Fort William/Nevis Range review
I thought I'd do a bit of a proper writeup on Fort William from a mortal's perspective... This is quite big so, brace yourselves! But a lot of people ask questions about this so I thought I'd try and cover them all in one go.
Getting there:
Fort William is pretty easy to get to, it's only a couple of hours drive from Glasgow via some lovely roads, or alternatively the sleeper service runs all the way from London, and there's a more local service from Glasgow. The timings aren't great but the sleeper service is lovely, and the rail route is stunning.
Riding from Fort William is easy, it's signposted and there's a cycle path that goes out to Torlundy. Once there, you can access the blue/red return route from the North Face car park. This is the last part of your weekend that will be adequately signposted, so enjoy it. All in, it's about 5 miles and no big gradients, and the blue is surprisingly lovely so it's no hardship. You can then use the WC XC or the blue to get back to Torlundy. Or of course you can drive, there's a huge car park.
Nevis Red- "The red downhill"
This is obviously why you're there. Luckily it's fantastic. You'll probably have seen the videos, but the lack of depth really means that you can't see what's really going on. First of all, yes, there's a ****load of boardwalk. It's all pretty wide, but it has various jumps, drops and stone features to keep it more interesting than you'd think. I'd like to see this expanded with some narrower options. Also, a couple of bits are quite exposed but despite being afraid of heights I didn't find this troublesome, the width of the woodwork is enough to inspire confidence. But, the timber is really a means to an end.
The trail's defined by its rock features. These are fantastic, you'd think they were built for riding though actually it's cleared bedrock. Grippy, and very very interesting. Be prepared for some steep bits, these really put the fear into some people- there's a couple of big steps/drops (I step these) which really surprised me, though it's all completely rideable if you're reasonably skilled and confident. There's some steep and committed bits and it can be pretty high commitment/consequence- once you're in some sections there's no way out and any falls are going to be nasty, fairly large drops onto very big stones. I would highly recommend at the very least knee and elbow pads, and there'd be no shame in wearing a full facer and proper armour (I didn't, but if I had any I would).
I have to say I loved these bits- they challenged me without killing me, and they have various different ways to ride them. Being on a 5" hardtail and 2.1 tyres I was using a measured, controlled approach, slow and technical, and this was lovely- very rewarding. I saw people on long travel full sussers apparently having just as much fun crashing and bouncing over the exact same sections. This is really the highest recommendation I have- you could genuinely ride this on a racey hardtail or on a big burly bouncer and have a totally different experience, without it being dull for either. It also has numerous different lines to choose (though, importantly, no chicken runs)
Once you pass through the padded gate/ sheep grid and approach the forest, it changes again- no more woodwork, now it's fairly steep conventional dirt and stone trails, quite simply surfaced and nicely worn in already. You can carry speed here, though it does have some little surprises. There's a river crossing on rock which is ace... This bit isn't on most of the videos as it's still new, it's not as good as the higher sections as it's a bit more conventional but it's still very good. Nicely judged berms and mixed dirt/rock descents.
And then... OK, it just stops. After the first crossing with the downhill route, the red suddenly becomes a green with a couple of blue sections- fire road and pointless flat trails, and some minor berms. It's crushingly disappointing, but it's not permanent, the rest of the route is already planned, just not built. It's a shame, so be prepared for it.
ADVICE- experiment with the actual downhill route, it's tough but it's not terrifying. I'd suggest that on your first run down, don't join the DH route at the first crossing, instead wait til hte second place it crosses and join the Motorway there. It's fast and quite jumpy. You might want to leave the DH just before it enters the 4X track as that's got some big jumps/drops and a steep descent which you're meant to jump, and so isn't much fun if you roll it- too steep, too rocky. But doable.
Second time round, if that went well consider doing the DH right from where it crosses over the first time. It's hard- big rocks and roots mainly- but very rewarding, like Drumlanrig on steroids. But do try to avoid slowing down a downhiller, this is their playground not yours and the big bikes can do this fast. It's not designed for slow maneuvering but it still works.
