From the parking place at 380m, a good track leads west then north west through high trees. This is the start of an easy circuit with gentle gradients. The snow is often excellent in the shelter of the trees, even if conditions have been windy and snow is patchy or drifted elsewhere. It tends to last longer than in more exposed places, too, as it remains in the shade. If a thaw is setting in, there may be a bare, wet or icy patch where Door Gill crosses the track (see below), but this is quickly passed. The track is almost level until a cross roads at "Waller's Pond". Turn left here, climbing about 15m to a sharp bend left, where a slightly more undulating track leads back to the Stang road 200m south of the car park. This final descent to the road is out of the trees, and snow cover may be a little thinner, so don't ski too energetically ! In good snow, this is a pleasant schuss to the gate (see photo - skier Mary Waddington). There is usually enough snow on the verge to ski all the way back to the car, and often enough snow on the road itself.

Variations:

In very snowy conditions it can be difficult to drive even to 380m in which case it may be possible to park lower down and ski up the road. The return from Waller's pond can then be effected by a pleasant downhill run on the track turning right (NE) and curving round E then SE to reach the road 800m north of the car park. This variation is not suitable for thin snow cover.

Warning: owing to the changes in drainage caused by the forestry activity, Door Gill has become prone to much faster run-off. One consequence of this is severe erosion of its bed, and the bridge (basically an inadequate concrete pipe) at the start of the forest walk has washed out. Rather than repairing this at once, the FC have waited a couple of years for the banks to stabilise of their own accord. During this time there was flagging tape across the track and a sign "Danger, keep out". As of the start of the 97/98 season, they seem to have started some effort to add new rock to the track sides and have put a concrete structure in the bed to stabilise it. The tape has gone and perhaps the bridge will be replaced some time. Do keep away from the collapsing edges ! You can circumvent the obstacle by traversing left (upstream), crossing a few metres further up, then regaining the track down the left bank, mostly over grass and mossy tree stumps with no great slope. The variation mentioned above avoids this part of the track entirely.

Though there may be some excuse for not restoring the status quo, given the likelihood of its washing out again, it is hard to understand why the FC did not at once insert a much larger diameter pipe and make some effort to prevent further erosion at this point. One must condemn them roundly for not doing something to reduce the flooding of Door Gill for which their ditching is, after all, wholly responsible. More damage is being caused lower down the beck (after it leaves Forestry Commission land), whereever there is a drop in the streambed, and the main Stang road periodically has to be dug out from accumulated silt after a flood.

Tour list   Stang Forest overview
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