Work has been completed on a new trail at the Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland, and they’ll be officially opened for the Saab Salomon Avalanche Trophy 2009 which takes place this weekend, 25/26 April.

The new developments, part of a £900,000 investment, include a 17km Red graded trail which features a 1.2km section of North Shore-style boardwalk, claimed to be the longest anywhere in the UK.

The new trail begins at Kielder Castle and climbs to over 1600ft, passing through the Lewisburn area. It then swoops past the Kielder Astronomical Observatory for the final descent to Kielder Castle.

“What a fantastic weekend this will be, with the red trail opening and the Avalanche event,” says Forestry Commission Recreation and Tourism Manager Alex MacLennan. “We’ve had incredible interest in the route from bikers across the nation. It’s taken five months to build and much longer to design, blending great views with technical challenges, while at the same time steering clear of sensitive conservation areas.”

The Avalanche Trophy, first held at the Kielder Forest last year, begins on 25 April with a prologue event at 5pm, before the main racing kicks off at 8am on 26 April. Spectators can view the amazing action free of charge. Racing will take place on the Deadwater Red and Black routes, but riders will be able to sample the new Red trail, which could be used for the elite competition in future years.

During the Trophy weekend Kielder Castle will host a bike village with trade stands and a barbeque on Saturday night. Find out more about the Avalanche Trophy at www.avalanchetrophy.com

More about the new trail developments at www.visitkielder.com