I'll be very careful here so as to say that I'm neither panning or praising this trail from a riders eye specifically. I think it's too easy to be swayed by one's own preferences and what the individual wants and needs from an experience. I had a great time putting in a few laps of the Blue Doon, the UK's longest downhill MTB trail.
When I heard that this "blue" trail was finally open, I immediately questioned its name, what that name means in comparison to the type of trail that carries a blue grading and the type of person that would potentially turn up to ride it. Finally I wondered what that riders expectation would be Vs the end experience.
Forestry and Land Scotland are not the mountain bike police, but when searching Google for "what is a blue trail" type language, they are consistently the first results. So fair to say that both based on this and in my experience, inexperienced riders are using these descriptors and experiences (on FLS trails) as benchmarks. Here is their basic take on the colour hierarchy. .
Trail Grades and Safety.
Green = Easy
Blue = Moderate
Red = Difficult
Black = Severe
It's fair and to say that I have ridden more on graded trails than most other people. Seen more people riding bikes that your average rider and have been privy to more peoples fears, hesitations, expectations and aspirations than 99% of riders out there. It's for this reason that I had to go and see for myself if "Blue Doon" was indeed in line with the expectations of not only the people I met there but what my own experience of what blue trails might be expected to yield for an unassuming visitor.
"It's easy to forget that not everyone who can ride a mountain bike is a "mountain biker"
And with that in mind. Here's my video blog of Blue Doon where I get into the actual trail and how it feels to ride it. Perhaps worth noting that the trail had been open for approximately one week at the time of filming. I have several runs with the new Gopro, so you may notice some cuts and different perspectives. If you watch the video, please come back to read the last of the blog below to get clarification on some points.
If you ask any trail builder that has a commercial interest in their job or a landowner that needs a return on his investment in bringing potential risk and liability onto their land I've found that they will very rarely say anything more than "more blues and more reds" Reason being, thats where the bulk of visitor money goes. It's what brings people in. That and specific jump lines and other types of "free ride" features. But when you're more engrained in the culture of MTB it's easy to forget that not everyone who can ride a mountain bike is a "mountain biker"
So bringing a blue line to a huge fall line like Aonach Mor, sticking a gondola into the mix and an effortless entry into an expectantly "easy" trail is a commercial no-brainer for a place like Nevis Range. But is it the right or responsible thing to do? Well for me a big yes and a small no.
"Personal responsibility comes into this of course, however if you've ridden blue trails anywhere else and quite reasonably expect a similar experience here. Then this is not the same as any blue trail you've ridden."
One thing that is a useful addition and a staple on most trails and in trail centres is the "qualifier" Its a series of TTFs (technical trail features) of varying difficulties that test the ability and confidence of the potential trail user before they venture out. There are none here, you simply put your bike on the gondola and take it off at the top then enter the trail cold and with no opportunity to sample what is to come.
Personal responsibility comes into this of course, however if you've ridden blue trails anywhere else and quite reasonably expect a similar experience here. Then this is not the same as any blue trail you've ridden. This is a potentially one 8 kilometre trail with a drop of over 500 metres with varying terrain and trail features.
I can ride a bike well enough and I rode this trail in just over 17 minutes. At the time 500+ people (that recorded it) had rode the trail and I was 7th overall on Strava. As I write this over 850 people have ridden it and I'm still sitting in 17th place. I don't say this for ego, only to demonstrate that a very capable rider can still take 17 minutes to descend this trail. Let me also say that at that speed I was absolutely knackered and this is a downhill trail remember. Again, underestimate the energy this takes at your peril.
You can look at the full Strava details by clicking here. this will give you an idea of the speeds and distances involved in taking on the Blue Doon.
Tucked to the side of the bike turnstile scanner is the only safety notice of information board I could see on the whole journey (correct me?) from the point of sale to the entry into the trail. It contains a fair bit of passive safety advice with some fairly vague T&Cs.
Terms of use: Call me a stick in the mud but this is just not enough to to prepare people for what this trail is. I saw a good few people with no helmets or gloves, no bags, some young unaccompanied riders (though I don't know the individual circumstances) It (the info board) equates "both tracks" with technical riding but does not separate them, instead recommending all kinds of self policing regarding equipment, ability and interpretation of this information.
Again, I personally don't think this is really good enough. To encourage people here at the promise of a "blue trail" with no real information and the inevitable comparison to other blue trails in my opinion will cause problems for some unlucky individuals. Indeed I rolled up on (what looked like) a fairly serious excursion off the trail (4:40 on the video) by a comparatively well equipped rider on a simple (but very high speed) bit of narrow trail. I was sure the guy would be seriously injured but he waved me on and his mate behind presumably scooped him up. He was fine.
I saw girls in leggings and trainers tripoding around the steeper corners on a hire bike. People pushing bikes with punctures with a long walk ahead of them. One lad on a big wheeled BMX cruiser type bike too. I could go on, but it was just a bit chaotic if I'm honest. There was just a significant amount of people that just had no business being in what in my opinion is quite a hostile environment.
"There were already several lines shooting over the edge of corners where folk just hadn't made the turns and of course the tell-tale skid marks on the apexes of corners where the luckier riders had stopped just in time!"
I'm not sh*tting on Nevis Range here. Once I got over the top half of the trail witch seems unfinished and rushed with such a varied surface so as to make is extremely unpredictable. I actually enjoyed the trail. After a few goes, even the challenge of negotiating the top half became something approaching good fun. (Albeit a bit "type 2") The trail was only a week or so old but there were already several lines shooting over the edge of corners where folk just hadn't made the turns and of course the tell-tale skid marks on the apexes of corners where the luckier riders had stopped just in time!
The other thing is the speed. I got up to just under 60kph! It's so easy to just get up to a type of momentum that simply pulling brakes alone won't slow you down. At even half this speed on this type of terrain and exposure you start to need real skill to safely descend. Regretfully you do not need any skill to get up to high speeds, just a bit of bravery. In my experience of all types of riders on varying types of terrain, it's simply speed on "easier" trails that yield the most in way of serious accident and injury.
In misty weather, leaving this trail by just 5-10 metres could mean that you would not be seen by anyone from the trail. The fall zones off the side in some areas of the track are significant too leaving no room for error. I honestly think combined with the commercial draw of "The UKs longest Blue DownHill Trail" and the simple omission of any significant drops, jumps or major technical features (mostly the latter) this just means its automatically a blue trail?
"Nevis Range do have form here. I remember when the "Red Giant" opened. Eventually this was renamed "Top Chief" after local bike rider and pickled onion connoisseur Joe Barnes."
Naming trails is always tricky. From the natural hand dug trails that we all ride in the local woods and forests where we have to deal with (in some cases) inappropriate language and local sensitivities wether it be territorial or environmental. Right up to cases like this where the mere mention of a colour in context can carry a heavy contextual assumption.
Nevis Range do have form here. I remember when the "Red Giant" opened. Eventually this was renamed "Top Chief" after local bike rider and pickled onion connoisseur Joe Barnes. Admittedly I don't know why this was, but I remember that everyone in unison was in agreement that the 12" wide but-puckering boardwalks with 5ft drops on either side, the massive granite rollers and the ample opportunity to ride of the side of the mountain at significant speed were just not in line with what a red trail generally was expected to serve up.
So if you've ridden this trail, watched my video or made it to the end of this blog then let me know your opinions in the comments. You can do this down below this blog. On Instagram, YouTube or Facebook.
Thanks for making it to the bottom. See you out there!
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