Gisburn Forest

trek*fuel

i agree with a lot that has been said about the new trails at Gisburn, it is in the very very early stages of development and already i was amazed at the work that has been done very quietly by a dedicated few. Yes, the trails need improvements for them to flow more but it will take time........my question here then is, do you need more volunteer labour to help to work on the trails, if so, are dig days regular and can they be advertised? Do you meet at the CP and times?.....i personally would like to lend a hand if needed and maybe others will too!

stumpyjon

trek*fuel

we always need more labour . Dig days are every other Sunday and run from 10:00am to 2:00pm. All tools (and biscuits) are provided. Next dig day is going to be Sunday 2nd August. If you PM me your email address I'll send you a map with the meeting points etc.

Jon

B.A.Nana

I should point out that what is there at Gisburn right now is only phase 1, Martin Colledge (the head FC guy) has a dream ( ), that all the forest road sections will be by-passed by singletrack. I believe his grand plan is a long red route of singletrack with lots of 'black' sections all along the route for those that want to play. The play areas will include all sorts of techy test stuff like the sort of things currently at Lee Quarry and elsewhere. There are other things in his plan like cafe, toilets, bigger parking area, skills area etc etc.. He's really dedicated to it and definitely into Gisburn = MTB. I've even been biking there and seen him pushing a wheelbarrow around building trail on his own, he's that keen to see the MTB trails at Gisburn realised.

BUT, it takes time and money, not many people will appreciate how much effort the likes of Martin C put into getting the funding for these projects. It doesn't just happen and the money isn't just there. Someone has to convince the poeple with the purse strings that they should invest in their idea or project over something else. The red tape and hoop jumping, especially in the current economic climate, makes it really difficult to get investment. Martin C is about the best person you/we could wish to have to push Gisburn Forest upto the top of MTB trail centres.

There's no arse licking here, because I know he doesn't go on MTB forums, it's just a big fact that is not really appreciated by most people out on their bikes riding around trail centres, that someone has busted a gut to provide them with a fun day out.

magga321

Off to Gisburn tonight for the first time and it sounds like it is fairly easy to miss big sections.
Does anyone have a gpx file they could send me, or know where I can download one from.

Mancunianfightingcat

pm me your email address, I'll send you one that starts at the pub and takes in all the new stuff. PM Stumpyjon too, I think he has a route from Cocklet Hill.

pdid

I`ve got the one off stumpyjon if he`s not about. Starts from Cocklet car park.

pm your email and i`ll forward it to you.

magga321

Got stumpyjon gpx from pdid. Mapped it onto an interactive OS map. You can zoom in and out and so on. Also used GPX file to plot elevation profile. Both can be found at

http://www.outdoorbuzz.co.uk/index.php? ... &Itemid=12

Mancunianfightingcat

Good work fella.

You can cut quite a bit of boring forest road out by going straight up the hill, above the words 'Hesbert Hall' on the map. It's quite a steep climb but cuts a mile or so of tedious gravel out!

Mancunianfightingcat

Take it easy down the rollercoaster, it was pretty wet the other day and the ground was quite greasy, there's a couple of off camber bends just after crests which could catch you out.
If you do bin it, I'll be up sometime on Thurday PM, so make some loud noises and I'll try and find you!!!!

wilcocker

B.A.Nana wrote:

I should point out that what is there at Gisburn right now is only phase 1, Martin Colledge (the head FC guy) has a dream ( ), that all the forest road sections will be by-passed by singletrack. I believe his grand plan is a long red route of singletrack with lots of 'black' sections all along the route for those that want to play. The play areas will include all sorts of techy test stuff like the sort of things currently at Lee Quarry and elsewhere. There are other things in his plan like cafe, toilets, bigger parking area, skills area etc etc.. He's really dedicated to it and definitely into Gisburn = MTB. I've even been biking there and seen him pushing a wheelbarrow around building trail on his own, he's that keen to see the MTB trails at Gisburn realised.

BUT, it takes time and money, not many people will appreciate how much effort the likes of Martin C put into getting the funding for these projects. It doesn't just happen and the money isn't just there. Someone has to convince the poeple with the purse strings that they should invest in their idea or project over something else. The red tape and hoop jumping, especially in the current economic climate, makes it really difficult to get investment. Martin C is about the best person you/we could wish to have to push Gisburn Forest upto the top of MTB trail centres.

