The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday June 24 2007
We had said a £7 charge was required for cars to enter the North York Moors National Park. In fact, entry is free. The charge is for entry to Dalby Forest, part of the park owned by the Forestry Commission.
Across Britain, forests are starting to echo with the whizzing and whirring of mountain bikes rushing through the trees. The sport is one of the fastest growing in the world - what was once the domain of a few hardcore young men flying alone down dangerously steep hills, cliffs and mountains, is attracting so many converts that purpose-designed trails are being opened to cater for the demand.
Dorset has the UK BikePark, South Wales has Y Tri Chwm (The Three Valleys), and last month England's most extensive network of trails was opened in the Dalby forest, part of the North York Moors National Park.
The Pace Bike Park has taken more than two years to complete, and boasts 34 miles of routes, plus a technical riding park and other facilities. It has cost more than £400,000, funded in part by the Forestry Commission. After paying £7 for your car's entry into the National Park, you have a day's unlimited access to the sunken moors, 'rigg and dale' landscape and deep oak forests. Signposted trails offer you the chance to take in the forest's beauty either by way of ridiculously steep hills or less gravity-affected meandering runs.
The good thing is that it is not in the lap of the gods which option you take. For, as in ski resorts, the trails are colour-coded based on difficulty. Green are the easiest, followed by blue, then red and finally black, the most technically difficult and dangerous. Being fairly new to this style of two-wheel adventure, I started off sticking to the blue runs, getting a feel for the bike and the terrain. I would tell myself - and any of my party who would listen - that this was down to a desire to take in the epic scenery, rather than a lack of bravery, determination or fitness. Mind you, after seeing nine-year-olds launching down the steep red runs, protected only by a helmet and a fierce grin, I was forced to accept my deficiency in all three.
But that is the beauty of this trail. While Dalby's black runs are becoming famous in expert circles, it is up to you to find your level, and then if you want to push it, you can. It also means that as you progress you can start to enjoy and discover more parts of the forest.
After almost a full day's riding, it was time to debate whether to kip overnight in the nearby hamlet of Lockton, and ride the next day, or lick my wounds and prepare for a second attack another weekend. I chose the latter and am planning my next assault, maybe joining those nine-year-olds on the red runs.
· Pace Bike Park (01751 472771; singletraction.org.uk), just off the A169 in Dalby Forest is open throughout the year. There is a £7 charge per car on entry to the forest (season tickets are £35), but there is no charge if you ride in. Although the Park lacks its own facilities, the nearby visitor centre has toilets, a cafe and a restaurant. The Lockton YHA Hostel (0870 770 5938; yha.org.uk) is a few pedal turns away
Boats, bikes, boots ... and snorkels
Bikes and baggage
· Book it: 01590 622627; countrylanes.co.uk
Add a touch of luxury to a walking holiday in Wales with Oyster Active. The one-week Explorer tour takes in southern Snowdonia and the Cambrian mountains, with spa treatments and gourmet picnics as 'treats'. It costs £1,195 per person, with all meals, snacks, guides and accommodation.
· Book it:oysteractive.com; 01295 251644
Have a paddle
Experience the wilderness as never before on a three-day canoeing course on a secluded tarn in the Lake District. You'll learn how to handle a Canadian canoe, camp under the stars and fish for your dinner. A three-day course in July costs £295 per person.
· Book it: 07974 767602; orcadventures.co.uk
Me, you and a canoe
Alternatively, head to Northern Ireland, where the Lough Erne Canoe Trail around Fermanagh is the UK's first dedicated canoe route. The 50km trail passes a maze of islands in the Upper Lough. Fermanagh Lakeland Lodges offers houses set in woodland on the shores of Lough Erne from £560 a week for six people. Canoes can be hired from Northern Ireland Canoeing (nicanoeing.com).
· Book it: 028686 31957; fermanaghlakelandlodges.com
Scuba off Scotland
Diving in the UK doesn't get much better than in the unpolluted waters around Oban. Shipwrecks, sheer cliffs and drift dives await and the Gulf Stream ensures there is plenty of marine life. The Oban Bay Hotel & Spa, overlooking the Sound of Mull, has three-night packages for people looking to try Atlantic scuba diving, from £295 per person, with breakfast, dinner, training equipment and two dives.
· Book it: 0870 950 6273; crerarhotels.com
Check your flies
Fly fishing beginners' courses at the Arundell Arms at Lifton in Devon are proving popular with women. The award-winning hotel, famous for its extensive river and lake, offers courses throughout the summer. Double rooms cost from £220 a night, including dinner and breakfast. A four-day beginners' fishing course costs £415; weekend courses cost £215.
· Book it: 01566 784666; arundellarms.com
Pushbikes without the push
A new bike option in the Surrey uplands helps you eat up the hills, while saving those knees. An electric engine powers the bike, so you can soak up the countryside. There are 10 routes, and the bikes are delivered to either the Mercure White Horse Hotel in Dorking or the Lythe Hill hotel in Haslemere. Hire from £39 a day; double rooms from £75 at weekends.
· Book it: 0845 458 2799; naturaldiscovery.co.uk
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
