If it’s Monday- this must be Mabie

Phoenix Trail 17kms

The weather is almost perfect. Cool breeze, slightly overcast, grey skies. But it’s mild and it’s not raining which is obviously the main thing.
A final check of the bike and it’s up onto the saddle and away up the hill. Follow the road up and through the gates and round the back of the Mabie House Hotel, the shop is back here as well as the ranger’s office and the bike wash.

Through one more gate and the first climb on dirt takes you up along a path through trees in all their autumn glory. Stop and take a picture? No, just pedal, there are trails to be ridden, and somewhere out there is Kona’s “Dark side”.

Following the red markers for the “Phoenix” trail I turn up and to the left, the tree lined single track gives way to hard double track of shingle and solid rock. I’m definitely climbing now. Scrabbling for grip on jagged rocks and grunting with the effort.

The trail suddenly seems to level out and you’re facing your first real obstacle, a boardwalk over a serious bit of bog! Interesting as I’ve never ridden any North shore or anything like this before! A hard push on the right pedal and I’m up and on my way, there’s probably a technique to ride this sort of stuff, I prefer to find a comfortable pace and look ahead. Apart from a couple of minor wobbles and one or two broken boards it’s not so bad; the wooden slats are covered with chicken wire so grip is fantastic. In fact, upon reflection a better tyre choice would have been the Panaracer Trail Blasters.

A long and serious bit of climbing comes next. Off camber hairpin bends bare native rock, get to the top and you’ve earned a five minute sit on the bench. Apart from anything else you need to stop here just to see the views. Neither description, nor photograph of mine can do it justice. You just have to go and see it for yourself.

Sadly - the wet summer and the wettest October on record - has taken its toll on this the highest section of the trail. Rendering the next two or three kilometres a long and hard walk.

Finally free of the deep cacky stuff, I’m back on rock and shingle. An added bonus is its downhill! Leaping astride the big blue I set off for a bit of single track. This opening section of downhill is several things. Technical? Check. Rocky? Very! Steep? Oh yes! Big drop off? No, can’t seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Back on fire road and a chance to catch my breath. On the blue marker post as well as the red arrow pointing off to the right is a curious black mark.
Pulse racing I continued on down the road. I found the “Dark Side”.
At the beginning of October it was officially opened and professional riders came from all over to ride it.
Waiting at the top was Chris, up for the day from Carlisle.
Question: Would I ride it?
Honest answer? It rhymes with, “cough” and “clucking bell”.
No, having walked out onto the first, “opening” section. Twelve feet up foot and a half wide. Leads into an almost sheer drop, onto a narrowing section, [10cms] and then a four foot drop/jump.
I wouldn’t do it – not in this life time.

Turning our bikes and our backs on the “Dark Side” we headed back to the red of the Phoenix trail. Climbing and descending in equal measure the trail is a constant battle of will power, energy sapping technical twisting arm pumping single track. Slabs of bare rock, fast grippy shingle. Berms everything you could wish for and more besides. Fun and fear, just what man made trails are meant to be. Blasting back into wooded cover and its brakes off and enjoy the ride of the rollercoaster. Great fun!

A wall rises before you and anyone who can ride up this is a super hero. Just seems vertical!

A warning sign shouldn’t be ignored or taken lightly. It started with Chris suggesting that I go to the top and he would take my picture. One thing led to another which finished with, “yeah, I reckon its ride able!”
First the front wheel lost its grip – then the bottle was lost – finally the footing was lost……….

You’ll be glad to know the knee/shin pads are worth the money.

By the way, there is a, “opt out route” available.

A new day at Dalbeattie

The town of Dalbeattie is built on granite, it’s built of granite. And it was granite that made the town. And it’s on this harder than iron rock that I’d come to ride. This is the place I’d most wanted to visit. A chance to ride the trails that had eluded me on my last visit thanks to a ham fisted mechanic.
The aptly named “hard rock” trail was waiting. A trail where reputations can be made, or broken.

Thankfully the only reputation I have isn’t for my riding skills and with that in mind I came here with high hopes of conquering all, including the notorious “black” sections. A quick study of the map, around 27 kms of trail of which there’s probably less than fifty metres of black.

Just off from the car park is a “skills area”. It’s up to you as to whether you wish to be humiliated before or after you ride the actual trail. I chose after!
The trail starts off gently enough, well surfaced fire road. Several miles of it in fact. Finally fire road gives way to double track which in turn narrows down to squeeze through some trees and becomes single track! Woo Hoo! At last! Single track. Nope, back on fire road.

A serious test of stamina as the fire road continues as you gain height.
Finally a sign and you dive off fire road and plunge through trees. This is probably some of the finest single track I’ve ever ridden, dodging through trees on a snake width trail with a sharp, but thankfully, short drop to your right, it’s a test of nerve and balance as well as skill, a slight wobble and a shoulder crashes painfully against a tree. Tyres scrabble for grip on exposed tree roots and skid alarming sideways from bare rock.

Breaking out from the tree line you find yourself gasping for breath. No time, not now. For here it gets technical with a capital “T”.
Push hard to climb up and on to granite slabs and hold on tight and pushing your bum over the back as it plunges downwards. Rock drop offs and jumps launching you into the air.

