[Closed] Is Glentress Shut?

Some bits are but plenty is not

http://www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/Glentress---Innerleithen

Isn't it all the fun bits though?

The Red Route is closed from Posts 29 – 13 (Pennel’s Vennel) until Friday 10th Feb and also closed from post 16 - 44 (Spookywood Climb/Descent & Super G) until Fri 24th Feb due to tree felling operations.

Isn't it all the fun bits though?

No.

You will need to change your tyres at the diversions now though.

Still worth a 2hr drive then?

What's wrong with Inners?

I've only done bits of it as part of Three Brethren. The guys who i'm going with aren't the most confident riders and i'm led to believe its a more technical trail

When are you going? Most of those closures are only until friday

Tomorrow

Change of plan. We're heading to Whinlatter instead. Cheers

Even with half closed there is more at GT than there is at a fully open whinlatter
Especially for less. Confident riders

If anyone else is wondering, that's a reasonably big closure but still leaves what are IMO the best bits, and cuts out the worst bit. Most riders seem to go straight past Pennel's Vennel anyway to cut out the short climb after, and Spooky's a one-trick pony so no great loss if you don't like jumps and berms.

A mixed-up GT Red and Blue makes for a great ride and would still be long enough for most people for a day out.

Yeah go down Berm Baby Berm instead of Pennels Vennel, more fun.

Ride up to the Radio mast and down the Black from there.

Or just do the Blue

Or just mess about in the jump park all day.

But hey what do I care I'm flying to New Zealand tomorrow 😀

Have it on good authority that the diversions

take in some brilliant old skool trails

I'd choose a mostly shut Glentress over Whinlatter any day.

Actually really wanting to get down while the closures are on now, to see if there's anything on the diversions I don't know about. Unless its just boundary trail?

You can still get up to spooky easily, its only part of the climb that is shut.

Spooky is average. Much more fun to be had on the black and other bits.

I guess if you're a local or a regular, it's easy to make your own way to link bits up. I'm not so hence going for an easier option of winlatter. Glentress will be there another day

If you can get a map then it's not too hard to link stuff together. Think you can download them from the 7stanes website or buy one in Alpine Bikes or the cafe.

I reckon the final blue descent is the best bit of modern style trail centre riding in the UK. There. That's provocative.

Black closed from Deliverance till it rejoins the rest (83-86) last I read till June FFS-Secrets and lies similar. 😥

I reckon the final blue descent is the best bit of modern style trail centre riding in the UK

I reckon its the most basic, widest, blandest chore of a way to lose altitude I've ridden. Hows that?!

I reckon its the most basic, widest, blandest chore of a way to lose altitude I've ridden. Hows that?!

That's a fair point well put that is. Pow!

The top bit of that descent- car park down to fire road- is fab. But then it does become a bit of a pedally runway, to be fair. And also if you're riding it, it means you've just not ridden falla brae, which is obviously just mad.

Just got back from a two hour ride. Lots of signs and diversions about, but still very worthwhile. Found some bits that I've not done before. Ground was frozen so the bike is pretty clean although I will need to get the road salt off it pronto. Can't wait to do it again.

Yep GT is shut for the foreseeable. There is a big sign saying - "no fun here: Whinlatter this way ->"

Seriously - there are some big diversions (I think the black ones are ace - but the red is a ball ache). But still lots and lots to do. And all due to finish this Friday.

And also if you're riding it, it means you've just not ridden falla brae, which is obviously just mad.

Better they do the blue bit (Good Game) rather than doing Falla Brae and straightlining all the smashing wiggly bits, as an apparently increasing number of numpties are doing. 🙁

BTW, the blue is suffering quite a bit too:

The Blue Route from the Buzzards Nest car park (all of Upper Loop), is closed, posts 11 – 30, due to tree felling operations, until Friday 10th Feb.

Out of the diversions on the red I'd miss Pennels Vennel and Super G way more than Spooky Wood.

I am hoping to travel up from North Yorkshire early next week with a few lads to ride one of the 7stanes. Glentress was our preferred option, but it sounds like we should maybe move over to one of the western trails??

jed - Friday 10th these diversions are meant to finish (well the main ones anyway). But honestly - there is still a ton of stuff open - and depending on what day's you're here someone will happily show you round - me included. Email in my profile.

I could happily spend all day doing Berm Baby Berm. But I am a bermaholic.

berm baby berm is even better at night. Would've gone straight past it tonight if it weren't for the diversions.

Is spooky open from today or is the climb and descent still closed? Heading down on sunday and trying to decide if inners might be better...

From the link above:

[b]The Red Route[/b] is closed from posts 16 - 44 (Spookywood Climb/Descent & Super G) until Fri 24th Feb due to tree felling operations.

So it looks like Spooky Wood is still closed. I'd feel the absence of Super G more, to be frank. 🙂

Mr. Menmuir, that you plagiarising my facebook posts? 😉

Spooky climb + descent are shut, as they're felling next to the descent and access roads. Mast road is also shut, but I'm guessing that's more to keep people away from spooky, as they're not actually working near the mast road.
Black is also diverted after the boundary trail, which means you've got to take the diversion to the bottom of redemption to get back.

Despite all that, I still had a cracking post work ride on wednesday, taking in some red, blue, black, off-piste, and diversions rolling back into the car park just as being sans light was becoming a problem 😀

http://www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/Glentress---Innerleithen
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Looks like red route, post 16-44, is closed until 24th Feb.

