Reviews for Whites Level Trail - Afan Forest

Summary:
Fun, varied, technical, flowing, the best trail in the area!

Review:
Starts off as a long, technical in places climb, mostly on switchback singletrack. Reasonably varied makes it the most fun of the Afan climbs. Some serious speed can be gained at the last climb section which is a great spot for racing your mates. Once you get to the top that is it, -all more or less downhill from here with onlya steep short fireroad climb to loop back to the top if you wish.
The more experienced should loop in the black section (turn off left just before the stile at the very top) which has jumps, drops and a hairy rock garden with many places for stacking it. There is some North shore that is not really that North, but a way to get over some of the moorland without damaging the terrain. Some of the sharp and steep switchbacks and berms will get the adrenaline flowing and you must commit or not attempt some of the obstacles. Turn right at the end of this section to climb back up to the top of the climb for the red section "Windy Point."
For those who prefer to give the black section a miss (and those looping back to the top) there is Windy Point, a fast, flowing narrow section recently improved greatly by removal of a gate. There are many jumps if you look for them a a nice pair of rock slab drop-offs near the end of this section. Keep your speed but watch for some of the more off-camber dips!
A few hundred meters of fireroad links you in with the final but long section of downhill. This starts with a x-country style narrow singletrack which you can really get some speed that turns into some better North shore style obstacles. The final descent is pretty relentless and many will have to stop to rest your arms! (The best kind of downhill!) Check out the sheer number of rock drops and obstacles you can hit full speed, as well as the rooty jumps and slab sections. One of the finest and most varied trails in the area and ranks up there with the best XC trails in the country. Would have scored 10 if the fireroad link section was replaced with singletrack as there is a little waste of height.