Innerliethen
If you've never been, Why not?
I headed own to Inners on sunday (6th) for a bit of practice & ws greated with mud, puddles & snow (on the trails).
I picked up new goggles at Bike Sport with a pack of rip-off's for the ride....
This was after 2 rip-off's, the last one was ripped off as I couldn't see a thing, but, as I ripped it off, the googles moved & I still couldn't see, just before the big double on the way to the 'Bombhole', so I had to roll it!
Dawn is heading down to Inners with me next Sunday for some pictures & video clips, so lets hope it's a tad drier for that.
There's more to Inners than meets the eye.
Inners has numerous DH routes, but did you know about the XC route?
It's a 'Black' graded route & I can tell you right now, it is hard. If you are used to climbing up the black at Glentress, then you realy need to put your skills to the test down at Inners XC.
New rock steps on the climb that will test anyone's ability, new section is being bedded in right now, it will join the good first descent from the top to the trail that takes you to 'Plora Rig', which looks realy bermy & fast.
Inners Vid/pic shoot
Well, it was a strange day today, as I've said on the opening page.
Well, when we finnaly made it to Inners, we headed up the fireroad climb, Dawnzy had expected Stevie & Johnny to catch up with us pretty quick, but we had made it half way up & stopped for refreshments before they appeared.
We headed up to the beginning of 'I-Line' & took some video clips at the rythem section, then round the corner at the huge step-down.
This is me lying in the dip of the step-down taking a vid clip of Stevie clearing it, then Johnny came down & I crapped it & headed for the trees.
After this we headed up to the Road Gap & would you believe it? They have shut it off, except for race days, but, bugger that, I've been haunted by that gap since I came a cropper last January when I fell just before the take-off, which left me with no feeling in my right arm for 20mins.
So, we were naughty & opened the gate & I concered it! Yeehaa! It felt amazing to almost clear that gap, attempt #1 - I followed Stevie & went a tad too slow, attempt #2 - I followed Johnny & I went a tad further, attempt #3 - I followed Stevie again & almost cleared it, but Stevie whipped the back end out, then on landing, he went for a spin & a slide on his back, I almost run over his head, but averted a dissaster at the last seconed.
After this, Stevie & Johnny had to head home, shame, but Dawnzy & myself kept at it & had great fun.
She had me pushing up a million times....
Me pushing up again & again & again.....
But, I had fun ripping it down the trails.
Further to the last post (we heard a word or two from someone), Inners is set to have an uplift put in place.
On page 8 'Headtube' reports.... Emma Guy, at the Hub in the forest, has just let us know that there is good news with regards to the possibility of a chairlift being built at the ever popular Innerliethen site. She told us, " the chairlift feasibility study was presented this week, and it is all very positive, giving the thumbs up to the project. All the big players were at the meeting & have committed in principal to funding the bulk of it."
In Dirtmag's 'Your neck of the woods - Scots', " And it all comes to pass that at last someone has decided to get a bus company involved at Inners to alieviate the uplift problem. Seems some bus company is more than happy letting us dirty bikers on board whilest our bikes are driven up by cattle truck........ The tender is up for grabs, after the Hub's work in growing the uplift scene at the borders Mecca, they haven't continued their service. So, basicaly it's up for grabs to anyone with a road legal people carrier & a trailer/truck.....
'XC' - There is only the 1 route here, but, it's graded 'Red' with 'Black' options, but, these options are one section of trail that I fractured my thumb on & I haven't done the route since.
Having a rest at the top of the XC trail, it's a hard climb, but it's worth it for the view.
'DH' - Now there are 3 main DH trails here,
'I-Line' smooth jumps that you must commit to, KEEP OFF THE BRAKES! if you want to clear the lot. This leads onto 'Caddon Bank' which has 3 drop-off's of increcing size then a 180deg right-hand berm to 4 or 5 rollers that are off-camber which shoots you into the woods (Stevie has came a cropper here) which winds you all the way to the car-park.
'Red Bull' - This route has been a favorite of the NPS for years until they built the newest route. After you leave the start hut, you drop (steeply) to the road-gap (I've came a cropper here) that launches you into the trees, but as you come out of the trees you have a choice, begginer or more? MORE! turn left at the junction & shred down the rut's clearing the rocks & trees, round the berms to the bottom section (all the DH routes end up here), launch out the bomb-hole that spits you out just before the right-hand berm, then you weave down to the car-park.
'The Big 'un' - It starts a little bit along from the 'Red Bull' start hut, with a kinda flat start, but don't let that fool you, you turn right to find a mad rock garden that you need to negotiate then drop over the fire-road & weave some more 'till you come to the 1st of many drops that only get bigger, weave down throught the trees off, the drops, through the dry-stane dyke round a tree or 3 then back through the dyke, head through the trees 'till it takes you to the mother of all Drop-off's in scotland (this has eluded us as of yet) over the table's, into the trees, which leads to the bomb-hole.
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