(to see exactly what I mean, check out this excellent video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ARlglIUTE
At 4.22, just after the wallride is where the red crosses Off Beat for the first time. And at 5.00 or so, where he does the new jump, that's the second place it crosses over, as you can see it's easier from there. At 5.38 you can see a fork, if you turn right there you avoid the 4X course... I did the 4X once but just didn't like it)
Last word on the trails... Personally I take issue with the red grade, I think it's got sections that are clearly black, and not even easy black. No chicken runs so it's walking only if you don't like them. There's 2 or 3 bits which if they were optional would mean I'd call the whole thing a hard red, but with the hardest parts in the mix I do reckon it's overall a black. If you feel you're stretching your abilities on glentress red, then tbh this might be beyond you, if it's not the toughest red in the country I'll be surprised (for me, tougher than Innerleithen for example). But don't be afraid, just be cautious maybe.
The lifts are busy but both days I was there, riders were allowed to skip the queue, which is nice. The uplift is about £12 for one go, and £25 for a day pass, and you can easily pack in a lot of runs so the day ticket is the best option. The lift times are a little restrictive (and senselessly so, the gondolas keep running but you can't take a bike on outside of 10.15 to 3.45) This might be changing soon, fingers crossed. My advice is to get back on the lift as soon as you hit the bottom, and rest on the way up or at the top- some people were mooching around in the car park then moaning about the uplift time!
Witches Trails- blue
This is really lovely. It's tougher than my only blue comparison, Glentress, but still a nice warmup. Good surfaces, some interesting options, bits of fairly varied boardwalk too and one pretty nice optional rocky step descent. I didn't do the outwards leg, just the return (the red routes both use it as a return) Not worth riding for itself maybe but it's part of the reds, and a great example of how to make a trail approachable but still interesting.
Witches Trails- red
Some of this is fantastic... But be aware that it's got a fair amount of fireroad climbing, and even some fire road descending. It shows its race routes more than its trailcentre face. There's a fairly nasty rocky climb, which I have to admit I chose to push up after riding it once, then you're really stuck just bashing fire roads. 270m isn't an awful lot of climb but it's pretty constant and grindy.
But the descent is ace... Very varied, from tree stumps turned into jumps and drops to tricky off camber roots, a big mad berm/bedrock thing which is quite unlike anything I've ridden elsewhere, lots of rock gardens and roots. It's got a nice wild, rugged feel to it. A very nice bit of trail, and well worth the climb.
You can also combine the best bits of the 10 Under the Ben course, with a little inventiveness and mapreading.
Wayposting- this is bloody awful frankly. There's minimal posts, some unmarked junctions where you have to guess which trail to stay on, and none of the sections are named. There's even one bit which has 2 "Witch's Trails" arrows pointing in completely opposite directions with only a small marker on one to show it as a return. Buy the map, it's not very good but it's only a pound. The signage in the car park is out of date too, which is really unhelfpul. And as far as I can tell the trailhead is unmarked too!
Oh, and take some midge repellant- Avon Skin So Soft is very good, if it's been at all damp and the wind is low you'll want it for the XC routes.
10 Under The Ben
A real disappointment... There's some very good riding on the 10 Under route but it's mostly fireroads and very poor singletrack. Listing the full route as a red is a bit of a joke really, as the good bit at the start can be accessed and looped from the main car park, and the good bits near the north face car park can be incorporated into the Witches Trails with a little mapreading and pushing up. Those good bits are well worth riding but the full route is just a waste of energy.
Also, be aware that the start isn't actually signposted at all, you just have to spot the trail from the road. Awful.
So, advice- do the start section, then stop at the car park and ride back along the road. It's got a really nice singletrack climb, and some interesting descending. Some of it can be very wet though. Then, include the western parts including Nessie into the Witches Trails. This can be done easily by using the fire road from just before where the Witches joins the Blue return, and watching out for Nessie on the left with its catch-fence and orange crash pads, then pushing up there. I believe this gives you almost all of the good bits of 10 Under without the 9.5km of utterly joyless s**t. But no matter what, unless you're a racer and want to scout the route or you're some masochistic fireroad basher, don't do the bit from the skills area to the start, as it's pure fire road without any redeeming features.
