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Not been to GT for years but thinking about taking my daughter up for a bit of green and blue riding. As Buzzards is now shut are the greens and blues easily accessible from the car park at cafe?
You can do the lower green trail, but there are now also a couple of nice wee (short) green loops in the brand new skills area. Also different blue bits to play on there, plus the blue taster trail before deciding if you want to go and do the main new blue (Turn and Burn) or do the old blue trail if she's up for the climb. In short, go for it. We just had our 6 and 8 year olds down for the first time and they absolutely loved it
As Buzzards is now shut
There's plenty of folks that seem to be driving up and parking at Buzzards carpark.
Not sure if you are supposed to or not but seems folks do.
I think you are allowed to drive and park* at Buzzards now, but I'd start at the bottom. New skills area has just opened with short green, blue and red trails. Easy to navigate and repeat, and in great condition - it only opened last week. Then the blue taster trail is just a hundred metres away. Then you could go for the new blue trails (Mulit-User Path> Harry's Trail > Turn and Burn). Or stick the bikes on the car, head up to Buzzards and do Berm Baby Berm a couple of times (and grab a drink and cake in the cafe there too). You could obviously cycle up to Buzzards, but in the interests of keeping it fun for little people, taking the car might be better.
*Think you can only pay for parking at the bottom, and you will need to pay when you leave to get the barrier up.
Sounds great. Thanks for the info.
seems there have been some big changes since I was last there. We are heading up Thursday for the day
The upper Green route is gone and won't be coming back sadly. I don't think there are any plans to replace it either which is a massive loss.
Think you’re right. The “Masterplan” was declared finished with the new skills area in, think the old green is still covered in wind blow as everything on that hill fell over when the storm hit it.
A tow rope is better than parking at Buzzards Nest imo. It means you can do Blue Velvet into Berm Baby Berm into Electric Blue into Good Game (plus the really nice bit across the road at the end) all the way down.
We've just lapped the original bottom green section in the past - with my daughter when she's been 6+ (now 10 but haven't been for a while). It's just a good size of loop with enough interest to do 3 or 4 laps and build confidence on each one and always finish smiling. Made the mistake of attempting a new blue (Turn and Burn, maybe?) afterwards last year but the step up was significant and she fell off on the first corner - so be wary of the "it's just a blue" trap and be prepared to leave while still smiling!
the old green is still covered in wind blow as everything on that hill fell over when the storm hit it.
Its now been felled.
Haven't seen the new skills area at the bottom yet, hopefully thats a good addition as its been lacking for beginners and kids for a while.
I think you are allowed to drive and park* at Buzzards now, but I'd start at the bottom. New skills area has just opened with short green, blue and red trails
"Allowed" last i heard forest holidays or whatever they are called were trying to pull a fast one to cut the requirement for a gate at the bottom to restrict vehicular traffic to guests and staff. Which was a stipulation for approval.
Its horrible up there now.
I think you are allowed to drive and park* at Buzzards now, but I'd start at the bottom. New skills area has just opened with short green, blue and red trails
"Allowed" last i heard forest holidays or whatever they are called were trying to pull a fast one to cut the requirement for a gate at the bottom to restrict vehicular traffic to guests and staff. Which was a stipulation for approval.
Its horrible up there now.
That's about the state of it- They managed to get that planning condition overturned by claiming it was included in the original plan as a road safety issue and the cost of installing a gate was unjustified. They've neatly circumvented any scrutiny of the economic impact on other local business by claiming in the original application that the facilities were only accessible to residents.
And they have also tried to discourage access through the site to the red and black trails via a push up the old Pennels Vennel. Seems like they "only just realised" that established routes went through the site...