EARN THOSE EPIC TURNS

In biking circles, the name Glencoe stirs up images of the brutally steep and rocky downhill track that can be seen en route to Fort William, carving its way down the weather-beaten mountainside. It’s an intimidating sight, but the guys from Glencoe Mountain Resort are keen to shake o its scary reputation, and have been busy building a range of trails to show its other side.

Besides revamping the easier red DH run with flowy jumps and berms, they’ve also ventured higher up above the chairlift and scraped out a natural, arcing line that makes for a proper Highland experience. Named the Epic Glades, after the Etive Glades ski run it follows, the 4km trail can only be accessed by a steep fireroad grind, but trust us, it’s worth the pedalling e ort.

We got a chance to sample the goods with Jake Kirkwood, one of the guys responsible for bringing the trail into being. He explained that the goal has been to leave things as raw as possible, just putting spade to dirt where required and letting the line develop naturally. It gives a real sense of immersion in the Highlands, and views of the glen and Buachaille Etive Mòr that are, true to name, epic!

Use the chairlift for multiple runs of the red and black DH tracks, then pedal up and finish your day o with a 600m plummet back to base. Head to www.glencoemountain.co.uk for more info.