Hi Ba.nana,

That why i was asking about the launch event for the new trails. Funding is very difficult to achieve and the bean counters that provide the money for these projects want to results from what they have spent.
A decent launch party would be a really cool way of
a) thanking Martin and the volunteers for all the hard work they have done
b) introduce mountainbikers from all over to the new trails.
c) let the investors see what a positive effect it has had on the community.

In these times of doom and gloom a few photos and some press coverage would do everyone a lot of good. This is a major success story and it deserves to be shouted about

Cheers

stumpyjon

Been up again tonight, bit greasy in a few places, particularly the coaster section, couple of people came off today (nearly including me). You have been warned.

Mancunianfightingcat

It was really busy up there last night agian, but strangely most people we saw were going the opposite way up the fire roads, which was a bit weird

(There's a couple more vids on my youtube page now, but the light wasn't brilliant, but at least I managed to film my mate in front of me and the camera was about an inch higher, so less of the fork brace can be seen)!

clodhoppa74

wilcocker wrote:

In these times of doom and gloom a few photos and some press coverage would do everyone a lot of good. This is a major success story and it deserves to be shouted about

Cheers

i could try write a piece for the mag i work for, i'll need to meet up with some people get some shots and some quotes. I work for Country Publications, we produce Countryman Magazine, and i can see what we can do. it's not really the target audience but maybe i could submit an article?

plork123

Is the Red signposted / will it be in the future

Can someone email me a gps track file of the route, I looked at magga321 link but can't find anywhere to download it

Cheers

Mancunianfightingcat

pm me your email address, I'll send you the route from Tosside, or PM any of the guys above who've got the route from the car park (Stumyjon, Pdid or Magga321)

stumpyjon

Someone from another forum has put it on the web, download here.

http://files.getdropbox.com/u/196754/Gi ... Route2.gpx

It'll probably pop up as a text file, don't worry that's what it is. Just 'SAVE AS' from the file menu and add .gpx to the end of whatever you call it.

I'm away from home at the moment so can't access email easily (at the inlaws / visiting Afan again).

tubaonwheels

Hi, just like to say I went to Gisburn a few weeks ago and stopped at Tosside. First time I had ever been on proper mtb trails, and I am totally converted. Clocked up about 42 miles over the 2 days. The last run I did from the campsite to the quarry then the new section to forest road, then the big berm, left at the bottom and climbed back up the forest roads (I like climbing) to go back down the berm, then continued to do the red route, including a couple of extra loops on new trails. Fabulous ride!

I am now entering my first ever race (at 56!) the Brownbacks race 6th Sept. And hope to get back to Gisburn for some training/practice/fun before then.

Steve.

wilcocker

Rode the Big Berms on Saturday!!

Great fun but bloody hell its slippy!

Coming over the crest's were the track thins out and you have a mud wall on one side and a big drop on the other i was just just sliding towards the edge. My arse went big time.

Great day though!!

Markmjh

Hi Guys,
looking to head over there on thursday. Having never been to Gisburn at all ever, can some kind soul send me a link or dorect me to where to park up and start riding.
Also i realise that a lot of the new sections are not yet waymarked, but are all of the older routes clearly marked or are we going to be riding about for a while lost :roll:

Cheers

tubaonwheels

I think you are ok parking at the pub car park in Tosside, otherwise its cocklet car park, I just sussed it out for myself (from Tosside) if you go straight up the fire road from the pub you eventually come to a quarry on your right wher one of the new trails start. If you ride the full length of that trail you come back to a forest road (after a fast bermy stretch)turn right uphill and after a while the big berm section is on the left.
Hope that helps, I've only been the once.
Oh, at the bottom of the big berms turn left and you should be able to follow the red route signs from there.

Steve.

wilcocker

Cocklet Hill Car Park

At intersection of Dugdale Lane and Hole House Lane, Gisburn, lancashire
or
Start from the dog and Partridge pub in Tosside.

