Innerleithen Chairlift Petition (Part 2)

[Jon Beckett]

As most of you will know that on the old forum the biggest and longest topic was the petition for the Innerliethen Chairlift.

So I'm starting over, since all things in the Tweed Valley seem to have gone a little quiet.

Download the feasibility study here

Have a read, it's a PDF file, take note of the time scales and comment below...we (as riders) have been waiting way too long for a facility like this.

And the discussion begins again....

[jammie654]

I see that study was done in 2007, Is there a update on it at all?

Would be great if/when it happens as It is a Boost that Scotland and the MTB scene needs IMO

[mc]

Only update is there's still an environmental survey to be done, but the wheels are still turning in the background (albeit very slowly in typical government department/agency style).

[F.houston]

Just had a quick look at the feasibility study and see that there planing on putting in a quad chair which seems a bit excessive for a place like innerleithen.

i know there quietly getting on with it but does anyone know if there on schedule at the moment?

[Jon]

What's that document going to be used for? I'm hoping it's just for us DW users to look at and get some info out there, as a presentation it's very amateur looking and un-professional.

The project itself is looking very promising though! Good work,  you've got my support!

I have just seen that it was used for a presentation in 2007! my bad..   Still though, I think it's important to have it looking professional if you want to gain support from people outside the mountain bike industry.

[Tenacious Doug]

What's that document going to be used for? I'm hoping it's just for us DW users to look at and get some info out there, as a presentation it's very amateur looking and un-professional.

Presentation is nothing to do with us, it's the official feasability study, from Scottish Enterprise I believe.

[och2]

is it true or not that if it does go ahead they'll close all the existing tracks?

[Squirrelking]

is it true or not that if it does go ahead they'll close all the existing tracks?

 

What??

[Out Of Control]

So there gonna build new tracks?
Surely not.

[Jon Beckett]

New tracks of course they be developed as the hill evolves...with the iXS Cup coming next year as well it's more fuel to the fire to justify a chairlift....the original tracks have been changed/lost over the past 15 years why shouldn't the next 15 be any different ?

[Floor Tom]

With a chairlift the amount of people riding the hill would increase a lot. The tracks up there take a beating as it is and so would not be sustainable with vastly increased traffic.
Like Jon said, you wont find many tracks from 10 or 15 years ago up there now (I first rode there in 2002, only 7 years ago and the hill has changed a huge amount since then) and I doubt that the current tracks will still be around in 10 or 15 years time. My only worry is that the style of tracks they have there won't fit in with what has to happen to cater for the amount of riders that a chair lift will bring.

[Freerider_210]

You gotta remember that the trails start and finish points will most likely change to suit the chairlift and the trails will also start to varry with the development of more 'freeride style' trails as they will probably last longer. With respect to downhill i can see the trails being more in the style of the redbull trail with bigger wider technical sections and possibly having to start taping trails to avoid cross pathing with other users. It'll be awesome if this does go ahead, i'll definetly be buying a season pass.   

[Lushley]

Why do so many of you think that the existing natural trails will disappear and be replaced with wide open freeride stuff?  of course the trails will change, due to positioning of the chairlift and the fact that they always change over the years anyway, but I don't see why the natural stuff would disappear.  Whistler bike park is full of natural rooty trails like Inners and they get a huge amount of traffic each year.

Most of your "new" tracks at Inners are variations on the old existing tracks anyway and a lot of the old tracks are still there if you know where to look.

[Lushley]

[och2]

personally i think it will ruin innerleithen. they'll probablly start by building tracks for novices that will try the harder tracks, crash then litigate. hasn't the fc stopped all trail building for this very reason. mean the fc built a wallride at glentrss then closed it shortly after. sorry for being negative but just can't see this happening or working well if it does. at this pace most of us will be in homes for the befuddled anyhow