ROUTES GREAT BRITISH GETAWAYS
With ‘staycations’ more popular than ever in the UK, our guide Max finds three of the best homegrown MTB holiday spots, with a great ride at each
Wcoming with a travel guide to the best overseas MTB destinations, I thought I’d chip in with some awesome UK riding-holiday options. Britain is densely populated and the trails can be crowded in the getaway hotspots, so I’ve sought out some quieter routes in popular areas, so you still get some solitary singletrack in epic locations.
First on the list is Eryri (formerly known as Snowdonia) in North Wales, which offers an awesome range of outdoor activities, including the fastest zipline in the world as well as inland surfing! Eryri has a number of amazing trail centres for all skill levels, as well as a wealth of natural riding. I’ve picked out Cadair Idris, because although it’s a smaller mountain than Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), it’s much quieter, doesn’t have riding restrictions and is a good introduction to proper mountainous riding. There’s also great riding nearby, at the likes of Dyfi Forest and Coed-y-Brenin.
Next up is the Lake District, a gold standard for epic missions in beautiful scenery. The 20 million yearly visitors can detract from the views, but stay on the edge of the National Park and you can enjoy some much quieter trails. This route summits Nan Bield Pass, with amazing sights, technical riding, tough climbs, a hard hike-a-bike section and some amazing snaking singletrack. The northern loop alone is enough for most riders, but if you have a whole day to play with, start from Staveley to add Garburn Pass.
Finally, we head to the stunning Isle of Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides, in the western Highlands of Scotland, and birthplace of the legendary Danny MacAskill. Our route goes off the beaten track, enjoying some fun trails where you’ll discover the remains of an old crofting village, waterfalls and deserted beaches. For further riding here, the popular (busy) path from Sligachan to Camasunary Beach is easy to follow down the valley, flanked by the amazing Cuillin Hills, for an out-andback mission. Quiraing is also stunning, but a popular walking route and difficult to ride, so it’s usually best experienced without a bike. With Skye being such a long way away for most people, there are also some great sights, and rides, to enjoy on the journey up there, such as gondola rides and downhill runs at the Nevis Range, just outside Fort William, and epic natural riding around Torridon – all well worth making a stop-off for.