Should be able to find it from that
Cheers

stumpyjon

tuba missed out the volunteer section (on the western side of the forest) and the two new bits of blue which are closer to Cocklett Hill. Search back in this thread, I'm sure I posted a map up somewhere with all the new bits on.

tubaonwheels

I did find the two bits of blue near the cat park, but I've no idea how that second bit added quite a loop onto my route (I think) :oops: I must go back and get to know it better

leo321

hi, please could you mail me the gps route for the new trails up at gisburn, ive been to a few dig days but not been up recently due to family commitments and the dig days going out of sync (bit of a long story ha ha) gonna go up there tomorrow. cheers, my email is leo.a.kelly@btinternet.com

wilcocker

Hello All,

I went up to gisburn yesterday armed with a map printed off this thread and im happy to say i didnt need it.

ALL THE SIGN POST ARE IN!!!!

The red route is a doddle to follow now and we discovered that we were missing 2 new parts of singletrack by going the wrong way.

It flows beautifully and makes much more sense and there doesnt seem to be as much climbing for some reason.
Its hard to explain how much better it is if you go the right way but i absolutely loved it!!

You shouldnt need any GPS or map to ride it at all

Cant wait to go back

Mancunianfightingcat

Hopefully this may help some of you


From Cocklet Hill car park,

Follow the track from the top corner of the car park until you come to the end of it (ignoring the tracks on the right, you’ll come down these later).Turn left down the forest track to the T junction.

Turn right and along the forest road for a short distance, (30m max) turn left down the first turning you see (around the gate).

Continue down to bottom of hill, slightly to the left but in front of you is the start of a narrow track through the woods. Follow this all the way down (ignoring left turn on right bend) to the road. (Careful here, it’s a proper road not a forest track)

Turn right onto the road and over the edge of the reservoir.

Just over the water leave the road on the right side and back in to the woods. Follow this track until you come to its end.

Turn sharp right up the wider track up the hill. (road now behind you).
Follow this forest road for a good while ignoring all smaller tracks off to the left and right.

At the next T-junction continue straight ahead up the hill (not right).

Just passed the next left hand junction, on a right hand bend, look to your right and you’ll see the start of the volunteer built section going in to the trees, take this right turn.

Follow the twisty singletrack (ignoring right fork on a left turn) all the way back down to the forest road.

Turn left on forest road and bear right at next junction over a concrete bridge.

Follow forest road ignoring all smaller tracks until you pass a forestry building on your right.

Just after the building turn left up the double width track heading up the hill.

Follow this track to the top where it joins the forest road.

Turn left down hill for a very short distance, to the quarry on your right.

Turn into the quarry and head for the top left corner where you’ll see the start of a singletrack section. Follow this.

At the end of the track turn right on to the forest road for about 20m.

Take the single track on your left and follow it for about 2km. (You can loop about at the crags at the very top but you’ll still end up at the same spot).
At the end of the single track turn right up the forest road, up hill again!

On the left you’ll see two large rocks which is the top of the berms section. Turn down here and enjoy it! After the track goes through an old building bear left and follow the track through the stream.

Immediately after the second stream crossing (bridge and ford) turn right and follow the track up the hill to the forest road.

Turn left and follow the forest road along, passed the shelter/barn and passed the left turn junction then keep your eyes peeled for the singletrack on your right

Turn right down the singletrack and follow it down to the forest road.

Bear left up the forest road, this should look familiar now as you rode it earlier.

Again follow the forest road passed the forestry building, this time continue straight on the forest road (ignoring the big climb on the left) and continue around a large gate bearing left on the forest road.

At a wide sweeping left hand bend, take the right turn down the forest road through the gate.

After about 1km take the blue graded single track off to the right. Follow this back to the forest road.

Turn right and follow the forest road (ignore the forest road off to the left)

Just before you come to a large house turn left down the singletrack and straight ahead on to the wood work. Follow this track keeping straight ahead (ignore right track at top of climb).

At the end of the track at the Y junction, either turn left back to the car park, or right to do it all again!

Whytepeak

Thanks Mancunianfightingcat, that will be very useful.

stumpyjon

wilcocker wrote:

It flows beautifully and makes much more sense and there doesnt seem to be as much climbing for some reason.

Yeah I found that as well, way better than riding it in the old direction.

tubaonwheels

Sounds great, I'll have to have another trip over, may be able to manage one of the next couple of Saturdays if anyone fancies meeting up.

stumpyjon

Leo, sent you the file, hope it's not too late. I didn't manage to get on here over the weekend, too busy riding :roll: .