Clifton CC

Hello Mtb'rs,
I went over to the Lake District this weekend to see my folks and couldn't resist dropping by Whinlatter to have a bash at the recently completed section of the new trail there.
In a nutshell...very disappointing!
Maybe it was just me having a 'bad day' but I honestly didn't think it was up to scratch. The trail is very narrow in places (which isn't necessarily bad) but it's covered with extremely slippery loose rock for most of the way, has thick mud/steep drops lining the sides, slippery outcrops of roots and rocks that your bike slides off, switchbacks that are too steep and at too acute angle to get around, a couple of berms/TTF's that are equally unnavigable and the downhill blast to the car park at the end lasts all off 60 seconds and is ruined by a series of about twenty humps that sap your speed (and enjoyment)!
Having said that the views are phenomenal and there is still an additional 9Km of trail to complete (~Oct/Nov) but my first impression of it was not overwhelming.
I'm hoping that it was just me having a poor run at it and that it'll be better next time (if there is such an occasion)! Give it a go sometime if you're in the area and let me know what you thought.

I think you were probably having an off day. I spent last friday and saturday up there and found the trails very good indeed. I think the roots etc make it a much more interesting ride, however I do like the slimey, rooted technical stuff. The jumps at the end require a bit of finesse, and can be very dangerous if taken wrongly/badly (people have been air lifted out already after over-cooking them), you just need to ride like an xc'er and not a downhiller.

While you are up there, take a look at the bike shop and their range of Cube bikes. I can highly reccommend the service, as it is run by a very good friend of mine.

Hi Charlie,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed it more than I did, hopefully it means that I just wasn't on the ball that day and that my second attempt will be a bit more successful! The chaps I met in the car park and along the route certainly had a smile on their faces. Here's to round two!
P.S. Yes the shop and staff were both first rate...they even gave me some antiseptic wipes to clean up my grazes!