New MTB Trail in Aviemore
High Burnside, near Aviemore, is an area of MTB trails renowned for steep, rooty, and bedrock mayhem. It’s somewhere riders build up to, so they can tackle the trails with skill and confidence. With these trails on the doorstep for many keen local mountain bikers, our local trail association identified the need for a new MTB trail that offered more flow and of a blue grade standard.
As I write this, we’ve just had our trail association AGM. Steadily, we’ve seen our group of local riders volunteering their time slowly growing in numbers.
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What is a trail association?
Trail associations are rider driven groups, sometimes with charitable status, that are dedicated to the stewardship and development of the mountain bike trail network in their area and acts as an advocate on behalf of riders in their local area.
They promote a culture of responsibility amongst users of the trail network and generate funds to invest back into the trails and the local community.
They work closely with local landowner/manager helping to improve the trails, make them safer (without sanitising them) and, when trust and relationships are built up, will begin to build trails with permissions from landowners.
(Source: Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland)
Badenoch & Strathspey Trail Association (BASTA)
The Badenoch & Strathspey Trail Association (BASTA – Instagram @digdays) has continually worked to build a relationship with local landowners. Many local riders have contributed to the development of this over the years.
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Phase 1 of the new trail is a product of lots of work behind the scenes, as well as many hours of digging by local volunteers over last winter and in spring 2024.
The new trail is nicknamed the ‘fluffy gobbler’, after the local bird we’re especially mindful of. As we ride and build trails in natural places, we must try to minimise disturbance of birds and other wildlife that call these areas home. When developing and using MTB trails in the Aviemore area, we’re particularly sensitive to Capercaillie. We try to reduce the impact we may have, especially during the breeding season of April to mid-August.
Our message to riders:
Stay on the trail & stay quiet
Enjoy the flow! Avoid stopping
Keep your dog on the trail
Avoid riding in Capercaillie habitats at dusk and dawn
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The new MTB trail
Phase 1 of the new trail has created 500m of flowing singletrack, with well-built catching corners and some roll-able rock features, in a beautiful woodland. The trail is on Strava but has not quite made its way to Trailforks just yet.
To get to this trail, you need to take winding singletrack. This has some challenge to it in terms of it’s technical sections you need to negotiate. Then head towards the top of the classic trails known as THR or Side Pipe, both of which are on the apps Trailforks or Strava. There are ways to miss out the singletrack and use forestry tracks. Although all of which are quite steep so may require the odd push of your bike. It’s definitely worth the effort.
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Here at Glenmore Lodge, we enjoy coaching riders on sessions we describe as ‘crafty climbing’. This is how we explain and demonstrate how to arrive at the top having enjoyed the process.
Work is going to commence on phase 2 of this trail on the 13th October. This will continue through the winter months, so hopefully this trail will double in length by spring 2025! And have 2 distinct halves to it, so if you decide you want a shorter and easier ascent you can link in at the halfway point.
We have used this trail on some of our Trail Riding and Trail Plus courses this year. Big smiles (the most important measure of success) were achieved!
Interested to know more about how to get involved with construction of new trails or maintenance of existing trails? Find your local trail association on social media or via Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland’s webpage.