Trail associations and members of the MTB community report devastating damage to trail networks from Storm Éowyn, with Northern Ireland particularly badly hit.
From Bert to Darragh, the UK has been battered by unprecedented storms this winter, and our trails and forests have taken the brunt of the damage. Some parts of the country have fared better than others, with those in Northern Ireland and Scotland looking to be the worst hit over the past weekend from storm Éowyn. With help from the UK MTB Trail Alliance, we’ve collated reports from trails across the Kingdom so that we have a better picture of the current state of mountain biking in the UK.
Ochil Trail damage shows trees down and impassable tracks
Storm Éowyn
Many forests, bike parks and trail centres were closed between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 January as one of the most powerful storms the country has seen in the last decade hit our shores. From fallen trees to decimated trails and routes, it’s becoming an all-too familiar story throughout this winter. With gusts reaching over 110mph in places, Storm Éowyn has had a considerable impact on people’s livelihoods as well as our trails.
So, what have been the measurable consequences of the recent storm?
How did the trails in Scotland cope?
An update on Sunday 26 January stated that most of the blue and red routes have been closed in Glentress Forest, alongside small sections of the black route. This is due to fallen trees making it unsafe to ride. Tweed Valley Forest Park also suggested there may be trees fallen elsewhere, and if anyone finds any, they should report them on Trailforks.
Tayside Trails
Graeme Berry, Chair of Tayside Trail Association said to MBR, “We’re still working to assess the full impact, which as a fully voluntary organisation, with one of the biggest trail networks to cover, can take some time. Our initial indication is that the trails at Ballo & Hallyburton and Kinnoull & Deuchny have escaped the worst of it and the main trails don’t seem have suffered too much damage, although some are closed for now, and there’s a lot of debris on all trails and access roads.
View this post on Instagram
“At Dunkeld there’s at least one area which has seen significant damage, and quite a few blocked trails and access roads which we’re working to assess, but there was quite a bit of snowfall as well, which doesn’t help. The worst damage we have looks to be at Pitmedden, which was on the edge of the red warning zone, and has a fair number of trees blocking several trails, and numerous blocked forest roads which has made access to survey the trails themselves difficult.
“Our team of trained co-ordinators and dig leaders will be working with the relevant land managers to assess all our trails and we hopefully should have a more complete picture soon. We would encourage all riders to report storm damage to their local trail association as soon as possible, ideally including photos and detailed locations, and to avoid entering windblown areas, as there can be a lot of unstable hanging trees. For those that want to help, there will be plenty of dig days coming to help fix the damage.”
Cambu and Ochil, Stirling, Central Scotland
In Cambu, over 50% of the trails have been affected, with trees down on 6/11 trails. There have also been reports of trees down on core paths throughout the woods, so riders are advised to take caution if heading there to ride. Meanwhile Ochil trails were also impacted, with several forest roads and tracks blocked from fallen trees, as well as several key trails including Veggie, Flojo and Timber, and the First Cliff among others all deemed unrideable.
Glenlivet saw several trees come down as well as the snow hitting the area
Glenlivet, Scottish Highlands
On the Glenlivet MTB Trail Centre Facebook page, the team announced that the storm had caused “several trees” to come down, as well as there being snow covering the trails. This has resulted in the closure of the centre this week whilst they can assess and sort the damage.
Carron Valley, Central Scotland
Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom in Scotland, as Carron Valley looked to get off relatively unscathed. Barring a few trees down over Runway, which are easy to clear, and some trees down on the climb up to Eas Dubh, reports suggest the area hasn’t been that badly hit.
Tollymore after Storm Éowyn, courtesy of Stephen Davidson
“There are virtually no trees left now”
Perhaps the biggest areas that have been impacted are those in Northern Ireland, judging by the local community’s Facebook posts. Castlewellan locals said they had “never seen it as bad, the destruction is unreal and will take a while to get back to the way it was.” Equally, Tollymore appears to be in bad shape as well, with many large trees down. One commenter even said the below:
We spoke to Stephen Davidson, former Red Bull Fox Hunt track designer and Irish Enduro and DH champion about the state of the trails in Tollymore and the surrounding areas, and he told us this storm was “the worst” ever seen. Donard Forest, home to more technical trails, has a tight-knit community of trail builders, and has been devastated, too.
After over 20 years of riding, Davidson has seen his fair share of storm damage to the local area, but on one hill in Tollymore forest, he said, “there are virtually no trees left now.”
“I don’t even know where you would start with guys with chainsaws,” he continued. “I think it needs a machine to come in.”
Further destruction in Tollymore, credit: Stephen Davidson
“The problem with what we have here, is Forestry don’t have any chainsaw men, they have contractors that will clear the fire roads.” According to Davidson, he contacted Forest Service Northern Ireland (FSNI) asking what their policy is regarding removing fallen trees from MTB trails a few storms ago. He told us that they replied saying, “they would only clear trees as part of their felling strategy.”
View this post on Instagram
What this means, realistically, for the clearing of the trails in Tollymore and surrounding areas is that it’s unlikely they will be recovered quickly.
The massive trees being uprooted show just how strong the storm was in Tollymore. Credit: Stephen Davidson.
What does the damage mean for the UK MTB community?
In essence, storm Éowyn has been terrible for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Other areas like Hamsterley and Dalby in the north were let off pretty lightly, and in Wales it looks like things are nowhere near as bad as from Darragh. Of course, that could just be because the previous devastation has not been fixed, or that people haven’t been able to access the trails to assess the impact.
But what is clear is that your local trails are likely going to need support to get back up and running, and that’s where the ‘community’ really comes into play. There will likely be plenty of opportunity to hoist a shovel, or maybe even a hacksaw if you’re careful, and help clear some of the damage. And if you can’t lend a hand, there are plenty of schemes to donate to so that others can help to maintain and/or reinstate trails through official channels. Robin Grant, of the UK MTB Trail Alliance echoed this sentiment.
“Trail associations and informal trail groups are faced with significant clean-up efforts over the next few weeks to get our trails running again, with windblown trees, debris and repairs to make on trails up and down the country. They need your support – both in terms of volunteering your time to help out, and cash to keep them going with tools and supplies. If you don’t know who your local group is, get in contact, and we’ll point you in the right direction.”