Oh, and buy the map (see also- Witches Trails)
Other trails
There's loads of unmarked trails, I didn't have the time to visit most of them, just a really nice river crossing, but you'll see them everywhere and next time I'll take the time to explore, there's some great looking bits in there.
Skills area
Actually here I have a real beef, because the red skills loop is far too easy, but it advises people to use it to judge whether they're up to the red trails. Very bad idea this... There's a couple of black runs and only one is actually harder than the red trails, so something's very wrong there. But, they're a nice wee detour for 5 minutes.
Fort William
Fort William is s**t. There's almost nothing there. Off Beat Bikes is a good wee shop, there's a few outdoors shops etc but really it's only good for accomodation, food and pubs. There's a Tesco Metro and a good big Morrisons by the station though. But it's really charmless and a bit pointless, so don't feel that you have to stay here just because it's nearby.
Accomodation
Lots of B&Bs, and quite a few are advertised as bike friendly, though obviously that can mean different things. I stayed here, and if you want a B&B I'd recommend it to anyone, it's only 3 stars but it's really superb. They stored my bike in their garage, which wasn't especially secure but hey, it's Fort William, their only thief retired in 1972- just getting it out of sight and in the dry is all I wanted, though I could have locked it up in the garage if need be. The rooms and facilities are great, they have a drying room, they understand mtb'ers weird ways, and they have nice TVs and DVD players in every room so once you collapse, you don't have to be bored.
http://www.torlinnhe.co.uk/
So... Summary... Go. It's fantastic. It's not for the faint of heart or for novices but it's a very rewarding couple of days ride. But accomodation is cheap, train access is pretty easy, you definately don't need a car unlike many trail centres. If you can, take more than one bike, Nevis Red has so much variation in its character than a hardcore hardtail and a 5" full suss trail bike gives a completely different ride. If they can raise their game on the lift times, and brush up the XC trails, this could be one of the best UK riding locations.
Getting there:
Fort William is pretty easy to get to, it's only a couple of hours drive from Glasgow via some lovely roads, or alternatively the sleeper service runs all the way from London, and there's a more local service from Glasgow. The timings aren't great but the sleeper service is lovely, and the rail route is stunning.
Riding from Fort William is easy, it's signposted and there's a cycle path that goes out to Torlundy. Once there, you can access the blue/red return route from the North Face car park. This is the last part of your weekend that will be adequately signposted, so enjoy it. All in, it's about 5 miles and no big gradients, and the blue is surprisingly lovely so it's no hardship. You can then use the WC XC or the blue to get back to Torlundy. Or of course you can drive, there's a huge car park.
Nevis Red- "The red downhill"
This is obviously why you're there. Luckily it's fantastic. You'll probably have seen the videos, but the lack of depth really means that you can't see what's really going on. First of all, yes, there's a ****load of boardwalk. It's all pretty wide, but it has various jumps, drops and stone features to keep it more interesting than you'd think. I'd like to see this expanded with some narrower options. Also, a couple of bits are quite exposed but despite being afraid of heights I didn't find this troublesome, the width of the woodwork is enough to inspire confidence. But, the timber is really a means to an end.
The trail's defined by its rock features. These are fantastic, you'd think they were built for riding though actually it's cleared bedrock. Grippy, and very very interesting. Be prepared for some steep bits, these really put the fear into some people- there's a couple of big steps/drops (I step these) which really surprised me, though it's all completely rideable if you're reasonably skilled and confident. There's some steep and committed bits and it can be pretty high commitment/consequence- once you're in some sections there's no way out and any falls are going to be nasty, fairly large drops onto very big stones. I would highly recommend at the very least knee and elbow pads, and there'd be no shame in wearing a full facer and proper armour (I didn't, but if I had any I would).
I have to say I loved these bits- they challenged me without killing me, and they have various different ways to ride them. Being on a 5" hardtail and 2.1 tyres I was using a measured, controlled approach, slow and technical, and this was lovely- very rewarding. I saw people on long travel full sussers apparently having just as much fun crashing and bouncing over the exact same sections. This is really the highest recommendation I have- you could genuinely ride this on a racey hardtail or on a big burly bouncer and have a totally different experience, without it being dull for either. It also has numerous different lines to choose (though, importantly, no chicken runs)
Once you pass through the padded gate/ sheep grid and approach the forest, it changes again- no more woodwork, now it's fairly steep conventional dirt and stone trails, quite simply surfaced and nicely worn in already. You can carry speed here, though it does have some little surprises. There's a river crossing on rock which is ace... This bit isn't on most of the videos as it's still new, it's not as good as the higher sections as it's a bit more conventional but it's still very good. Nicely judged berms and mixed dirt/rock descents.
