3Rock is a maze of tracks....some are XC mountain bike tracks, some are hardcore downhiller tracks, there are fire roads, a few paved roads, you name it. I've only been cycling for a few months on 3Rock, so this is by no means a full set.
One Way Up - Up the Boneshaker
The Boneshaker is a common and interesting way up 3Rock from Ticknock.
From Ticknock car park, climb the tarmac road to the first sharp right bend. Leave the paved road here, climbing a muddy groove up to the right. The groove exits onto a wider trail...keeping right and uphill, follow this with increasing interest until it debouches onto a paved road. This is more or less the highest point you can drive to on 3Rock.
Directly across the road, a narrow gap in the ditch is almost blocked by a fallen tree, the sawed-off end of which sticks into the gap. There are various rocks here too, just to add interest. Passing this tasty combination, climb the gently-angled mud track (many fallen trees to your left), into the forest. At a junction, you're going right. At this turn,(very muddy underwheel) you can bypass a large mud area by mounting the left-hand (uphill) bank and then dropping down off it again ten yards later. Follow the track for a hundred yards or so, until a steep trail crosses it. Take this trail, to the left, climbing steeply uphill, crossing three or four small gullies/ditches. A few minutes of tough climbing and you emerge on a paved road.
Directly across the road, a narrow track follows the edge of the forest (trees on your left) and enters a gorse-filled area. Take this track right through the forest, to join a larger track that runs uphill/downhill to the right/left. This is the Boneshaker.
Climb the Boneshaker (going right, of course) to the antennas at the top. This is more or less the top of three rock - strictly, the top is ahead and to your right, where the big rocks are.
Going down the way you came is of course an option.
You can reach the top of the boneshaker on paved roads, if you really want to, from the car park. Just follow the paved road up from the car park. But why would you want to ?
Fairy Castle
From the top of the Boneshaker, a trail runs in a steep, straight line up towards Fairy. Having climbed the Boneshaker, this is off to your right. The trail has forest on its left, and heathery ground to the right. Climb this trail to reach the top of Fairy Castle. The first half is tricky but feasible, the top is tougher. You know you're on Fairy Castle when you can go no further up!
Boulderdash
From the top of Fairy, drop down along the ridge of the hill towards Tibradden. 3Rock will be to your right, the Johnny Fox's road to your left. It's a pretty gradual drop, but the trail is full of boulders of various shapes, sizes and degrees of friendliness. This is Boulderdash. Boulderdash ends at the end of the ridge, at which stage you're at the top of the WockaWockas.
WockaWockas
The Wockas drop steeply from the bottom of Boulderdash to join the Johnny Fox's Road. This is all part of the Wicklow Way. About 30% of the way down the Woccas, the Tibradded Ridge Trail comes in from the right.
Tibradden Ridge
Take the right as you're going down the Wockas, and follow the trail in a straight line along the ridge of Tibradded to the top of Tibradden hill. Various small narrow gorges, some rocky bits, some mud. Good fun. From the top of Tibradden, follow the trail straight down to the car park. You won't get lost but you might fall off - this is steep and full of loose stones in many places. From the Tibradden car park you can
- turn left and climb the road steeply to the top, then drop down along the road to the bottom of the Woccas, from which you can ride back to Fairy
- turn right to the T junction, then left to Cruagh and Hellfire.
- turn right to the T junction, then left towards Cruagh, then right into Masseys and so (eventually to Taylor's pub).
No comments:
Post a Comment