Snowdonia National Park is a Welsh tourist hotspot famous for its picturesque landscapes and postcard views. Most of its 6-to-10 million annual visitors travel here for its mountains, lakes, and woodlands, but come September, a growing number of courageous and questionably sane individuals make their way over to Wales for another spectacle that isn’t so easy on the eye – Red Bull Hardline.

As you head down into the Dyfi valley, you’d be forgiven for missing a faint outline of the 55ft road gap sitting amongst the trees – one of the many monstrosities that make up the course.

When it was first unveiled in 2014, the course included more features per metre than any downhill race. It’s only been getting bigger and bigger each year since.

When you look at the driving force behind its evolution – Dan Atherton – it’s no surprise either. He is obsessed with progression, whether that’s pushing the boundaries of the sport, bike technology, or his own personal limits. Red Bull Hardline is no exception. Atherton wanted to remind people how gnarly mountain biking could be, and he’d found the perfect place to do it.

Crafting New Additions

While some of the course’s features have become synonymous with Red Bull Hardline – particularly the previously mentioned Road Gap and the motocross-inspired Step Up – others have been rebuilt, rethought, or completely removed over the years during the event’s evolution. The 2022 edition is no different, and sees some massive creations added in the middle of the run.

The first job when creating any new feature is to knock down anything that is in its place – in this case, Dirty Ferns and Waterfall Edge. The former was built in 2018, but the latter had been standing since 2014.

***“The potential was suddenly there for some big, Fest Series-style features.”***
**Dan Atherton**

"The trees in this section were felled last year, making the old jumps look small,” explains Atherton. “However, the potential was suddenly there for some big, Fest Series-style features. The newly open, mellow terrain acts as the perfect foundation for fast, long jumps – something which, up until now, Hardline had been missing."

The first new feature that riders will have to contend with is an on-off, which replaces the old hip. The change was needed to provide the speed for the two doubles that follow, and although it won't give the space for some of the tricks and flips we've seen in past years, it's much more technical than its predecessor and puts a lot more emphasis on getting speed and timings perfect.

“Testing the on-off was difficult because we couldn't visualise the outcome, and we didn't exactly know how to go about it.”
Dan Atherton

The on-off is made up of a 40ft gap, which lands onto a 30 ft-long pad before another 40ft gap that propels riders immediately into a long, speed-tuck straight. Although 30ft might sound like a lot for a landing pad, it only works out around six bike lengths, which doesn't offer much room for error – something that Dan Atherton learned the hard way during testing.

"You’re always braver for stuff you’re going to face in the future, and when you're there in the moment, and you know you've got to ride it, it's always ten times scarier than when you're building it. Testing the on-off was difficult because we couldn't visualise the outcome, and we didn't exactly know how to go about it. We dug out a load on the edge of the landing pad to make a run out if we needed to bail, but I went too far and missed the braking point, so I bounced off and piled straight into the back of the lander."

The crash resulted in a trip to the hospital for a check-up, but fortunately, Dan escaped from this one unscathed, minus some grazes. Testing didn't go to plan, but the tricky part is out of the way, and they know what they need to do to get it right. With most riders away for Val Di Sole this week and the weather not playing ball, the first opportunity to test again will be the Wednesday before the event, leaving anticipation high for the first day of practice next Thursday.

The on-off lands you into a long, fast-speed tuck section before the first of two new big doubles. It started at 91ft, but that was reduced by 5ft after it was decided that getting the speed would have been difficult. Speed for the on-off has to be spot on, which limits things the other side of it. Even so, the new double is still an absolute monster.

The second double’s gap is a fraction shorter 85ft, but it's also a bit of a step-down, so will feel huge once in the air. Both jumps’ landings are obscured by the take-offs too, adding to the nerves riders will already be feeling as they approach at speed.

Preparing The Course

A lot goes into prepping a course like Red Bull Hardline for race week, and Atherton doesn't cut corners when it comes to building his team.

This year's dig crew looks much the same as last year. All are locals who work year-round at the family’s mountain bike mecca – Dyfi Bike Park – and the step over to Hardline was natural.

The first job is to assess the course and ultimately decide what needs to be done. The dig crew approaches Hardline much like a rider would, starting with a track walk. Much of the "build" process isn't about building new stuff but resurrecting what already was and reinstating the existing track. As they make their way down, section by section, they get a grasp on what needs fixing and what will change.

