No Human DH Course

Nestling deep in Wharncliffe Woods lies one of the most technical and challenging courses in the UK. It takes true commitment and belief in your bike handling abilities to ride from top to bottom. And here it is...the No Human DH Course. Enjoy.

The Start

South Yorkshire, Sheffield, Wharncliffe Woods, the top fire road. Riders are sat astride their bikes, checking brakes, bouncing on highly tuned suspension, tightening body armour straps, nervously joking about past riding glories and forgotten conquests.



A few deep breaths and they are off...

Shale Motorway

Turning sharply into the trees off the fire road, the first obstacle is a super tight, fast section through the trees. Progress is hampered by the off camber slope, hip jump and slippery roots that litter the racing line.

A speedway right hand corner marks the exit of the section and leads to the first of the big drops...

The Big One

The fastest and safest line through here is straight down the middle. Push your bike into the compression, ride down the rocks and pull up quickly to drop into the racing line. It looks unridable, but it is surprisingly simple. Hit this section at speed and you get spat out at warp speed into a rough left hand berm that's littered with braking bumps.

Rail the berm around to the left and then flick quickly to the right. You can either pick your way through a short rock field or launch the entire thing from a raised rock slab. The rock slab is more fun! This leads onto...

Rocky Road

           

The first of the big rock gardens. Hit this section as fast as you dare, because you cannot brake on it without risking your rear wheel making an unexpected appearance. Slam the brakes on hard near the end of the rock garden to dive down and right around a life saving berm.

       

Pop off a little drop and steady yourself for...

Stone Edge

   

The biggest drop on the course. This is the one that Steve Peat rode for the Collective DVD. Get the previous section correct, carry your speed and you drop off through the split tree to land 6ft down and 8ft away. It's big, but it's so cool.

There is little time to congratulate yourself as you rocket towards a right hand berm at speed. Any slip up on the drop and you are likely to connect with either the tree or rock that mark the entry to the next section. If you safely negotiate the berm you enter...

The Snake Pit

           

This is a relatively tame section in comparison to the rest of the course. It is a big chicane that favours riders who understand the benefits of correct line choice. The exit to the section is a tight, flat corner that leads into quite possibly the most defining obstacle on the course...

The Kevin Costner Rock Garden

           

So named because of the immortal statement Kevin once uttered...."build it and they will come". And indeed people are coming. You need to enter the rock garden at rolling speed and absolutely stay off the brakes. Fully commit to the slight right hand turn in the middle of the rock garden and line up for the exit. Pump through the bottom of the rock garden and drop off the rock that marks the exit. Simple.

           

On touch down, aim straight down the hill and hook into the big left hand berm to exit the section at speed into...

The Crossroads

       

The speed from the previous section is carried through into a tight tree tunnel that is littered with rocks which can be pumped easily. A quick jinx left allows you to jump off yet another rock slab allowing a good 2 or 3ft of airtime. Land, put in a few pedal strokes and bunny hop over a few roots to maintain the optimal race line. Get yourself balanced because the next section is another big one...

Rolling Rock

           

The Rolling Rock requires you to commit to a blind roll off a very big rock. This is made difficult due to the speed you approach the section. Too fast and you can't make the bike stick to the downslope and too slow is, as always, not an option.

       

But if you get it just right, an 8" DH rig smooths out the jagged rocks and allows you to focus on the exit of the section. Which as always is stupidly fast and leads you into...

Tight Crack

           

An impossibly tight drop between a tree and a rock that leaves barely one inch spare on each side of the bike. The rock and tree are littered with DMR pedal paint and Disco BBs unique pattern. If you get this far, you've done well and can relax...

A quick cruise to the bottom fire road brings an end to the nightmare.

And the icing on the cake? The course is sanctioned by the Forest Commision as part of the ongoing trail improvements to Wharncliffe Woods by Singletraction. Perfect.