Cairngorm Mountain biking centre will be firmly aimed at family market
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The planning agents leading plans for mountain biking at the Cairngorm resort have said there is no intention to compete with alternative ‘top end’ mountain biking offerings in the Highlands and wider UK.
Ryden Planning have outlined the thinking behind the venture in their report with the application submitted earlier this week to Highland Council planners.
They have said the project will:
• provide a new product which at its core is a commercial offering and builds on other family orientated products which help to lessen the reliance on winter snow sports at the resort.
• Only have limited ‘barriers to entry’ such that beginners of varying ages can enjoy the best Cairngorm Mountain Estate has to offer with ease.
• Provide an offering that encourages training and instruction on mountain biking to help promote growth of the sport and patronage.
• Create a bike park that minimises the impression on the mountain by seeking to utilise existing features and facilities.
Ryden Planning state in their report: "Research has been undertaken on other mountain bike offerings in the Highlands. The majority cater for a more advanced rider, and quality introductory trails are not widely available.
"The CMSL proposal seeks to capitalise on this increased mountain biking uptake whilst maintaining a distinctive difference to the other mountain bike trail centres and ski uplift centres in the Highlands.
"It will do this by focussing an offering that is centred on the beginner to intermediate level entrant, while providing increased gravity flow trail opportunity, unrivalled views, and uplift."
The report states that Cairngorm Mountain was identified as having potential to provide a stepping stone between the easier routes in the strath and more challenging dedicated trail centres.
Around 80 per cent of the proposed bike park is on ground that has been manipulated by machinery during past skiing development and the whole facility is within the primary activity zone identified in the Cairngorm Mountain Masterplan.
Trails features such as berms and rollers will reduce the trail surface visibility, with the report saying the design of the bike park will enhance winter snowsports 'positively'.
The trails will be further enhanced by mountain woodland tree planting,
The report authors do acknowledge that they can not prevent people from riding elsewhere on the hill but goes on to state: "The trail cross section will be designed such that there will be little want to stray from route.
"Berms, rollers, verges and embankment grades will all be designed and constructed such that containment on the track is a key desire for users."
The project leaders will employ experts to undertake checks for nesting birds and resting mountain hare prior to any work starting.
Planning application submitted for mountain biking at Cairngorm Mountain
