Reviews for Shambhala Bike Park

Summary:
Tricky, technical, steep DH course in Sopot bulgaria

Review:
Well, it was definitely interesting, the run up in a 4 wheel drive (off-road SWB landcruiser) was errrrr exciting, 50 degree gradiant in places on what could be described as a `little loose' surface with vertical drops only inches away, the top taking over half an hour to get to...
The top section, approximately 3km, of the Shambala DH course is very rocky, loose sharp slate, which makes quick progress almost life threatening, especially as we did not know the course, a couple of steps almost having me over the bars as not having enough speed, and almost overshooting a couple of berms, because i had to much speed... The two road jumps were left for another day, the transitions would take a lot of practice and confidence as you immediately hit a turn on landing... After dropping down towards the trees the surface changed, light dirt, loose but reasonable traction, and were able to put the hammer down (slightly) as it was peppered with very tight turns and drops... This continued until we hit the top of the `rock garden' section, anyone who described this as a garden is a sadist, very tight lines, the racing line indicated by red painted (blood ??) rocks, and in a lot of cases was the only line. Our forerider Nik chose the line through the steps (1 mtr steps) off slabs of rock landing, immediately taking off again, land, take off, land, and continue through a maze of tight rock strewn lines.... errrrr, we picked our way down......
There was then a restbite, v fast tight single track, swooping drops and up through narrow gaps, getting excited i accelerated, only to almost run over Nik, parked at the top of what can only be described as a wall, with a path painted on it, dotted with trees.... The Bulgarians are a happy go lucky lot, and perhaps safety does not figure high on their agenda, put it this way, this section was littered with safety cushions and nets..
Niks response, `urmmm, this is a bit steep' and disappeared over the top..... Ah well, point it and go, brakes almost useless because of the surface and the gradient, dropping down adverse cambers to ledges, only to swing very tight to another camber, one section was a line of turns at what must have been 60 degrees, no traction, just go and hope... Nik had gone, nowhere suitable anyway to stop (stop ?????) so we continued eventually confronting a wall which you basically rode up against after a massive drop, the speed and G holding you there as you completed your long turn and traverse to miss the trees and plummet into the forest, this turning out to be the last real obstacle, well, apart from a step drop on to a 50 drgee slope, against the camber over tree roots.... easy.... opening out into great swoops and jumps through the forest and ending with a big tabletop (confidence was high, big air) and a small step, more air, and the finish...
Absolutely breathtaking, terrifying, arm and leg busting......... so much so, we went and did it again, faster.... (Nightmuffy taking 4 big endo's this time) even NIk taking a dive into the forest... ( he later informed us he had broken his neck last year on one of the road jumps... hard boys these Bulgarians)