The Hamsterley Half
Century
Long before Hamsterley Forests trail centre status, people were
riding the forest fire roads with the aim of getting fitter, driven
by the fact that they thought riding long distances on a mountain
bike was cool. I am one of those people, I don’t care about
hucking or ladder drops.
People associate trail centres with all weather, man-made trails
designed to deliver thrills and satisfy the adrenaline junkies.
Hamsterley doesn’t disappoint in this department and it’s
well deserved reputation as a centre of excellence for newly built
man-made trails and it’s thriving downhill community is
well known. What isn’t well publicised are the miles of
cross country trails. These can be combined into a long distance
endurance ride and are the jewels in Hamsterley's crown.
After several fine days, when I saw the blue sky this morning,
I couldn’t resist a ride around my evil creation again…
What is it ?
The Hamsterley Half Century is a 50km (31.1 miles) circular route,
boasting a lung/leg busting 1300m (4300ft) of climbing (and descending).
It’s a route I devised after a challenge by Ash Scott on
the Trailblazers
discussion forum. Ash needed a good training circuit in preparation
for his Transrockies race and made the following stipulations:-
• It should be 50km
• It should stay within the forest boundaries
• No sections of trail should be used more than once
• It should be an all year circuit
 I’ve
been rattling around the forest since the early nineties, helping
to organise and run the Network Q car rallies as well as mountain
biking (for pleasure). Given my fascination of mapping and knowledge
of the forest, it was a challenge I couldn’t turn down !
This route has been known to the regular forum users over the
years by different names but the Hamsterley Half Century was the
one that seemed to stick. When first designed, it used the forest
drive (the Grove Link wasn’t in existence then) but it’d
be criminal not to incorporate the Grove Link now.
The Route
Ordnance Survey copyright restrictions prevent us showing a graphical
version of the route. However,
the route is available for download as a .gpx file. This can
be imported into any digital mapping software and also Google
Earth. (If you’re after a graphical route, drop me a private
mail via the discussion forum and I’ll be happy to help).
** I understand from Memory Map users
that this .gpx file doesn't display anything when loaded. The
fact that it works with every other mapping product points to
a limitation of Memory Map. If you're unfortunate enought to use
Memory Map, PM me via the forum for a graphical copy of this route
**
This is one of those ‘coming of age’ rides, the ones
you discuss over a slab of flapjack in the middle of nowhere,
or a pint by a roaring fire : a true test of fitness.
Even with all the best intentions in the world, I didn’t
complete the Hamsterley Half Century on todays ride and bailed
out at 18 miles (there are plenty of escape routes back to the
car). I can make as many excuses as the next man (the ferocious
head wind on the slog from The Grove to Neighbour Moor seemed
like a good one), but the truth is that languishing indoors all
winter has affected my fitness : it’s probably somewhere
down the back of the sofa. The last time I completed this ride
was a short, cold, wet day in February 2007 (training for our
five day Cairngorm epic) : now that was a challenge !
With the challenge re-ignited, I can honestly say that I’ll
be back to complete it. Dare you ?
Craig ‘Rifty’ Cummings
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