The Welsh winter is harsh on just about everything and everyone, and the Hardline course is no exception. Gale force winds attack the woodland, bringing down trees that need clearing. The torrential rain forces knee-deep ruts and destroys berms, as do the sheep, but that's Wales for you.

Early maintenance consists of pulling back all the grass that's grown over the winter in a process appropriately named "de-grassing." If the dig crew do this too early, it all grows again before race week, and the process has to be repeated. They learned this the hard way in 2021...

The berms all need resurfacing, and most sections generally require a good clearout. If a section of track is supposed to be smooth, the crew will make it smooth again, so the riders can carry speed into whatever monstrosity awaits them, such as the 100m-plus straight leading into the 17m cannonball.

"The first year was such a casual move over from the bike park that we didn't think about it too much until Red Bull turned up, and we realised what a big deal it was,” says Sam Malster. “There was a big rush last year getting the track ready, and the new step down took so long, meaning we had to sacrifice other sections... the digging conditions were far from ideal too, and it was like trying to shovel dust."

Being their second year on the build, the dig crew feels much more prepared for this year's build, and a lot more planning has gone into ensuring the details are dialed.

Track Walkthrough

***“Red Bull Hardline is all about progression. It's so important to me that the sport is progressing.”***
**Dan Atherton**

"World Cup riders push harder and harder every year, but I don't think the tracks necessarily keep up with that progression from the riders," says Dan. "Red Bull Hardline is about having a closed event where we can push the sport as hard as we want."

Dan has always seen the event as a way to challenge riders' ability rather than their outright speed.

“Red Bull Hardline is about being against the course rather than against the clock.”
Dan Atherton

"From the moment you walk the course, you're thinking, 'How can I link all this together? How can I pull off a run?' You're wondering how you'll get down this thing, and that thought is in your head the entire week, right up until your race run. Then, all of a sudden, you're in a race mentality, but you're against the course rather than the clock, which is a weird place to be."

"On Sunday afternoon, there are a few riders who will be comfortable enough to push it, and for the most part, it’s about battling the course, not themselves."

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to the gauntlet Dan has laid down for the MTB elite in 2022's race.

Before The Start

On their way to the gate, riders roll through remnants of the former start straight, which included a heavy pedal through two doubles.

Riders are greeted by views of the valley and enjoy a final moment of calm before dropping into the action.

At Red Bull Hardline, you can expect to see riders bumping up their compression to cater for the fast, heavy hits. The start gate offers a final opportunity to ensure settings are dialled before the drop.

The event is invitation-only, meaning only a handful of the world's most skilful riders get the opportunity to embrace this view.

Section One: Rock & Roll

Straight out of the gate, riders are met by familiar Welsh rock - its rough, grippy nature allows them to set themselves up for the first drop.

Compared to the rest of the course, the first drop is relatively mellow, although, over the years, the landing has become less forgiving as the weather has worn it out - adding to the compression riders feel before the first berm.

The first berm catches riders out of the landing of the drop. It's long and easily carries speed, an ideal set-up for the following huck.

Although acting as a solid catch, the first berm's surface still contains a lot of loose dirt and rocks, which we can expect to see getting thrown up as riders attack it this weekend.

Out of the first berm, riders are quickly sent into a man-made step-down feature, typically hucked right down to the slab. You can see an example of this in the middle of this photo, where the rock is clearly visible.

This off-camber slab might be overshadowed by some of the course's more prominent features, but it's fast and slick – even in the dry – and can easily catch a rider out if they're not paying attention.

While the first section is tailored to the downhill riders, it's now time to tackle some more daunting, freeride-style features.

Section Two: Roots Manoeuvres

Riders now head off the open moors and into a dark, wooded area. The riders' eyes have to adapt quickly to the changing light, as there are only a few seconds before things get pretty challenging.

A wooden North Shore lander takes some of the blow on the second drop. Riders then cross a rock slab, which can prove rather slick in the wet. With the speed they're carrying through this section, much of these details will go unnoticed before they're greeted by a much-needed catch berm.

The North Shore lander hasn't always been a feature. It was introduced in in 2019 to firm up the landing and make it a little more predictable for the riders. Before it was brought in, riders faced a huge compression, offering very little time to recompose themselves before the upcoming sharp right...

There are some serious Gs to be felt by riders as they hit the berm above, while the one below needs to be caught exactly right. This is because riders need every bit of speed they can get on the 100m-long approach to the following two monsters...

Riders have time to psych themselves up as they accelerate down a straight, rocky run-in towards The Cannon, one of the course's scariest features.

