As most of you who head out into the trails will know there has been a total clampdown on mtb activity in km due to the dry weather and fire risk.
I have recently ridden out to many of the local trails only to be turned away and told to head back down on the road. Upon finding other access routes I have also been hunted down by the off road equivalent of 城管 in jeeps and aggressively hauled down to whichever police station is in the vicinity.
However, it is raining, and it looks as though it will continue for most of the day and throughout the weekend. This could mean a re-opening of the trails and a restoration of off road riding.
For those that do go out regularly, please post up here where is open and where is still blocked off as "fire prevention" notices can be unreliable when it comes to knowing what trails are accessible.
I will do the same and hopefully we can slide our way down rocks and roots into an early summer season.
I have the same issues bro.
Changchong Shan - Closed
Baozhu/Qipan Shan - Closedish. I rode down some trails there about 1 week ago, but had to go under a lot of barbed wire near the bottom. I would call this closed, but open to those with keen eyes! Have you been down any trails surrounding it?
Up behind the Expo gardens (can never remember the name) - Closed
I have been hitting my yoga mat and doing road rides. Hopefully it rains for about 5 days straight and soaks the soil/trees then we should be right for a bit.
I might have to put some of the time I usually have for mountainbiking into mountainbike washing and dreaming at the moment :-(
It just smashed down here in the North,hopefully more rain for the reseviours and riding for us :-)
Will go and check out JinDian (金殿) "up behind the expo gardens" later today if there are some breaks in the rain, and hopefully scope out what is going on with qi pan shan on Sunday if I can be bothered.
I know the section you mentioned with the barbed wire, there are plenty of ways in by just scrambling up the hillside but the descent suffers a great deal and is usually overgrown or un-rideable.
Thunder and torrents at around 4AM, enjoying the rain, the mud to come will be even better tho!
Last week despite obvious attempts to eradicate all trail entry with the creation of a makeshift wall up on 金殿 I was able to get onto the trails and enjoy some off road riding.
The fact that it was raining made any objections on the grounds of a forest fire totally baseless and the only things that kept barking were the dogs.
However, there has since been a week of sunshine and the gamble once again begins, should I bother to drag 2.35 tacky enduro tryres up a road climb just to be told by a smoking villager to head down again the way I came.
There is the option of putting crossmark's on but then I might as well just go for a road ride.
Trail access report to follow.
金殿 is blocked at the entrance from 三环 as well as from 穿金路. However, 棋盘山 does still have a trail open and the trails out towards 团结 are open as well.
Since there is a bit of interest from tomman, we should probably cover what trails are closed at this time and whats open.
Chang Chong Shan (mountain to the North of KM) is definitely closed, but you can (well you could last year) try Wednesday nights after 5:30pm. Last year, the fire guards get off at this time on Wednesdays which made a small rideable window while the light lasted. The trails on here are probably considered mid level though, depending where you go, but they can be steep and a little narly in places. Its a 400m difference in elevation from the bottom though so there are definitely hills :-)
Bao zhu si (to the West of KM) wasn't closed 2 weekends ago, I managed to ride a few small trails no problem. Anyone been up recently? The trails here are what you make of them, some beginner stuff, some more technical. The surrounding hills have a lot of trails too, aren't sure about their open status though. The main road up Bao zhu si is rather steep but it is on nicely sealed roads. If you are wanting beginning mountain biking, this might be the best bet as you can go on and off the road fairly at will. There is some small beginner trails at the top of the hill off the right hand side of the road which are fairly flat to undulating.
Anyone else? Jin dian?
Oh yeah - if you don't know where I am talking about tommann, I might be heading up to Bao zhu si at the end of next week if you are up for a ride, am happy to show you where it is etc. Am a bit sick at the moment so will be a bit fat and slow by next week due to lack of exercise, so don't worry about not being quick!
Pick me up too if you're going out riding and you don't mind having an inexperienced rider with you. Mind you, plenty of biking experience, just not off-road. And I'd like to try.
Oh yep, sounds good, maybe two or three of us? What time suits? Friday or Saturday? Tommann and bluppfisk and me so far, anyone else? Small group ride... hey Kirkpatrick, you keen? I don't know all the trails around there, I think you might know them better?
Meeting place? Possibly outside Salvadors since everyone knows where that is... we will be the ones on bikes so pretty easy to spot