Uploader's Comments

Hamsterley forest is regularly filled with competent and enthusiastic mountain bikers using the graded trails (from blue to black, many of the higher grades looking both difficult and muddy), so your photographer (in riding jodpurs and canoeing helmet complete with two GoPro cameras and with dog in attendance) didn't quite look the part. However, having been riding here years before the sport became popular, we soon found our way off the marked trails (or maybe we just missed one of the rather inconspicuous signs) and away from the crowds. Once we'd visited the highest point in the forest (much whingeing from the youngest member of the team), we were riding back towards civilisation, using this track, well covered in a layer of slippery larch needles, which are great for dog paws (no sharp rocks) but not so reassuring for out-of-practice riders. Heading East North East, a short ascent (maybe 25m height gain) had brought us to this point where a brief stop allowed everyone to regroup before heading off down what proved to be the fastest descent of the day, for a kilometre or so - the gentle gradient being enough to get speed up, but not so steep as to enforce caution. Then we on mountain bikes had to wait again for some time - the dog has no wheels and can't manage 30 mph !