The Cannon sees riders shoot out into the forest, over a 57ft gap.

Riders are now pushing 40mph around this corner. It's a good job, too, as for the next feature, they wouldn't want to get away with anything less...

Dan has used a steel motocross ramp to act as the take-off for this mammoth feature, in order to give riders as much airtime as possible.

The step-up has claimed several victims, including 2017 Red Bull Hardline victor Craig Evans, who had broken his knee on this jump the year before. Over the years, however, riders have become more and more comfortable with the Step Up, and in 2019, Kaos Seagrave even backflipped it on his race run.

One of the biggest intimidation factors of the next feature, the Step Down, is that it's almost entirely blind until the riders take off.

The Step Down is easily one of the wildest features on the Red Bull Hardline course. Just a few seconds after landing the Step Up, riders have to compose themselves for a 60-foot send, dropping 40 feet into a big, dirt landing. Brage Vestavik took a big slam here last year, but in true Viking fashion, he brushed it off like it was nothing.

The speed carried off the Step Down landing is quite significant, and once you've dealt with the initial impact from landing, there's little time to prepare yourself for the next crest. I coming into this section off-balance will almost certainly bring problems.

The course snakes across the mountain for the next fifteen seconds or so – it's rough, rocky, and technical.

The Rock Gully may seem relatively mellow compared to the rest of the course, but there's no respite in this section. It's full of tree stumps, roots, and giant boulders - basically, anything and everything that can catch a rider out.

“Technically, it is fast, and the whole time you're thinking about the right-hander because if you get that one wrong, you can't do the entire next section. You have to nail the right-hander to get the Step Down, and simultaneously, the on-off - it's starting to get to the point where every feature is linked.”
Dan Atherton

Section Three: Endless Airtime

After a rough downhill section, riders are now propelled into a set of new features that lean on their freeride game. Expect to see some serious air-time.

The long left berm has been brought in from 90 degrees to around 45 to set riders up for the new on-off.

The on-off consists of a 40ft on-gap, landing riders onto a short, 30ft landing pad, before another 40ft off-gap.

The next fifteen seconds see a long, fast jump section incomparable to anything done on a race track before.

“It’s so wide open and entirely not, technically. Everything else feels quite constrained then you’re suddenly onto these wide-open jumps. We built them like that because it’s not just like the old, big hip. You have to link features to make it work, which is what this event is all about.”
Dan Atherton

“The new jump section is so good. It's one of the most significant shifts in terms of style of the course - initially, the whole course was as one, there wasn't one stand-alone feature, but now this jump line has become its own beast.”
Dan Atherton

From here, the course continues to wind down the mountainside.

Below the treeline is a chance to keep some much-needed speed before they arrive at one of the most daunting features on the course...

“This is one of the gnarliest sections, and a lot of riders lose time here. It's super janky, and we did this on purpose so riders wouldn't come too fast into the Road Gap.”
Dan Atherton

Finally, riders are greeted by the infamous Road Gap. A 55ft send, across a fire access road, and onto a massive lander. It's one of the scariest features on the course to hit the first time but, ironically, it's also one of the easiest for elite riders to handle. This is because it's predictable, and riders have sight of where they're going to land at all times.

“The Road Gap is one of the original features from the first Red Bull Hardline. Not much has changed over the years, but in 2021, we made it even bigger. On other features, you might chill and relax, but on this, you just can't get away with a crash, so you're always 100% engaged, and you never let your guard down.”
Dan Atherton

Section Four: Tech To The Finish

“The lilypad is quite techy, but it feels mint. You've just landed the Road Gap and have to switch back on quickly.”
Dan Atherton

“The G-Out rock drop is hideous. It's hard to make it smooth, and you're so tired at this point. It's probably one of the most physical bits. You've just come off the Road Gap, and you're still holding your breath because you're so tense, and then you have to deal with this.”
Dan Atherton

“You're making sure you've got the right line, trying to carry your speed. You want to relax, if that's the right word, before the last jumps, but at the same time, you're trying to carry momentum for the bottom jumps.”
Dan Atherton

“The bottom jumps are big, but they're pretty mellow. You're tired by this point; the whole run's pressure is on top of you, and if you mess up one of the jumps before, you can't clear the last one.”
Dan Atherton

Just when they thought it was over, riders have to throw themselves over The Final Fly-off – a 65ft gap – before a quick pedal and a speed tuck down to the finish line.

And that's really all there is to it...

Thank you to Red Bull UK for commissioning this story.

Red Bull Hardline - The Build