We spent the day at Hadleigh Farm, home of the Olympic mountain bike course to check out the updated track, which is, according to London 2012 officials, “higher, wider and harder” than the trail used for last year’s test event. Here’s our behind-the-scenes photo gallery.

The 4.7km track, built on land on by the Salvation Army, is complete but remains closed to the public. After the Olympic Games the course will be converted to a red trail to form part of a wider cycling network. Read more about that here.

Great Britain riders Liam Killeen, Kenta Gallagher, David Fletcher and Grant Ferguson were given a sneak preview of the course.

Team Boardman rider Gallagher and Orange Monkey-Cannondale pro Fletcher’s training bikes sit ready for action.

Tools of the trade for British Cycling mechanic John Hewitt.

Annie Last was also present but walked the course, instead opting to get in some road miles on a bike which is part of Boardman’s B56 project.

Fletcher checks out the Oak Tree Drop feature.

Fletcher (top) and Killeen (bottom), riding through The Rabbit Hole, pose for the cameras.

The course was updated following rider feedback received at last July’s test event and now includes a new feature – The Rock Garden.

Fletcher picks his line through The Rock Garden.

Two routes proved popular through the rock-strewn descent.

Photographers vie for position as Killeen and Fletcher ride loops of the new feature.

Killeen climbs back up to the top of The Rock Garden…

…and drops in for another run.

The course is perched on a hillside with Hadleigh Castle and the Thames Estuary as a backdrop. Check out the gallery below for more pictures.