Southern Comfort Loop
Directions to start:
To get to the Colby Glen Pub follow the signposts for down South from Douglas. Head to Colby and the Pub is on the main stretch through the village. There is a large car park and a Spar shop next door. The Pub does good food.
Route:
From the lovely quiet villages of Colby and Ballabeg this route takes you up past South Barrule using the infamous smugglers route of the Whisky run. You will then join the famous end to end mountain bike route for a section of fantastic downhill single-track with stunning views. A quick hop over a gate or two will put you on a greenlane to Surby, this last bit has a very technical rocky section so pick your line carefully. Watch your speed on the Public road as you wind down into Surby. A nice ride on the road brings you back to the pub, chips please!
The Cronk Ny Arrey Laa section is ridden with the kind permission of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Please keep to the trail. Riders are reminded that they cannot ride bikes to the summit of the hill (but you are welcome to walk up and enjoy the view!)
Directions:
Start at the Colby Glen pub car park. Leaving the car park head left for Ballabeg, after Arbory School and Church you will see a righthand bend with an old shop on the corner, you want to take the left turnoff here.
If you then ride up about 50 metres you will see a turn on the right marked as Grenaby, you want to take this turn. A bit of a climb here, look on the right for stunning views of the South, you will start to go downhill and will come to a give-way sign, an old ruin is hidden straight ahead in the undergrowth, can you see it? Take a left here. Map ref 264723
Follow up this quiet road, we are looking for the bottom of the Whisky run, this was allegedly used by Smugglers hence the name. You will see the bottom of the run at a crossroads at the top. Straight across and climb the Whisky Run. Map ref 257 744. Climb the Whisky run to the top, it will go onto a tarmac road so be careful.
You need to bare right (more or less straight on in from the top of the whisky run) onto the tarmac and down to the Roundtable cross Road. Carefully go across the cross roads and then just follow the road down, over a bridge and up the other side. You will see a turn off on the left to Eairy Cushlin. You want to go left here. Map ref 232 766
This is the start of the End to End section. After you have turned off continue down the track all the way to a T junction and a small car park. You want to go left here up the unmade road. This will lead up to Cronk ny Arrey Laa. It’s a slog up this unmade road, just be thankful you have not done 40 miles on the end to end!!
Be careful as you are back on the road, go right at the top and about 50 metres down on the right is a gate marked Cronk Ny Arrey laa, map ref 230747. Over this gate and you will see a track 20 meters on the left just a little way up, don’t go on the wider path up the hill.
Follow this track, on the left just after going over the gate. This is the start of a fantastic single track section. No guidance needed, just take your time and follow the track all the way to the bottom admiring the views. Right, you can’t say that was not fun, you should come out at a gate, a quick walk to the right along the side of the road and then through another gate on the right.
You will come out of the gate on the right in the picture below and you should go through the one further to the left in the picture (on your right as you ride from the first gate). Map ref 216733. Follow the Greenlane just on the left through the gate. This will take you over Surby Hill.Map ref 212 716. WATCH OUT down from Surby hill its very rutted and rocky, take your time. You will come to a gate.
Go through this gate. GO SLOW ALL THE WAY DOWN THIS THIN TRACK!! At the bottom of the thin track again SLOW you are back on a public road beware cars/people and there are houses on both sides. All the way down the road and go left at the junction. Left here in Surby Village. Down to Ballafesson and go left.
Left at Ballafesson and then left onto the main road the left here at the farm Map ref 207697
Straight on at the roundabout, follow the signs for Colby, Stop when you get to the pub!!
