Picos, Espinama to Sotres

[cheffy]

Little bit of footage from our rainy week in the Parc de Euro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Ho8OGRGmUWc#t=63s

Just need to see if this linky thing works?????

 

[Monty Stubble]

There's another road coming to Espinama from the other side - similar quality.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

No wonder the Picos trails are being closed down..............riders not sticking to the known official tracks and routes and just riding on the grass where they fancy

If it's too hard to ride in the ruts, don't do the trail

 

[sidestand]

I was wondering that.
I thought the only legal way to ride to Sotres was from Arenas De Cabrales via the CA-1

I was told that within the National Park it's a 1000 euro fine if the rangers catch you going 'off piste'

 

[Wapping]

That looks much like the road up to my father's place in Provence for 15 years, before it was graded. Except his is steeper in parts and was prone to washing away in big storms. My mother could do it in her Golf and she was over 70

PS My brother-in-law is an arable farmer in Warwickshire. Ride off the ruts when he's around and you'll be digging lead shot out of your arse until June. Bikers, go where they fancy, 'eh mate? No wonder the tapas munchers think we are all knobheads.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I was wondering that.

I thought the only legal way to ride to Sotres was from Arenas De Cabrales via the CA-1

I was told that within the National Park it's a 1000 euro fine if the rangers catch you going 'off piste'

There is one of the Picos only remaining legal trails from Espinama to Sotres, but you're supposed to stay on the flipping tracks, not the farmer's pasture land

 

[cheffy]

No wonder the Picos trails are being closed down..............riders not sticking to the known official tracks and routes and just riding on the grass where they fancy

If it's too hard to ride in the ruts, don't do the trail

Unfortunately we took the advice of a local KTM rider!! If you noticed we were on the "Legal" track but he had told us to take the right hand track, We did and it proved to be a wrong un!! It wasn't intentional and when we realised that the track ran out we turned round and went back the way we were supposed to go. No one we ran in to said anything and seeing as we hadn't been there before it was all new to us.
I'm sure you "holier than thou" trail riders out there knew exactly where to ride the first time you rode it
Two days later ie the weekend, the place was full of bikes, not one ranger in sight.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I'm sure you "holier than thou" trail riders out there knew exactly where to ride the first time you rode it

Yep. we usually have a map with us, we researched trails or when I first started going we had a proper guide


Maps showing all the trails (white roads) are available in the bookshops in Potes, if you'd have looked

My attention was drawn to the rider (filming) who rode off piste on the pasture, whilst his mate followed the tracks and at least tried to follow an established route

My point being, even if you're on the wrong trail, best thing is to stick to the established route & track and not widen the trail by riding on some shepherd's pasture, that he's trying to graze sheep on

Rider doing the filming was horizontal quite s bit in this clip

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1IibluPE4Tk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[cheffy]

There's another road coming to Espinama from the other side - similar quality.

It's the same road Monty. We met up with a couple of GSA guys a couple of days later and did it from Sotres down to Espinama. This time it was dry and we stopped off for a brew in the sunshine, fantastic spot to watch the locals doing it at a greater speed than us!!

The footage was from 2009, so maybe things have changed out there with regards to the rangers

Still a fantastic place to tour, the gorge road from the coast up to Potes is one of the best I have ridden in 35 years of biking.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It's the same road Monty. We met up with a couple of GSA guys a couple of days later and did it from Sotres down to Espinama. This time it was dry and we stopped off for a brew in the sunshine, fantastic spot to watch the locals doing it at a greater speed than us!!

The footage was from 2009, so maybe things have changed out there with regards to the rangers

Still a fantastic place to tour, the gorge road from the coast up to Potes is one of the best I have ridden in 35 years of biking.

Cracking area to ride

 

[cheffy]

Yep. we usually have a map with us, we researched trails or when I first started going we had a proper guide


Maps showing all the trails (white roads) are available in the bookshops in Potes, if you'd have looked

My attention was drawn to the rider (filming) who rode off piste on the pasture, whilst his mate followed the tracks and at least tried to follow an established route

My point being, even if you're on the wrong trail, best thing is to stick to the established route & track and not widen the trail by riding on some shepherd's pasture, that he's trying to graze sheep on

Rider doing the filming was horizontal quite s bit in this clip

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1IibluPE4Tk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As said Johnny, we met the local guy (well he was Spanish!) whilst enjoying a beer, we asked him for some good roads, not trails, we hadn't gone to the region for any "off piste" action. He then told us of the "white road" but said it was better to go off to the right. Whether he was taking the piss or not we weren't to know. No sheep around at that time of year as they get moved lower down the valley apparently.
Yup my mate did end up sideways but just the once, he had never ridden off road in his life and was very nervous about it, at least he carried on though.
I'm sure that if I go back on my GSA I will make sure I find out first about the trails I can ride and those that you cannot. We may have been a little naive about that particular track, but it was still a firkin good day out.