And then... OK, it just stops. After the first crossing with the downhill route, the red suddenly becomes a green with a couple of blue sections- fire road and pointless flat trails, and some minor berms. It's crushingly disappointing, but it's not permanent, the rest of the route is already planned, just not built. It's a shame, so be prepared for it.
ADVICE- experiment with the actual downhill route, it's tough but it's not terrifying. I'd suggest that on your first run down, don't join the DH route at the first crossing, instead wait til hte second place it crosses and join the Motorway there. It's fast and quite jumpy. You might want to leave the DH just before it enters the 4X track as that's got some big jumps/drops and a steep descent which you're meant to jump, and so isn't much fun if you roll it- too steep, too rocky. But doable.
Second time round, if that went well consider doing the DH right from where it crosses over the first time. It's hard- big rocks and roots mainly- but very rewarding, like Drumlanrig on steroids. But do try to avoid slowing down a downhiller, this is their playground not yours and the big bikes can do this fast. It's not designed for slow maneuvering but it still works.
(to see exactly what I mean, check out this excellent video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ARlglIUTE
At 4.22, just after the wallride is where the red crosses Off Beat for the first time. And at 5.00 or so, where he does the new jump, that's the second place it crosses over, as you can see it's easier from there. At 5.38 you can see a fork, if you turn right there you avoid the 4X course... I did the 4X once but just didn't like it)
Last word on the trails... Personally I take issue with the red grade, I think it's got sections that are clearly black, and not even easy black. No chicken runs so it's walking only if you don't like them. There's 2 or 3 bits which if they were optional would mean I'd call the whole thing a hard red, but with the hardest parts in the mix I do reckon it's overall a black. If you feel you're stretching your abilities on glentress red, then tbh this might be beyond you, if it's not the toughest red in the country I'll be surprised (for me, tougher than Innerleithen for example). But don't be afraid, just be cautious maybe.
The lifts are busy but both days I was there, riders were allowed to skip the queue, which is nice. The uplift is about £12 for one go, and £25 for a day pass, and you can easily pack in a lot of runs so the day ticket is the best option. The lift times are a little restrictive (and senselessly so, the gondolas keep running but you can't take a bike on outside of 10.15 to 3.45) This might be changing soon, fingers crossed. My advice is to get back on the lift as soon as you hit the bottom, and rest on the way up or at the top- some people were mooching around in the car park then moaning about the uplift time!
Witches Trails- blue
This is really lovely. It's tougher than my only blue comparison, Glentress, but still a nice warmup. Good surfaces, some interesting options, bits of fairly varied boardwalk too and one pretty nice optional rocky step descent. I didn't do the outwards leg, just the return (the red routes both use it as a return) Not worth riding for itself maybe but it's part of the reds, and a great example of how to make a trail approachable but still interesting.
Witches Trails- red
Some of this is fantastic... But be aware that it's got a fair amount of fireroad climbing, and even some fire road descending. It shows its race routes more than its trailcentre face. There's a fairly nasty rocky climb, which I have to admit I chose to push up after riding it once, then you're really stuck just bashing fire roads. 270m isn't an awful lot of climb but it's pretty constant and grindy.
But the descent is ace... Very varied, from tree stumps turned into jumps and drops to tricky off camber roots, a big mad berm/bedrock thing which is quite unlike anything I've ridden elsewhere, lots of rock gardens and roots. It's got a nice wild, rugged feel to it. A very nice bit of trail, and well worth the climb.
You can also combine the best bits of the 10 Under the Ben course, with a little inventiveness and mapreading.