Yargh. Was looking forwards to spooky woods..

This is just awful!
First the Hub shuts, now this!!!
Get it sorted FC!!! 🙁

You can still get to spooky wood from pennels vennals side, head up the shortcut as you head to betty blue..

This is just awful!
First the Hub shuts, now this!!!
Get it sorted FC!!!

Comedy post of the week 😆

It wasn't shut today, you only miss the spooky wood climb(you get routed up the push up path) The ice on the top third of spooky was interesting first thing this morning so for me it would have been better closed....

Has anyone been in the last few days?

What's the impact of these (from the website)- I cant remember if these are the same as it was a few weeks back?:

"The Red Route is closed from posts 16 - 44 (Spookywood Climb/Descent & Super G) until Fri 9th March due to tree felling operations.
The Black Route is closed from post 82 - 86 (Deliverance) and post 83-20 (escape route on forest road) due to tree felling operations until end June 2012. Escape Route option down forest road from post 73 (start of Boundary Trail) also closed until Fri 9th March"

Thanks?

Plenty to ride last weekend - blues and bits of red - the red over onteh far side is ridable - pie run and so on

Cheers TJ!

Anyone been on the black?

We were there last night. Think there is still a barrier across the forest road just after Blue Velvet. Spooky Wood is covered in brash and trees and stuff or something like that. Still lots to ride.

you can do pennals, then mis spooky and do hit squad hill, matrix / lombard street pie run and magic mushroom

CSW you got mail.

Thanks Steven

Ok, did the black today up to start of boundary trail then nipped down to top of spooky wood. *warning avoid spooky wood for at least 3 weeks.* Starting spooky woods, you get 3/4 jumps before it descends into fallen trees and digger tracks every 20ft. There is no warning at the start of SW to stop you riding, I wish that there was as it was awful. Super 8 and everything else was good, though appeared unmaintained. Maybe I look on glentress and compare it to its peak early/mid 2000's and wish it was at that higher standard. Maybe the price to pay for success with so many trails to maintain? Still great day out on the bike and that's all that matters.

Thanks drslow: I've decided I'm going to do the black and follow the official line. I guess the trucks and "lumberjacks" will be working tomorrow on the red and as the black diversions a few weeks back were really good (unless someone tells me otherwise) that's plan A!

please tell me the trails have been gritted at least.. fancy.. riding in the woods stopped by.. trees!!

totalshell

I assume you is taking the proverbial?

Some days recently it's been like the lumberjack and megatruck olympics. The guys are doing a job - I just want a quiet few hours out or I'll go next door to Inners.

Innerleithen might be a bit disrupted this weekend by the DH race- it's a sellout so the carpark'll be busy, full uplift etc.

I don't know if the diversions are still the same on the black but we did it the other week- there was a lovely diversion in place of Deliverance, not as good as deliverance but still lovely. The main difference was no easy escape routes.

Thanks Andrew - I'm going Friday. I was on the black 2 weeks back and loved it (maybe more than normal - is that possible?), I wondered if it had changed - sounds from responses and emails that its all still good!

. Maybe I look on glentress and compare it to its peak early/mid 2000's and wish it was at that higher standard

I agree, it really should be tarmacced, there are stones and dirt and everything lying all over the place. 😀

[i]Is spooky open from today or is the climb and descent still closed? Heading down on sunday and trying to decide if inners might be better... [/i]

But you can pretty much do both in a day anyway.

Last week I managed Innerleithen XC, then lunch at GT followed by two loops of the Red/Blue/Red from the bottom car park. Loads of fun including a couple of extra Baby Berms.

bigjim, was actually thinking there should be rose petals on the trail to protect my tyres 😉 I was probably fitter and faster back then which is why i look back with fondness.

If you let me know when you are going it can be arranged! I was only teasing. I would find it kind of entertaining to fill braking bumps with tarmac, or rose petals, and see if anyone says anything...

Forget Glentress for sustainable biking - the Pentlands are where it's at now! 😉

The 2nd post over here should answer your question - http://www.trailscotland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=2594

I was up at the Peel bike shop today and they said that SW is closed until the end of March at the earliest, apparently the felling trucks have pretty much flattened the whole trail and it will need to be rebuilt after the felling is finished. Deliverance is also closed but there is a diversion down a walking path instead. Looks like Inners is going to get busier over the next few months!

so.. for the sneaky fence jumper, what is still worth getting to just now?

I sneaked around spooky wood last week and it was gubbed. If they keep going with the felling the entire nature of the run will have changed. It's that old tourism versus timber argument again....

how about the bit after? (super g?)

anyone go today?

I sneaked around spooky wood last week and it was gubbed.

Thats an understatement, the felling vehicles have straightlined up the hillside in 3 or 4 places crushing the berms and tearing up the track on SW. Not a chance the damage will be repaired by the end of March unless they employ an army of trail fairies.

The black diversion is really torn up too, Inners is a much better option at the moment.

though the winter enduro downhill thing is on this weekend at inners -does that affect the red route at all?

It's the DH race rather than an Enduro this weekend, so shouldn't affect any xc stuff at all (other than maybe the very beginning and end)

While I appreciate that a working forest needs to take out the timber. Hasn't anyone noticed the £7 million or whatever it was they spent on the Peel? Do they actively want the new cafe to close down?

jeffcapeshop - Member
though the winter enduro downhill thing is on this weekend at inners -does that affect the red route at all?

Nope, rode the red today without any problems