 

[cheffy]

Cracking area to ride

We hadn't realised that at the time we were there there was a "Hill climb" competition at Colombres, corking day out, some fantastic bikes to look at and the biggest Paella dish in Spain! Bonus!!
As you say Johnny a fantastic place to ride.

 

[sidestand]

I'll have to try that one next time I go thanks

Here's a pic of the C-15 route to Sotres over the top - brilliant new tarmac road
The road is the top one around the right hand side of the valley. Pic was taken about half way along

 

[Monty Stubble]

There's another road coming to Espinama from the other side - similar quality.

Sorry I meant the road that comes from the LE-2703 to Fuente De. Then you can pick up your route just down the road in Espinama.

 

[cheffy]

That looks much like the road up to my father's place in Provence for 15 years, before it was graded. Except his is steeper in parts and was prone to washing away in big storms. My mother could do it in her Golf and she was over 70

PS My brother-in-law is an arable farmer in Warwickshire. Ride off the ruts when he's around and you'll be digging lead shot out of your arse until June. Bikers, go where they fancy, 'eh mate? No wonder the tapas munchers think we are all knobheads.

Well done on ya Mum mate!!!! As I mentioned, my buddy had never ridden anything off road before so I think he did pretty well. Even if it wasn't up to your families standards.
Your brother would still get in the shit for even pointing his shotgun at anyone, trespassing or not! You'd know that surely

As for the Spanish thinking we are all knobheads, well I doubt that very much. As I have since stated it was actually a Spanish rider who sent us on that route. It was 3 years ago so maybe things have changed since then?? If the ferry wasn't so expensive to Santander we would be going back out there this year, Dolomites beckon instead now!

Have a very Happy Christmas and a not so grumpy New Year

 

[Arsey]

Now permanently closed.

 

[Asturcon]

Now permanently closed.

View attachment 503914

This has been happening increasingly more and more over the years and eventually the TET, in Spain at least, will disappear altogether.

We really only have ourselves to blame. Perhaps not so much "you" who come over once or twice a year, but the many homegrown idiots (we have a few); weekend scramblers with "tubarro" (straight through) exhausts tearing around and causing clashes with the increasing number of walking public.

Before the 90s you could go anywhere at any time. Scramblers were not uncommon here in Spain before this time. Then came the 4x4, which, for a while, was grudgingly "tolerated" to a certain extent. Walking in the hills didn't really used to be much of a passtime anyway - at least no to the extent it is now. What really did it for motorised fun, though, was the rise of the quad. The mountains around Madrid became a playground for this scourge and the public turned against them. Not content with the tracks available to them, quadbikers would often also go inside the forests and fields, up mountainsides (Clarkson style), and so within about three years of their popularity, they were outright banned and they took every other form of motorised fun with them.

It wasn't long before other areas followed suit, although not all areas have the manpower to police it to the same extent. The authority tasked with policing this activity are called SEPRONA, a branch of the Civil Guard, and many can scramble better than most and know the area better too. They generally ride in pairs.

The "explosion" of pilgrim routes has not helped, causing many clashes of interests. Almost every forest track these days has a clamshell sign on it. For local communities walkers are better for business (and quieter) than the offroading community.

The downside to not allowing ANY form of motorised fun is that many forest routes are overgrown and have become impassable. Many have disappeared altogether. Pilgims and amblers alone cannot hold back nature.

There is an argument, I supose, for there being a "managed" symbiosis with periods in the year when it should be allowed (winter especially). This would keep tracks open by erosion. A system like they used to have for allowing you to use boats on the reservoirs (now mostly defunct, sadly), whereby you can purchase a periodic licence. However, the walkers are legion and self righteous and most people in authority do not understand the draw of offroading.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

This has been happening increasingly more and more over the years and eventually the TET, in Spain at least, will disappear altogether.

We really only have ourselves to blame. Perhaps not so much "you" who come over once or twice a year, but the many homegrown idiots (we have a few); weekend scramblers with "tubarro" (straight through) exhausts tearing around and causing clashes with the increasing number of walking public.

