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It's now the 'Top Chief black' in honour of the man himself, Mr Barnes! Fantastic, should see less folk walking hardtails down it now, thinking it would be 'just like spooky wood' 😲😆
Accurate grading overcomes marketing at last... I was there for the first weekend it opened and it was absolute carnage 😉 Red route my ass. Need to get back up there for a day on the lifts
Is that (what was) the Red Giant?
Add above, having only run it once, there areare sections that are more than red on there, and a few other 'penalty for failure' spots as well.
Nice name, chief.
Yip, was always way more than a red. Can't imagine how many folk have had a shock up there
That's the one colournoise.
So from the above comments, am I right in thinking the FW Red isn't hardtail suitable?
And before that it was just the Nevis Red.
I think there may be a Red variant in the pipeline. I was having a conversation in the lift line on the West Wall Poma a few weeks ago and there was a fella chatting who worked at Nevis. We started out talking about the trail potential in the Ciste at Caingorm, which could be nice.
So from the above comments, am I right in thinking the FW Red isn’t hardtail suitable?
First rode it (quite slowly) on my BFe. Totally doable on a hardtail.
The problem with biking and up lifts at the Gorms is that the protection of the hillside brigade get involved. I'v had many a chat with folk about it over the years. From liftys to bothy bikes guys in aviemore. Lots of the upper cairngorm ski area is protected in the summer.
Hopefully this new name will keep the Muppets away, I passed a couple who were having a full blown domestic last year on the red. It was 'his fault' and 'this is nothing like Glentress' were some of the quotes used by the very pretty if a little scared blonde.
I'll need to get back this year.
I've often thought, imagine a swoopy, hippy blue line, all the way down form the top, it'd be ****in awesome! Would have to be some length though.
and there was a fella chatting who worked at Nevis.
Big bald fella? He likes a chat if so... 🙂
very pretty if a little scared blonde
Missed opportunity Iain, should've offered a wee consoling arm.... :-p
Big bald fella? He likes a chat if so…
Haha. You hear him before you see him. Absolute legend.
Was chatting to someone the other day about the tracks there, and they mentioned that there were plans to build a new track from the top of the Quad chair this year, to then link in with this track. Anyone else heard anything?
Cheers colournoise.
We sail up that way in the summer and I always have my BFe with me, chickened out of giving it a whirl last year.
It wasn't a big bald fella, it was younger lad. I assume he wasn't bald, but we were all "wintered" up.
Glad to see the most un-red red run become a black. There are some sections of steep slab rock in there which when wet are pretty much just grip the bars and hope for the best!
Hopefully it'll stop people getting half way down the mountain and getting very, very stuck!
Wierd isn't it? Quite happy to ride that trail at Nevis without finding any of it too technically challenging, but have only tackled the first black section at Cannock once (ripped a tyre off FWIW) and have never attempted the second...
Never experienced the rocks getting slippy when wet, pretty much the opposite, more chance of being slippy in dry with dust and gravel on them.
Totally doable on a hardtail.
Nah, it goes. As the Top Chief himself shows in that video - speed can be built up into some pretty gnarly bits that you then need some air/unweighting/spot on lines to clear from memory. Or you can hang back, keep speed reigned in and it is all roll-able.
Rezzarexion!
Had a wee look at the work done on the end section of the track, it used to fizzle out rather disappointingly, but the new stuff looks brilliant - bermtastic! Seems that it should be open in a couple of weeks, in time for WC weekend, just needs whacked down to bed in.
My mate and his good lady work at Nevis range, she's in marketing now and has done some great work in convincing the powers that be that their previous thoughts of all the money coming in for snowsports and MTB being a bit of a sidenote was a bit deluded, and convinced them to invest a bit. Great decision, and great work!.
The work that's been done on the WC track in the woods looks great too, the manky hole that most struggled to stay upright on is now a bit of a rock garden, should be a challenge after a wet spell under the trees.
Looks great! Good work by Nobeers mates too! More access is fantastic.
always thought the red designation was accurate.
Looks like it would be top fun on a hardtail. Wasn’t pretty much everything ridden on a hardtail at some point, probably with V brakes and a shit fork?
Absolutely, everything on the descent is rollable, hell there's even dots spray painted to show the line.... My point in the opening post is that there is a lot of folks that think 'oh, a red descent, I ride the red at GT on my HT' and it's a significant step up from yer average red.
This is a fairly new trail too btw, was only opened up mibbe 6 years ago? so no, it wasn't really in existence in the days of v brakes.
I must have ridden a different trail then cause what I rode wasn't that difficult and I'm a mincer of the highest proportion.
I think it's not too tough if you ride slowly and steadily and follow the pink dots.
Trying to hit it all at speed is another ballgame entirely...
I must have ridden a different trail then cause what I rode wasn’t that difficult and I’m a mincer of the highest proportion.
Yes, you must have, I'd say it's comparable to the descent of Ben Lomond which you said was too much for you.
It’s as relentless and technical as the Laggan Black, which is a true black, plus it’s significantly steeper in places than anything at Laggan
Well I certainly can't think of another "Red Route" in Scotland that's comparable in difficulty and exposure. It would be toward the upper end of the any trail centre Black I've ridden too.
Its a great trail though. I'll defnitely try and be back this year
A couple of guys I know were up there a couple of weeks ago. They chose Top Chief as it was a red....I think they were expecting a Dalby/Llandegla red!!!. Both OTB a couple of times and one walked most of it. I think they were a little out of their comfort zone!!!. I asked if the uplift and other folks fully armoured up didn't make them a bit suspicious.
When grading trails it must be difficult to achieve a consistent level across the board. One persons Red is another ones Black.
I rode it last year and didn't go on the black as I found I was still able to build speed on the red on each run as I learnt the track. First couple of runs rolling everything then starting to jump sections. Still had more to learn before getting too tired. Seemed a bit more than a bpw red but nothing crazy. Biggest hazard was a German couple hiking up the track!
I bet the black is good too but I wanted to max out the red.
Yes, you must have, I’d say it’s comparable to the descent of Ben Lomond which you said was too much for you.
well I'm assuming its the trail that starts along from the DH course and has the boardwalk bits on it. Would I take a novice on it no but I think you are over stating its difficultly. It isn't like Ben Lomond
I think you are over stating its difficultly
I've not said anywhere on this thread that I find it particularly difficult?, merely stated along with many others on every post about the trail, that it's a step up from yer average red. It's also about 15 minutes of solid descending, with one wee up in the middle, and I can't think of any other red in the country that has such a length.
9 runs one after another and you know all about it, that's for sure. Need to get back up to ride the new stuff soon.
The most I've managed consecutivly is 7 & my forearms were like concrete after. First run on my new 160mm bike last year & I dropped of the side of the boardwalk & OTB's face first into a massive boulder! Thank foik I wear a full face on it or id have no teef.
Did another few runs in agony so I wouldnt be left with the fear, didnt work as I never went back last year : )
It's an ace track though imo & i'll be back soon.
Aye, I should really be getting a FFer too Vongassit, had a belter of an off on the WC track last october, on one of the 'easier' sections lower down, really lucky to escape with a sore knee and winding myself. One of those occasions, I'd had 3 or 4 solid runs in a row, starting to think yer getting into it and bang! She bites! was right below the gondola as well, someone must've had a right laugh! 🙂
Grading it as a black trail is good, it's a pity it's taken this long though.
If I haven't ridden it myself on a hardtail, I've definitely ridden it in a group that included hardtails. I think the hardtail comments above were implying the shock that less experienced riders, who are often on entry level hardtails, may experience if they choose to ride it because it's red graded.