As you may well know Kindelstown is the first effort at co-operation between mountain bikers and Coillte. It’s a pilot project to legitimise an existing illegally constructed trial. The project has been ongoing for the last 10 months, and is now reaching a new stage in its development.

There are a number of stages in such a project, firstly agreeing the routing of the trails with consideration of both the concerns of the landowner and the needs of other recreational user. Secondly there has to be period of public consultation. Next comes an initial safety assessment and addressing any immediate safety, and user management issues. Its is then necessary for both the users and the landowners to formalise matters in an Memorandum of understanding. The next stage in this process involves upgrading of the trail to IMBA standard. Finally, then when all is done a dusted way marking the trail.

Trailbuilding volunteers at Kindlestown

So how far along in the project are we? Well as many of you may know the routing of the trails was been agreed early in the year. Safety issues were addressed, that is brash covering sections of the trail, and the removal of a very large number of dangerous spike like branches form trees along the track. We then had our first large scale work day, nearly 50 showed your support and commitment by coming along one Saturday morning to construct over 300 yards of new trails creating a new alternative to using the existing walking trail that leaves the car park going to the viewing point.

We are now in the process of working through the memorandum of Understanding with Coillte. It has taken a while to formulate but we are very close to having an agreement that all will be happy to sign up to. We would hope to have the arrangement made official by early December. Once the agreement is signed we can get on with the work of upgrading the sections of the trail that needs further work. We will as always be asking you, the mountain bike community, to give a hand out with the digging.

We should have a schedule of work days drawn up shortly, their will be a variety of days needed, some with small numbers of experienced diggers, other large scale ones where we will be looking for everyone to give a hand out.