Well I figured it’s about time I bored you to tears with a slideshow of some of the photos of trail I’ve built in Jamaica. [Seb Kemp chinks a salad fork upon his wine glass, dons the tweed jacket, and takes a lazer pointer from his pocket]The first photo is of my favourite building material, rocks. I love rock because it’s not going anywhere, and can help you build more sustainable uphills and downhills. Plus it can either be used to make your trail harder or easier depending on how you apply it. 

Check out the size of the stringers on that beauty. This trail was going to (unimaginatively) be called Twin Bridges but it accidently got called Big Black Rock when there was some miscommunication with the sign maker. Some trails have an awesome story behind the name, this one, sadly, doesn’t. Some photos have entertaining captions, none of these do.

I really love the style  and construction methods of alot of Whistlers trails. Maybe its cause I’ve ridden there so much or justa that seeing builders like Chris Markle and Dave (forget his surname) in action building stuff like Ala Carte, Train Wreck rework and Piece of Cake.

This trail was kinda like a Zappa trail from lost lake where all the bad organic is carefully stripped out, then rock and river gravel is used to replace it.

Bridges. This ones a dog leg bridge made from two almost separate bridges that is supported in the middle by a river boulder.

Cutting out the organic and sitting rock in the hollows. Finished with a fine layer of river gravel. Sort of like Jamie Oliver, only the public don’t hate this.

This was more interesting than it looks to build….my slideshows suck.

This trail ended up being called BushPig after we introduced some locals to the term. They love the Bush Pig…

Sometimes we were having bench cut across slopes that were almost impossible to walk across before the trail was cut. Serious work out.

Biggest dry stone wall

Bridges…insert some awful pun.

We are still working on this trail. In fact it’s still unnamed so I’ll refer to the next three photos as FIGGIN HELL….wow, inspired writing tonight Seb.

Moss wood. super hardy wood. Makes for interesting features

More rock. (why are the comments becoming uncontrollably blue underlined?)

Berms. Often over done as they are the easiest most obvious choice. I tried to not use too many, but sometimes they really are the best choice.

Bloody great wacking hill. The top top. Well until the nect section gets put in.  Around 3500feet of vertical and 18km of totally singletrack trail, depending which trails you take. Thats right, theres not just one trail, there’s a network.

We went in after the Swayco to fluff up the shapes. This berm is gnarly. Sooooo long and soo fast. Gnarly as in over used superlative, not actually proper gnarly.

Ascending corners on steep terrain in 30 degree heat lead to two and half days of shovel fucking the earth and weight loss.

The top of the sub peak. Way below the top top but still giving you a eight km downhill to the nearest cool beer

Like I say I l’ve rock, so when there’s a chance to build a cool rock causeway i’m like a pig in shit

Different view

A rock roll-in. Couldn’t resist putting it in. Rode up it a few times then the fourth time I choked and ended up falling to my near death. I slammed my chest right above my heart so hard I thought it would stop. Amazingly not even a bruise…