The North-West Passage

The name “North West Passage” comes from the efforts of sailors to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Bering Straits between Russia and North America. This was a vain effort because the seas were always ice-bound.

Our Jamaican MTB equivalent is in the mountains above Mount Airy, trying to find a way through this remote area. John Richards, Amador Gilman and I tried three years ago and explored many tails, coming to dead ends or impassable landslips.

Last year Boogie and I tried it in the opposite direction, Mount Airy, Wataru Coffee Farm, over the ridge and on to the Leith Hall Gap trail and thence back to Mount Airy, showing that the area was not impenetrable. Apart from the stiff trail climbs on dirt and one bushy section we succeeded. See the 2012 blog HERE!

This Sunday we invite anyone to join us on the 3-4 hour ride, in the original direction and Keith, Mark, Paul, Bernadette, Boogie and myself set out form Mount Airy.

The stiff climb to Mount Cressy was even harder after the recent rain and we then turned left toward Leith Hall Gap on what as supposed to be a gentle climb. This was wet and muddy but rideable until we reached the latter part of the climb. Hurricanes and landslips had wreaked their havoc and the wide double track was a genuine single but very broken up and we had to climb over many fallen trees, until we reached Leith Hall Gap.

This should have been the end of the venture but as the descent seemed passable we continued but soon were climbing over fallen trees again and riding on a single track in high grass, mainly uphill. We eventually reached the little trail that takes you to the ridge and down to the coffee farm. This was rideable in high grass but frequently blocked by trees. Boogie did some sterling work with his machete.

We proceeded down the trail and experienced the strange feeling of riding on a single track in high grass so you could not see what was coming.

This was completed and we arrived on a small plateau overlooking the valley, where a wide but stony track takes you steeply downhill to the river. Bernadette was unfortunate to meet some deep mud on a corner and ended up sitting in it, again she refused a photo call!

Finally we arrived at the river crossing and Bernadette could not wait to get wet, falling in, bike, luggage and all. The gentlemen this time were polite and did not ask for a rerun to film. We disported ourselves here for some time, Boogie and I were quiet about the climb out of the valley and the same stony track, very steep in places and even with a granny gear there was no passing this test. However we all made it and collapsed on the tarmac so close to Mount Airy and the landslip barrier. We were advised to take the dirt road that went round it, but one look at the steep gradient was enough to send us up the tarmac road to the landslip.

Boogie and I had crossed it before, the locals having built a stairway of sorts, or rather Boogie took the bikes over and I shuffled across, without looking down at the enormous chasm below.

Bernadette set off first and got half way up the steep side and then over the top and down with some help from Boogie, who then turned himself into a super-porter to help us, including scairedy-cat me!

Never again!

We finished the climb and descended to the vehicles at Mount Airy although Boogie and I rode directly into the bar and our combined order of “cold ones” cleaned out their stock!


Conclusion: congratulations to all who made it, Bernadette and Paul particularly and Boogie for his tree felling exploits. However it is a pity that such a lovely and challenging trail is now really to be avoided, unless in the unlikely event that the Forestry Department cleans it up.

However we have other trails in the area, watch this space!


North-West Passage on Pinkbike , MAP



Trail Map Courtesy of Bernadette

By David Linehan

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