This is a very simple guide to the stage on the Pitfichie Enduro that will help riders remember the stages clearly. We have broken each stage into sections, given a brief description of each section, what to look out for, technique to focus on and, in out view, where you should push to gain time and where to preserve your effort. We used a grading system for this; green is push to gain time, amber means maintain your pace and momentum, red means watch out there is a more technical obstacles that coudl cause a puncture or a fall.
Pitfichie Enduro Overview:
The stages are spread out all along Pitfichie Hill so the theme for this enduro is climbing, or maybe more it feels like it because there is actually 923m, But these are on steep sections and with long fire road connections, The key feature of the trails is the fantastic Pitfichie granite, slabs, steps and boulders are everywhere.
Stage 1: Steeps (930m long, 167m descent)
Overall this is a steep and gnarly trail. Its parallel to the downhill track so has a good gradient and plenty of technical sections.
Section 1: Heather Ruts
Start: Start Line
Finish: Tree line and granite pavement
Description: Moderate gradient. The trail is cut down into heather, on to muddy granite boulders and slabs.
Hazards: Pedal strikes on heathery ruts.
Pacing: Green, push for time (although you may take this first stage to get dialled)
Section 2: Granite Pavement
Start: Treeline and start of granite pavements
Finish: Lefthand turn into traverse
Description: Steep, granite drops and blocks, switchbacks across granite pavements.
Hazards: Rough, tight corners and wheel catcher boulders..
Pacing: Red, maintain momentum and stay on board.
Section 3: Swoopy finish
Start: Lefthand traverse
Finish: Downhill Carpark
Description: Undulating, with winding corners and off camber rrots
Hazards: front wheel washout on dust or slick mud.
Pacing: green, stay dynamic, pumping over roots for speed.
Stage 2: William's Surprise (1916m long, 93m descent)
Overall this is a long, flat stage, with some sections up hill. Its a long stage so there is plenty of time to be made here. This is the stage with the classic Pitfichie granite slabs, and a few step up to catch you out.
Section 1: Granite Slab
Start: Start at trig point
Finish: first made feature
Description: Undulating trail across granite slabs, some steep, wheel high step ups. Pedal like hell.
Hazards: Miss time a step up and hit your chain ring off the granite. And going to hard from the gun, its an long stage!
Pacing: Green, keep pedalling and controlled to pick up time.
Section 2: Loose and built features
Start: First made feature
Finish: Last made feature on a sharp right hander
Description: Trail steepens up and is consistently downhill. Large granite blocks have been placed on the trail to make features.
Hazards: Puncture on sharp granite edges when travelling at speed.
Pacing: Green, keep pedalling and make slick line choices around or over granite features.
Section 3: Narrow heather
Start: Last made feature, on a sharp right hander
Finish: end of stage
Description: Hard pack gravel path, with narrow sandy corners.
Hazards: Front wheel wash out.
Pacing: Green, fast, fast fast.
Stage 3: Macchiato (789m long, 120m descent)
The usual Pitfichie formula; moorland top, rough in the top of the woods but with a mini-bike park feel in the last section.
Section 1: Boulders and Berms
Start: T-function with the climb, start of stage.
Finish: first made feature, a steep jump or rollover.
Description: A rowdy, moderate gradient, with some sniper rocks in there.
Hazards: Large loose rocks in the bottom of the trail.
Pacing: Green, keep pushing to pick up time.
Section 2: Tight trees
Start: first made feature, a steep jump or rollover.
Finish: As the trees open up.
Description: .tight, rocky and rowdy bermed corners.
Hazards: Large loose rocks in the bottom of the trail.
Pacing: Amber, get a rhythm going and pump through the corners.
Section 3: Roller coaster
Start: Trees open out,
Finish: end of stage
Description: high berms, gaps and jumps
Hazards: too fast into a corner
Pacing: Green, get timing right to sweep though corners.
Stage 4: Whitelady (897m long, 130m descent)
This trail runs down the spine of Whitelady Hill.. It has only a moderate gradient, but a consistent camber from left to right, and chunky rocky sections.
Section 1: Windy top section
Start: At the start
Finish: At the trees.
Description: Moderate gradient, peaty berms and sneaky rock drops,.
Hazards: rock drops
Pacing: Green, push on .
Section 2: The rock section
There is a steady gradient throughout the rest of the trail, and it follows the edge of the woods, curving round to the left all the way.
Start: At the trees
Finish: At the grass, when trail turns into the woods..
Description: Off camber rocky section, sloping to riders right.
Hazards: Diagonal roots.
Pacing: Amber, keep momentum.
Stage 5: Pitfichie Downhill (1251m long, 167m descent)
A consistently steep and uneven trail. Line choice is very varied, and there are large built jump features.
Section 1: Granite Slabs
Start: At the start
Finish: At the trees.
Description: Moderate gradient, but steep granite steps,.
Hazards: rock drops
Pacing: Green, push on .
Section 2: The rock section
This is a steep boulder field that runs down into trail on granite bedrock.
Start: At the trees
Finish: At large rock berm, turning to the left.
Description: a jangly section with a wide range of line choice.
Hazards: jamming a wheel.
Pacing: Red, keep the wheels moving, but becomes more flowing to the end.
Section 3: The diagonal traverse
Start: At large rock berm, turning to the left.
Finish: End of rock garden, trail flattens out.
Description: another jangly section with a wide range of line choice.
Hazards: jamming a wheel.
Pacing: Red, keep the wheels moving.
Section 4: The track traverse
Start: trail turns left a flattens out
Finish: end of stage
Description: The gradient and the surface flatten out, red dirt makes up most of the trail.
Hazards: taking a low line and losing pace..
Pacing: Green, push to the finish.
Thank you to Gordon Watt, Clark at Bennachie Bike Bothy and all the riders that join our pre-race sessions for your thoughts on the course. Have a great ride!