Wayposting- this is bloody awful frankly. There's minimal posts, some unmarked junctions where you have to guess which trail to stay on, and none of the sections are named. There's even one bit which has 2 "Witch's Trails" arrows pointing in completely opposite directions with only a small marker on one to show it as a return. Buy the map, it's not very good but it's only a pound. The signage in the car park is out of date too, which is really unhelfpul. And as far as I can tell the trailhead is unmarked too!
Oh, and take some midge repellant- Avon Skin So Soft is very good, if it's been at all damp and the wind is low you'll want it for the XC routes.
10 Under The Ben
A real disappointment... There's some very good riding on the 10 Under route but it's mostly fireroads and very poor singletrack. Listing the full route as a red is a bit of a joke really, as the good bit at the start can be accessed and looped from the main car park, and the good bits near the north face car park can be incorporated into the Witches Trails with a little mapreading and pushing up. Those good bits are well worth riding but the full route is just a waste of energy.
Also, be aware that the start isn't actually signposted at all, you just have to spot the trail from the road. Awful.
So, advice- do the start section, then stop at the car park and ride back along the road. It's got a really nice singletrack climb, and some interesting descending. Some of it can be very wet though. Then, include the western parts including Nessie into the Witches Trails. This can be done easily by using the fire road from just before where the Witches joins the Blue return, and watching out for Nessie on the left with its catch-fence and orange crash pads, then pushing up there. I believe this gives you almost all of the good bits of 10 Under without the 9.5km of utterly joyless s**t. But no matter what, unless you're a racer and want to scout the route or you're some masochistic fireroad basher, don't do the bit from the skills area to the start, as it's pure fire road without any redeeming features.
Oh, and buy the map (see also- Witches Trails)
Other trails
There's loads of unmarked trails, I didn't have the time to visit most of them, just a really nice river crossing, but you'll see them everywhere and next time I'll take the time to explore, there's some great looking bits in there.
Skills area
Actually here I have a real beef, because the red skills loop is far too easy, but it advises people to use it to judge whether they're up to the red trails. Very bad idea this... There's a couple of black runs and only one is actually harder than the red trails, so something's very wrong there. But, they're a nice wee detour for 5 minutes.
Fort William
Fort William is s**t. There's almost nothing there. Off Beat Bikes is a good wee shop, there's a few outdoors shops etc but really it's only good for accomodation, food and pubs. There's a Tesco Metro and a good big Morrisons by the station though. But it's really charmless and a bit pointless, so don't feel that you have to stay here just because it's nearby.
Accomodation
Lots of B&Bs, and quite a few are advertised as bike friendly, though obviously that can mean different things. I stayed here, and if you want a B&B I'd recommend it to anyone, it's only 3 stars but it's really superb. They stored my bike in their garage, which wasn't especially secure but hey, it's Fort William, their only thief retired in 1972- just getting it out of sight and in the dry is all I wanted, though I could have locked it up in the garage if need be. The rooms and facilities are great, they have a drying room, they understand mtb'ers weird ways, and they have nice TVs and DVD players in every room so once you collapse, you don't have to be bored.
http://www.torlinnhe.co.uk/
So... Summary... Go. It's fantastic. It's not for the faint of heart or for novices but it's a very rewarding couple of days ride. But accomodation is cheap, train access is pretty easy, you definately don't need a car unlike many trail centres. If you can, take more than one bike, Nevis Red has so much variation in its character than a hardcore hardtail and a 5" full suss trail bike gives a completely different ride. If they can raise their game on the lift times, and brush up the XC trails, this could be one of the best UK riding locations.
Uncompromising extremist
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Comments
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Great review Northwind, now persuaded to venture a bit further than Laggan
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Wow, I'm impressed. It could also be worth mentioning that while you're there and if you want a challenge Ben Nevis can be ridden aswell, be prepared for a big day out!0
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I like the sound of my own voice :oops: But jesus, that's really big. Ah well.
Yeah, I was planning to do the cow hill loop but I lost a day to terrible weather so I missed it, there's supposed to be a lot of good "natural" or at least not purpose-built riding around the area, WMB this month has an article on it funnily enough (came out the day I came home!)Uncompromising extremist0 -
Nice write-up Northwind, thanks.
