top to bottom. The gradient sharpens in the best way possible and with the exception of Sam racking up yet another puncture, it was as good as it could have been. I sectioned one corner maybe 15 times while waiting for the wind to return to Sam’s rear tyre. I was far from bored.

The final section seems like what would happen if trail centres occurred naturally. A 4-foot wide trail, hardpack with loose native pine needles covering the upper layer. Again, maximum attack is the only way here as you weave your way down through the native trees with the River Lair in a deep crevasse below. Once through a deer gate it’s all over. How do you go about describing the best ride on the planet? I can honestly say, I don’t know of the right words to truly explain the Coulags-Achnashellach-Coulags loop, it really has to be experienced.

This is the end

From the foot of the trail, a quick blast down fire road and you’re back to relative civilisation. We only saw enough people to count comfortably on one hand all day. While that offers a unique experience with regards to truly feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s also important that you have everything you need for a full day in the wilds. Regardless of what time of year you visit this part of the world, the proximity to the sea and the prevailing wind, plus the height of the mountains can put you in a sticky situation very quickly before accidents and mechanicals are factored in. Thankfully, we got very lucky with the weather and in fact, got ourselves a suntan. While you can buy a whole host of traditional Scottish delights from the shops in Lochcarron, a tan from a high Scottish sun is a rare treat no money can buy.

From Achnashellach, the pedal back to the car park is all on road unfortunately. Thankfully the road only has one climb, which is over fairly quickly. The A890 is technically singletrack with passing places and the locals are well versed in keeping out of the way of other road users, so it’s certainly not a dangerous stretch by any means.

With the vehicles packed, Huw and Sam made straight for the Lochcarron Hotel while we took advantage of a much needed shower and got cleaned up before heading for food. (The Lochcarron Hotel is a fantastic venue for post-ride banter and foodstuffs. The food is most excellent, being cheap, awesome and plentiful. The menu will have you guessing until the moment you place your order and the desserts are the bomb.)

Following dinner and after a couple of rounds of board games, we were all spent and made our excuses. We’d been out for 9 hours; many folk would have been in work that long on the same day.

It’s not too often you end up getting only as much sleep as you rode your bike the previous day.

Final part of the story coming tomorrow.