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Whiteleaf
Map: OS MAP Explorer 181
Route Difficulty: ìììì
Fun Factor: ììì
Route Time: 25 mins to Whiteleaf cross from the road

 

Just before you get into Princes Risborough (before the small junior school) once you’ve been through Askett and Monks Risborough (on the A4010) there is a left turn up a hill towards the woods…. Take this.

Ride up this hill, which is a bit on the heavy going side, and gets steeper further up nearer the T-junction.

At the top there is a t-junction and you are in front of a large cottage... Turn left and almost immediately right at the signposted bridleway.

Follow this bridleway up. It starts as tarmac (for about 200 yards) as it doubles up as access to a couple of cottages you pass on the way up.

It soon turns to dirt just past a white thatched cottage on your left hand side.

Watch out for some heavy rooted sections, which are gradually becoming more evident from erosion, which make great drops when riding this track in reverse.

At the top of this climb you will see a golf club and car park, and a random shed on your left. On your right is a footpath, we have accidentally ridden this before, and it is a good track, but we urge you to stick to bridleways.

Looking up there is more of a climb and a NO MOTOR VEHICLES sign on a tree… carry on up this hill which sweeps round to the left on the way up. It keeps going up for around 400yards with a bench to meet you at the top.

Ahead of you about 500yards is a gate – ride to this and go through.

Following the grass track through this gate for around a minute leads you out to the top of Whiteleaf hill, and you stand above the White Cross cut into the hillside (Cross on hillside to your right)

Heading straight over the hill top past the cross below you on the hillside to your right takes you to a sprung gate. if you head through this gate and follow the fireroad track without turning off  after about half a mile it takes you to the Whiteleaf car park. On this journey between this gate and car park are various bridleways and footpaths taking you to more amazing single-track… The tracks on your left generally take you down to Lower Cadsden, and a very good pub!

For this trail guide we recommend taking the 2nd right after you've gone through the gate - this bridleway takes you all the way down to the pub at Cadsden where its very worthwhile stopping for a pint and some of their fantastic chips! Its a fantastic track down there too with a superb long descent too.

To follow the bridleway without using our guide basically follow the main track and don't take any of the left hand turns - if you do it doesn't matter as they all take you down to the same finishing point as this track. If you follow this track it has some great singletrack, bermed corners, and even some wide trail sections for good passing points. Half way (about 1/4 mile) along you see a big gate (to stop 4x4s) with a track heading up to the right - take this. This short climb takes you up to a t-junction of tracks with a post bang in the middle labelling the tracks. Head left and down some superb singletrack. After a super fast descent you come to another track t-junction, take the left hand track that heads down....you are now on one of the best descents in the Chilterns. Its about one mile long, jumps, berms, roots, fast singletrack - you name it its on this track.

At the bottom of this track (about a 10min decent) you end up at a massive junction of 4 tracks all joining. Take the one head of you....it takes you to a big gate and the Plough Pub at Cadsden is it sight...

Whiteleaf has some of the best riding around but its much a case of exploring to find the hidden gem trails. An OS map doesn't show half of them either so do get out and explore, or wait for one of our trail group rides.