THE Lake District's first ever permanent orienteering courses for mountain bikers is up and running at the Forestry Commission's Grizedale Forest.

The new 'Trailquest' courses offer something for keen family mountain bikers as well as the enthusiasts. Riders can test their skills at mountain biking and orienteering at the same time.

The trails have a total of 32 control sites located around Grizedale Forest, identified by coloured boards with a letter on. Participants have to find these sites using a map available from Grizedale Visitor Centre.

There are six courses available, which are suitable for different levels of ability. The two shorter, easier courses on the forest roads are approximately five miles long and are aimed at families and beginners.

The next stage up are two medium rated courses which are a bit longer and take place on a variety of terrain including bridleways, purpose built singletrack trails and forest roads. These can take up to anything from an hour to half a day depending on ability.

The two hardest courses are aimed at mountain biking enthusiasts. They are up to 30 miles long, with a lot of climbs and descents, and can take up to a full day, depending on your level of fitness. The longest route takes in all the controls.

The new Trailquest courses use sections of the existing routes through Grizedale Forest, such as The North Face Trail, launched in 2006. This includes nine sections of purpose built singletrack trails, which are only wide enough for one mountain biker at a time. Trails that include singletrack are particularly popular with mountain bikers.

The courses have been designed by Henry Syska and Mike Hayward, who are Trailquest competitors and Trail Cyclist Association committee members. The Trail Cyclists Association is the National Governing Body for Mountain Bike Orienteering in the UK