2013-04-20 - Cambusbarron and North 3rd Aftermath

Cracking day oot. A bad start for Chiefy when he rolled his front tyre off the rim and taco'd it in the first 5 mins. Catching serious air off a huge jump in the quarry can have consequences.

The jump that claimed Kaiser's front wheel. And sock. Oooooft


After being scared witless by the size of some (well let's face it, all) of the dirt jumps, we made our way up above the quarry - we definitely took the wrong route up, what with assorted hike-a-bike and saddles getting caught in branches, but it was worth it when we got to the top of the hill. We followed our noses for a while on some nice singletrack, eventually doubling back on ourselves when we found ourselves back at the start looking down on the car park. A quick stop to consult the maps was in order, and a random direction picked.

This does not bode well for Aviemore next month


Followed some really fast track down for about a 1/3rd of a mile - really, really nice proper highlight of the ride, big smiles all around - Fast, but enough bits and bobs to keep you on your feet, and some nice air off assorted rocks. We hooked a right, continuing to follow our noses and ended up in a glade at the bottom of some serious north-shore. A quick hike up the hill hoping there wasn't anybody bombing down, and then back onto some wet track, again heading down, switching to the left and right sides to avoid the worst of the water and mud. We found a really nice section off to the left the main trail that led to...

Kaiser at bay and Keith winding it up for the 'wall of death'


Keith letting us all know which side he's going to fall off




A few hundred LBs of mince earlier today


Boardwalk Emmm-higher?












Wall of Death




The man knows no fear


















Fleein'


Great little section this, with the wall ride, north-shore and berms (including a nicely concreted run in to one of the berms). We obviously spent ages here, fannying about, taking pictures and the pish. Great laugh. There's been a lot of effort put into the trails - absolutely outstanding if you've got the nuts for 15 foot gap jumps, etc. And it's still a great trail if you don't. We continued downwards and out of the forest and about half a mile of B-road until we hit the climb up for the North 3rd woods.

Keith kept us right, I think we definitely did the best of the trails here after a beast of a fire-road climb, including a lovely descent through the trees towards the cliff, and then the final (and best section) of the cliff ride itself. Superb flow, technical and rooty.

North 3rd cliff face trail






After that, it was back up towards Cambusbarron and some nobbing around in the moonscape of the big quarry. One final climb up to the Cambusbarron Woods, where thanks to my pish navigational skills we ran out time, with Clubby and Keith opting to head back to the cars. Myself and chiefy ploughed on, and did one more run through the nice north-shorey bit, and then skirted the woods anti-clockwise back to the car - muddy as feck in places, and I was pretty done in by the time we got back.

Like I said, brilliant day out and there are a quite a few more trails that we didn't get a look at. Plus I've found another alternate route down to the North/Middle 3rd woods that looks like its worth a look.

I'll be back.

Re: 2013-04-20 - Cambusbarron and North 3rd

come on, come on! some of us have been weeding the gardening, cutting the ivy etc and now want to see what I'd rather have been doing all day!

now thats what i call a good days riding. good trails and crackin banter. we definately need to make a regular visit to this.

knackered the night as well.

Great pic's zz as usual, sounds a good day out. Well done on keeping retro up in macretro

Good to see some trail building activity

Well done to shed for pulling the ride together

Had a top day out! Couldn't have asked for better weather and I thought the trails were in fine fettle. Really impressed by the work the locals have put in and I'd have been even more impressed if I'd saw any of them clearing some of the jumps!! Pringled wheel and gouged leg aside (it was alot worse than I first thought!) I really enjoyed that one

Another pic of the wall of death wizard

turnin into a media hoor lol. crackin pics mate, particularly liked the one i took o ye on the clifftop trail.

Great day out lads. Really need to spend more time working on my (lack of) skills though.

Those woods were a bloody maze, how long did it take to find that trail in the end?

As soon as we left you two we found it. And without trying to rub it in I'm so glad we did! Seemed to work so much better when we didnae stop, I think we did everything except the dodgy gaps. When we got to the road we found a trail that would take us back up to the top, it should be easy to make up a some loops.