Before the 90s you could go anywhere at any time. Scramblers were not uncommon here in Spain before this time. Then came the 4x4, which, for a while, was grudgingly "tolerated" to a certain extent. Walking in the hills didn't really used to be much of a passtime anyway - at least no to the extent it is now. What really did it for motorised fun, though, was the rise of the quad. The mountains around Madrid became a playground for this scourge and the public turned against them. Not content with the tracks available to them, quadbikers would often also go inside the forests and fields, up mountainsides (Clarkson style), and so within about three years of their popularity, they were outright banned and they took every other form of motorised fun with them.

It wasn't long before other areas followed suit, although not all areas have the manpower to police it to the same extent. The authority tasked with policing this activity are called SEPRONA, a branch of the Civil Guard, and many can scramble better than most and know the area better too. They generally ride in pairs.

The "explosion" of pilgrim routes has not helped, causing many clashes of interests. Almost every forest track these days has a clamshell sign on it. For local communities walkers are better for business (and quieter) than the offroading community.

The downside to not allowing ANY form of motorised fun is that many forest routes are overgrown and have become impassable. Many have disappeared altogether. Pilgims and amblers alone cannot hold back nature.

There is an argument, I supose, for there being a "managed" symbiosis with periods in the year when it should be allowed (winter especially). This would keep tracks open by erosion. A system like they used to have for allowing you to use boats on the reservoirs (now mostly defunct, sadly), whereby you can purchase a periodic licence. However, the walkers are legion and self righteous and most people in authority do not understand the draw of offroading.

Same here in uk
There has been an off road explosion in England and Wales in recent years
More pressure leads to closures
It’s finished in the next decade

 

[er-minio]

It has to do, logically, with the “adventure” styling/destination of bikes, that is becoming mainstream (again) + road riding is being more and more discouraged. More trail “traffic” I guess.

Guess what? People want to do stuff.

I think the UK manages this way better than other countries in Europe, with (almost always) clear regulation over where you can ride or not, and groups like TRF taking care of things or helping.

In my experience, in other places is: “go and see if someone comes after you”.

At least, my layman view.

 

[ATT]

This has been happening increasingly more and more over the years and eventually the TET, in Spain at least, will disappear altogether.

We really only have ourselves to blame. Perhaps not so much "you" who come over once or twice a year, but the many homegrown idiots (we have a few); weekend scramblers with "tubarro" (straight through) exhausts tearing around and causing clashes with the increasing number of walking public.

Before the 90s you could go anywhere at any time. Scramblers were not uncommon here in Spain before this time. Then came the 4x4, which, for a while, was grudgingly "tolerated" to a certain extent. Walking in the hills didn't really used to be much of a passtime anyway - at least no to the extent it is now. What really did it for motorised fun, though, was the rise of the quad. The mountains around Madrid became a playground for this scourge and the public turned against them. Not content with the tracks available to them, quadbikers would often also go inside the forests and fields, up mountainsides (Clarkson style), and so within about three years of their popularity, they were outright banned and they took every other form of motorised fun with them.

It wasn't long before other areas followed suit, although not all areas have the manpower to police it to the same extent. The authority tasked with policing this activity are called SEPRONA, a branch of the Civil Guard, and many can scramble better than most and know the area better too. They generally ride in pairs.

The "explosion" of pilgrim routes has not helped, causing many clashes of interests. Almost every forest track these days has a clamshell sign on it. For local communities walkers are better for business (and quieter) than the offroading community.

The downside to not allowing ANY form of motorised fun is that many forest routes are overgrown and have become impassable. Many have disappeared altogether. Pilgims and amblers alone cannot hold back nature.

There is an argument, I supose, for there being a "managed" symbiosis with periods in the year when it should be allowed (winter especially). This would keep tracks open by erosion. A system like they used to have for allowing you to use boats on the reservoirs (now mostly defunct, sadly), whereby you can purchase a periodic licence. However, the walkers are legion and self righteous and most people in authority do not understand the draw of offroading.

That is rather disappointing to read.
Thankfully for now, Portugal is still a tolerant place, so people can have fun and it is encouraged by the local municipalities, who will advertise off road events, be it mountain bikes, motos and 4X4...The locals usually have a couple of events a year in the larger places and there is a strong arm of supporters for the many national and international events that take place in the Central region.

I would be very surprised to think there will be any bans in the short life I have left. They also need to keep the trails open for the many fires we have, this all helps towards doing that. Some of the villages where I am, have both paved and unpaved roads to get to them, which makes it fun.

They do tend to keep the walkers and the motorised separate in these parts when off road.

I bought my car here from the Junta, his other car is a modified off road 4X4 Nissan.