Grab brakes in fear and you quickly realise the futility and foolishness. Stay calm, relax, and feather the levers, look far enough ahead and balance your body and you’ll ride through it. Panic, grab at the brakes and you’ll hit the hardest rock you’ll ever meet. Hard.

Dropping down you need to make a quick adjustment to your line to roll off and over a granite slab. Unfortunately, the wet weather has been here too. A gentle correction of line didn’t happen and yours truly was launched face first into the greenery.

Regaining my seat I rolled, very gently down the remaining metres of rock, and cursed the foulness of the weather. And the strange depth of mud that’s achievable on such a steep section of Scottish hillside.

Fire road links each technical section and you gain height on these rather than on steep twisty single track, which is reserved for downhill. Suit you Sir? Does me!
It goes on, seemingly almost forever, twisting this way and that, winding its way up through some of the darkest and most impenetrable forest I’ve ever seen.
Plunging down towards a dry stone wall and just beyond you go into the darkness of a forest trail. If that wall was higher or they’d put in an archway, with a few ancient runes marked on it. Well I for one wouldn’t have entered. Not on my own, having a laugh at myself, simply thought out loud, “Orks live in there”, stupid really, as everyone knows they live in caves!

To ride a causeway, if you’ve ever come across one, there is a technique, what it is I haven’t a clue. What I do know is, run the lowest tyre pressure you can, pedal hard, pick your spot and pull up and back on the bars. As you crash to the floor, {again!} be glad of the extra investment of elbow pads.
They are ride able; you just have to work at it. Concentration and a “hover” over the saddle seemed to work best. Until tired legs give out and then, well it the finger went back in, eventually.

I found the “Slab”. Forty foot high. I didn’t find the trail up to the top, [more on that later.] so I picked up my bike and walked up. There’s only really one way down. Courage. Push off and hold on, control the speed and look for the bottom.
My face is resting in a pool of my own vomit; well at least it’s still warm. A single tear drop glistens inches from my nose. That’s not a tear drop! Well that’s lucky then. Nearly lost a contact lens there!

Starting to suspect that “Black” equals “expert”; which I am certainly not, and am more than ready and happy to admit to.

Once more I remount the bike and set off on the last leg of my own little epic struggle. Regaining fire road and winding my way down, I passed several likely looking trails, all of which appeared to have been blocked or signposted as “Closed: Logging Operations”

Back at the car park I met a couple of Aussie lads just setting out. And was informed that the FC were closing the trails, or certainly all the interesting bits, down for logging and urgent upgrade and repair work. I was probably the last person to get round them before the New Year!

I look forward to my next visit next year. I owe this trail a kick in the tussocks, it surely gave me one!

Conclusion and Conclusions

And this is just; “in my opinion”.

Mabie, new more testing/violent trails are being added. And should be ready to open by early next year.
In the mean time, a high 8. It’s fast, technical, and brilliant fun. Yes it can and does bite back hard. But it’s a day out riding for every level of rider.
The Phoenix can be tackled by all but the newest of novices.

Kona’s “Dark Side”. You can, as many riders do, skip the opening section and ride on down to tackle the rest. I have a healthy fear of heights and knew that I’d simply hate it. I wouldn’t do it, but that’s my choice.

Dalbeattie: Leaving out the black sections. A hard as granite ride that’ll dump you on your face, head, back and arse; repeatedly whilst giving you a good kicking as well!
It’s not for the unwary or unskilled. Courage and strength alone will not carry you through. Mistakes in choice of line, speed or braking are punished quickly and harshly.
Physically and mentally it left me exhausted.
The trail was built by those who wanted to challenge the rider who wanted more. It succeeds on every level. 10/10

Having, in my own mind, failed to clean Dalbeattie I gave Kirroughtree a miss for this year.
Novices are well catered for at all the centres, choosing either the green or blue routes these offer both double and single track plus some sections that are challenging even to expert riders.

I prefer to think of it as an “investment”, the knee and elbow pads certainly saved me from some pretty nasty falls and probably from even worse injuries. The down side is you begin to believe in your own invulnerability. You actually do start to think you’ll not get hurt when you get it wrong. It does hurt. Even through the padded armour.

Injuries

Numerous cuts and grazes; scratches from gorse and rock.
Left ankle is nicely scraped and bruised.
Right shoulder is bruised, front, side and back.
Left elbow is swollen and stiff.
One dislocated finger – which was put back at the time. Several finger nails broken, [note to self. New gloves required].
A melon sized bruise on the inside of the left thigh and thankfully I have no plans to father any children – and at the time of writing these notes; well sex is neither a tempting thought nor a probable prospect for the next week of so.

Body armour? No, but knee/shin should be the minimum to be considered. Most of the people I met at Mabie and Dalbeattie were wearing armour of one kind or another. So yes consider it an investment.

Enjoy the pictures. There should have been more but I was busy, enjoying the riding!
Go as soon as you’re able, you won’t regret it.

words by Tatty Tiger

Click here for photos of Tattys adventures at Mabie and Dalbeattie

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