Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
Mountain biking with a view.
Finish area at the bottom of the Red Bike Track.
Cliffhanger Chair and the still complete Canyon beyond.
From the Cliffy to above the Haggis Trap where the start was, the uplift was of the shanks pony variety!
Morning timed run on the Red Bike Track.
Approaching the corner of the red bike track where it turns back to the base.
Lift served mountain biking due to open next Saturday (14th May).
Fastest riders from the morning runs take their place at the front of the start grid.
Last of the riders make their way to the start area prior to forming the start grid.
Approaching the finish area on the morning timed runs.
It wasn't all downhill, the riders climbed up onto Creag Dhu from Etive Glades.
Boarder gets some turns in on the Wall on great smooth Spring Snow.
The seeded mass start on the crossover from the Haggis Trap to Happy Valley so lots of tumbles on the snow.
Rider on the lower half of the Red Bike Track.
Haggis Trap is still filled flat in the Main Basin.
Lots of options for hiking / touring, with all upper runs except Etive Glades still complete, plus the Wall, Wall Crossover, Canyon and Thrombosis mid mountain.
Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
Displayed: Images 1 to 17 of 17
Report
Saturday saw the mass start Macavalanche mountain bike race from just above the Haggis Trap to the base via Creag Dhu and the Red Bike Track (with a few variations).
Lift served mountain biking is due to open to the public on Saturday 14th May, but check the Glencoe report later in the week as there is still quite a bit of work required to fix winter storm damage and that may depend on the weather this week.
For those still wanting to ski or board, those willing to hike or skin up can still get some great runs in. The Main Basin is still wide and deep and flat through the Haggis Trap. Spring Run, Happy Valley, Rannoch Glades and the Flypaper all still complete, while mid mountain the Wall is complete, the Canyon still good and Thrombosis also skiable. Great granular spring snow and smooth with little use, though the odd drift of sticky fresher snow to test the reactions!
Today's bike race started with timed runs in the morning to determine which grid row people started the mass start Macavalanche from.
The route begun on snow from the crossover from just above the Haggis Trap out onto Happy Valley, then riders cut left off the snow out across the lower Etive Glades and along the ridge before a short climb up onto Creag Dhu. From there along the footpath to the Top of the Access, before more or less following the Red Bike Track to base.