Packed full of advanced level features, the Freeride Park is an ideal spot for riders looking to push their skill levels, style it up, learn new tricks or just hang out and ride with friends. It's located right next to the Buzzards Nest car park.
The park has a great range of features, small and large. Check out the information panels on site before riding. In addition to helmet and gloves, body armour is strongly recommended!
Getting to the park
From the car park riders either take the forest road that runs along the edge of the park or push up through the park itself on a network of paths. Doing the latter means you can also check out the features (recommended) and other riders on your way up. Both ways only take about 5 minutes.
Riders tend to practise ('session') short sections rather than riding a whole trail in one go. 'Sessioning' is positively encouraged, but please use the push up paths rather than the actual trails to push back up.
The Freeride trails
The Unnamed
Packing 23 jumps into its 650m length this trail is a veritable jump-fest! Featuring mostly 'tabletops’, these medium-sized jumps have fairly steep up-ramps and sharp lips that ping you into the air. If you're new to this type of jump, check out the ‘Essentials’ trail first.
Down the start ramp, a couple of pedal strokes and you're on the first jump. The next two come straight after but being through a left turn are trickier to negotiate. Keeping low through these sets you up nicely for two more tabletops then a sweet 180º berm.
Exiting this, you're straight into two more tabletops then a hip jump dropping away into sweeping left-hander, which leads into two slightly bigger tabletops. Onto the brakes for a tricky set of rock steps through a tight right-hander and you’re into a tightly spaced set of five tabletops, then two smaller jumps.
The trail now drops away steeply, firing you into another set of five tabletops. After these, the trail flattens, giving time for a quick breather before two final tabletops and the option of hitting the Funbox.
Cycopath
This trail takes a more direct route down the hill and starts as it means to go on with three log ‘skinnies’ in quick succession. Each is no more than 2-3 feet off the ground, but with less than 10 inches of riding surface to play with, there’s not much room for error.
Next comes a wide ramped drop with a long run out – roll it or launch it and clear the ramp completely! Scrub a little speed for a left hand berm and you’re at
the Hucks – three timber ladder drops (small, medium and large). The small one can be rolled off, the other two definitely have to be jumped! Land on the wide, steep run out and set up for a right hand berm that fires you onto the first wall ride. Off this one and you’re straight onto a second one. These are tricky (not to mention flippin’ slippy in the wet), as you have to jump onto and off both. Here speed, skill and a healthy dose of courage are what’s needed.
Merging with
The Unnamed, the trail then hits two final small tabletops, setting you up for the final feature – a Funbox. At 8ft high, 6ft wide and over 15ft long, it’s a beast, though on and off ramps mean it can be rolled or jumped at both ends.
Essentials
Whereas the two trails above have mainly medium-sized features, this trail,
built with novice freeriders in mind, is a little mellower and incorporates a wide range small features (with some optional medium lines to improve those skills). The trails are super wide and smooth, with soft fall areas and plenty of spots to catch a breather.
The trail is split up into a series of short sections, each with different types of feature and dedicated push up paths. Sections include: easy split-size
tabletop and
step-up jumps; low raised timber ‘
north shore’ trails linking between large rocks; low
skinnies and timber trails weaving in/out of the trees; timber and
dirt wall rides; pump track; split step down jump; small and medium sized tabletop sets and a
funbox.
For more information, including trail conditions, please see the official 7stanes website - the link is on the right hand side of this page.
How to get there:
Glentress Freeride Park can be started from Buzzards Nest Car Park in Glentress Forest which is part of Forests of the Scottish Borders. Peebles is the nearest town or village.
One and a half miles east of Peebles on the A72., Once on forest road go past the Osprey Car Park and follow road uphill beyond the Red Squirrel Car park. Follow forest road for about one mile and the road splits to the left uphill from the forest drive. Car park is well sign posted., Please adhere to the 15mph speed limit.
OS Grid Reference: NT277411