Riders from across the country have been heading to the new trail, with Twitter the best place to read early reports, twitter.com/TheNevisRange

The new trail drops 543m over its 5.5km and runs parallel to the famous World Cup Downhill course where Greg Minnaar took gold earlier in the summer.

The Red Run is crammed with technical sections, including boardwalk, berms, jumps and drops, but you won’t need a downhill bike or Minnaar-esque skills to get down – it’s been built specifically for trail riders.

Run by the Nevis Range, which manages trails and the gondola that takes you to the trail head, the trail is aimed at proficient mountain bikers with good skills. It’s mostly singletrack with timber boardwalk, bedrock and gravel, Nevis says.

The gondola will also ease you up to the start of The Witch’s Trails, 48km of cross-country trail through the Leanachan forest, starting at Aonach Mor with a final finish in the forest at its foot.

Gondola tickets for bikes, and their riders, are £11.50 for an adult single trip and £25 for an adult riding all day. Both gondola-accessed trails are open until Sun 13 September when they shut for a well-deserved winter.

Nevis Range says there will be an official opening some time soon, but it’s open to ride and that’s all you really need to know! If you’re not up for riding down, then opt to lunch in the Snowgoose restaurant & bar before returning to sea level on the gondola.