Interesting that the Fort Bill red doesn't really compare with the GT red in some places. GT is my playground too and I had heard that the Fort Bill red was pretty tough, so it's good to have a comparison from someone who's done both.
Cheers
Winter: Moda Nocturne
Road: Cervelo R3
'Cross: Ridley X-Night
Commuter: Genesis Day One0 -
Northwind wrote:
(to see exactly what I mean, check out this excellent video...
At 4.22, just after the wallride is where the red crosses Off Beat for the first time. And at 5.00 or so, where he does the new jump, that's the second place it crosses over, as you can see it's easier from there. At 5.38 you can see a fork, if you turn right there you avoid the 4X course... I did the 4X once but just didn't like it)
I think you missed adding the link to the video you're talking about unless I'm being dumb!0 -
Oops, so I did... Fixed now.Uncompromising extremist0
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I can ride everything on the GT red while fiddling with my water bottle/gloves/phone/map/food/ etc, barely even need to look. Still a great ride, but very straightforward........The Nevis Downhill Red is NOT like this at all. It is pretty exciting, but it is also a mega challenge, no matter who you are. The boardwalk to rock changeovers are something else, and the rocky drops are really daunting.
If you live close to GT then try stuff like 'The Bitch' which is a bit of the black near Lombard Street on the red (if I remember right). That is a more accurate representation of the Nevis Red, even then, the Bitch is more straightforward!!!!
Don't let that put you off, it's well worth the trip. Just make sure you know what to expect. You can of course just chicken out of the tough bits and walk them, although in some places that would be a fair few metres.0 -
AndyHaldane wrote:If you live close to GT then try stuff like 'The *****' which is a bit of the black near Lombard Street on the red (if I remember right). That is a more accurate representation of the Nevis Red, even then, the ***** is more straightforward!!!!
Yeah, XX would also be good practice, and the entrance to the wormhole... But as you say there's not really any comparison, there's nothing on the marked trails at GT that's really comparable, not just difficulty but style as well. There's some stuff not on the official trails that's quite similiar thoughUncompromising extremist0 -
Glad to see it was not just me. I was there with my brother early May and it took a few false starts and probably more time than it took you to write that review before we got away on the right route on either the 10 Under or the Witches, can't remember which. And as for that bit with the arrows pointing in two directions,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, We also found a named, signed route but did not use it as it was not shown on the map so we did not know where it was taking us.
I was there alone later in the week and did the other one of the pair then popped to Laggan for the afternoon - thought that was good with a heck of a lot of work having gone in to placing those rock slabs and good value in terms of descent for climb.
I've been going to the Fort for decades and I sadly have to agree with your summary. What was a nice old Highland town has changed drastically with most of the old private shops having disappeared - though the demolition of Mactavishes Kitchen was an improvement!
I think the good winter weather has hit the local economy with not many skiers now and the Six Days Trial does not fill the town as it once did. I imagine the World Cup etc has it busting but perhaps only for a long weekend?0 -
Old Pedaller wrote:We also found a named, signed route but did not use it as it was not shown on the map so we did not know where it was taking us.
Was that "Small World" by any chance? I followed that sign if it was, it just goes straight back to the car park! Then you have to do the start of the climb again. Very amusing.
I can't really understand it myself, it's not like waymarking is an artform. It only needs decent trailheads and maybe a dozen posts up around the circuit to make it work a hundred times better. We're talking a couple of days work for 2 people tops, and a couple of hundred quid's worth of raw materials.
And named trail sections would be great, to help keep your bearings. It made me wonder how they do injury evacs... "Um, we might be somewhere on the red, we might not, it's hard to tell". compared to "We're at the top of Good Game" or "We're by marker post 19".Uncompromising extremist0 -
Small World sounds familiar. It was up the track from the "two arrows" just where you turn up on to the top loop of single track and we found it hidden in the growth when wandering on foot.
I share your puzzlement as I thought this was regarded as the mountain bike venue and hence expected at least the equal of Glentress for routemarking. As you say basically all it needs is a few bits of wood.0 -
I'm planning on going there very soon so many thanks for that reviews and links, it's helped me out no end 0
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Um, how soon? Today's the last day of the season! I think the lifts reopen for bikes in May.Uncompromising extremist0
