“We've just finished building 1.7km of new red singletrack descent on the XC Route. The first new section (1.2km) comes after the Minch Moor descent and is packed full of jumps, berms and cheeky rock features. It will be open on Thu 20 March in time for Easter weekend. This section will replace the 'natural' loop back up and down the Minch Moor and link straight into the 'Enduro Track'.
The other new section, named Oh Deer!, is open now and provides an easier red-graded alternative to the hardest section on Plora Craig. There are still several rock sections to keep you on your toes!
With the addition of these new sections and tweaks to the more trickier sections of Stell Burn Climb, we are now able to convert the whole route to red grade, making the Innerleithen XC Route a great alternative to the Red Route at Glentress. Waymarking conversions and adjustments to the climb should be completed by the end of April, and updated maps are at the printers as we write.”
This press release from the Forestry Commission/7stanes is what we have been waiting for at the newest Alpine store at Innerleithen. As these are our local trails I felt I had to find out if the changes are any good,
After you have ridden the initial descent off the top of Minch Moor, You hit the first section of new trail. This is an excellent combination of jumps, berms, rock causeways, drop offs and stepdowns. For those among us who prefer wheels on the ground, all these sections can be easily ridden without getting airborne. At the moment the trail is quite loose surface, which can make for some interesting high speed slides though the corners. After 1.2km you join up with the old trail which takes you back down to the forest road, and the short uphill stretch to the Plora Craig section. Here is where the other work has gone on, in building red graded alternatives to the more technical sections of the descent. These new red sections follow a similar theme to the new parts of trail that you have just come down, off the back of Minch Moor.
When I rode this The Forestry hadn’t quite finished all the signage, so it made for some interesting riding thinking I was on a red section when in-fact it was black and vice versa. After this the trail is unchanged and finishes as normal with the high speed descent down Caddon Bank back to the start. Overall I would say that the changes are well worth it. Innerleithen has for a long time been overlooked by many riders because of it’s reputation for steep, technical DH riding. The changes will make the route here more accessible for a lot of riders who would otherwise simply default to Glentress. Come down and see what Innerleithen has to offer, I can guarantee you won’t regret it.
P.S. Signage according to the local MTB ranger should be finished by late April. Trail maps are available in the shop at Innerleithen; the updated ones should be with us shortly.
For more information visit the 7 stanes website