Skull and crossbones warning sign for dodgy sections!
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Dalbeattie, August 2003

Thanks to the 7-Stanes project, some top notch MTB trails which are definitely worth checking out. And even more being developed as we speak. For now, you definitely want to check out the Hardrock trail at Dalbeattie, near Dumfries. The 29km of trail includes swooping singletrack through forest, rocky technical bits, thrilling slabs, and good views out to the sea.

Here is the link to the Dalbeattie info. There is a downloadable map too, although the trail is well enough marked that you can get away without it. The trailbuilders have done a great job at Dalbeattie. One good feature is that all the hard bits have chicken runs round the side, so you can go with people of differing abilities and still all ride together without some people getting bored and others killing themselves.

Click on any of the pictures below for a full size version....

Quality Singletrack

The singletrack is superb, and infinitely varied. One moment you could be heading uphill on smooth track through tall ferns, then a minute later its winding its way through a beech forest, followed by a rocky section through and over big granite lumps. Then suddenly you are on a loose and rocky downhill.

There is good wildlife too. When we were there, there were loads of butterflies everywhere, one even landed on my handlebars as I was riding uphill and flew off again, and plenty of dragonflies. I tried in vain to get a good dragonfly photo but they just move too fast to get close enough.

Roz riding on singletrack in beech forest, ground carpeted with brown beech leaves. Roz riding on singletrack through oak trees. Roz riding on trail twisting through conifers.
Section through beech forest... ...then oak section ... then conifers
Roz on trail twisting round big granite lumps.
...then rocky lumps

The Slab

Absolutely top quality piece of terrain. The slab is preceded by the short rocky rollover of the qualifier, which is quite good fun in itself. But the main action is the 12m slab of steep rough granite. Just to add some excitement there are some diagonal grooves threatening to grab your front wheel and whip you off to the side. When we went there on a saturday afternoon there were a bunch of walkers hanging around with video cameras waiting for some wipeouts!! The best line is on the right hand side, easy approach, and longer and steeper. Five seconds of fast paced thrills! Whichever line you take, for gods sake don't fall off - its a long, very long, and very abrasive way down to the bottom....
Black skull and crossbones on sign pointing to The Slab. Me disappearing down steep section built from rocky boulders.
Confidence inspiring sign The Qualifier
Me starting descent of steep 12m granite slab. Me nearing the bottom of steep 12m granite slab.
The Slab The Slab

Even more Quality Singletrack

After the slab, you could be forgiven for thinking that the remainder of the trail is a bit more sedentary. Not so! Next on the agenda is some delightful rocky singletrack heading up to a bit of a plateau, with views down to the sea and all the way across to Cumbria, followed by the Terrible Twins - more slab action on two baby versions of the big slab, with a short gap in between them. Then the trail winds through Spooky Wood, dense and gloomy pine forest, just the sort of place you would expect to meet the Blair witch. If you make it out of the wood alive, then there is the freeflowing downhill of Jacobs Ladder, with carefully crafted stonework on the high speed banking at the bottom.
Brown spotted orange butterfly perched on bright yellow flowers. Front view of me riding over section of chunky boulders. Rocky singletrack winding down through grass and small conifers, with the sea and a distant coastline in the background.
Wildlife Rocky section Great views
Side view of me rolling down short but steep smooth granite slab. Front view of me rolling over the edge of second steep granite slab. Roz on grey shingle singletrack through dense and dark conifers.
Terrible Twin 1 Terrible Twin 2 Spooky Wood
Section of fast straight singletrack on steep downhill, in the background a bank of purple heather in the sun. Roz on loose bit of singletrack, in glorious sunshine, and surrounded by mix of ferns, grass and conifers. Roz disappearing into the distance on loose bit of singletrack, in glorious sunshine, and surrounded by mix of ferns, grass and conifers.
Jacobs Ladder Even more singletrack Last fix of singletrack

Hurry....

Well worth a trip. And once all the other venues are open, you could spend a whole week in the area. The slabs alone are worth the trip, quite a unique feature for UK MTB'ing.
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