WHEN does a trail become a trial? Usually when you find yourself out of your depth, miles from anywhere, at a point where little or no help can be obtained.

I have long held the belief that the Forestry Commission were the leaders in providing information necessary to avoid such trials. So, it was to Forest Enterprise (the Commission's commercial arm) that I turned recently to prepare for a ramble on accessible trails in the North York Moors.

Their patch in the National Park is known as the North Riding Forest Park and stretches in a vast swathe from north of Pickering to west of Scarborough. They use a series of symbols in their mapping that spell out the essential information, such as "Easy Access Toilet" and a star system to distinguish between routes that are "smooth" and those which have "some rough patches and occasional steep slopes". My chosen route was "Dalby Beck Red Walk", as shown in the leaflet: "Dalby - The Great Yorkshire Forest".

The rambler is given the distance: 2.5 miles; the estimated time: 1.5 hours; a description: "reasonably smooth - moderate slopes" and further information that tells of access to Ellerburn Pond with its hide and wonderful pondlife. Practically everything needed to make an informed decision.

Sadly, after such a positive beginning, things did not get off to a good start. It was all down to uncharacteristically paltry information on the day. Work is under way to redevelop the Visitor Centre at Low Dalby, resulting in the accessible toilet being, well, inaccessible. It would have been so easy to inform people of this at the toll booth on arrival; instead, I had to ask in the shop in front of all the customers. I was reduced to discussing my predicament in front of itinerant teatowel-buying tourists.

There were plenty of notices heralding the forthcoming visits of Bryan Ferry and Paul Weller but not one to warn people of impending embarrassment and inconvenience caused by lack of essential facilities.

Rant now over, I must say that it is to the enormous credit of the staff that my anger turned into a whimper - they were extremely apologetic and supportive. And the route itself is a treat. After leaving Low Dalby village, the wooded area of Thornton Dale is entered and the compacted path with generally downward slopes of up to a gentle 1:20 are pleasant to roll along. This terrain continues virtually unhindered through Flax Dale and Heck Dale. Along the way are two seating areas with views out over the valley of Dalby Beck. Both have access over compacted mud, which is quite dry around this time of year.

After Heck Dale, there is a gentle incline (less than 1:20) up to a point in the track where the red markers I had been following indicate that a fork to the right should be taken. It is worth, however, exploring the wildlife hide which is signposted here. Bear right further along at the "Wildlife Hide" sign which leads down a quite gentle 1:16 slope to an accessible hide. For a modest 600m detour, the rewards are an outlook over the tranquil Ellerburn Pond in the shelter of the hide: time to get out the flask and take a breather.

Back on the red route, taking what is now a left fork, a gentle 1:20 descent leads down to Dalby Beck, which is crossed by a wooden-latted bridge. At this point, the route becomes a bit tougher it should be said. A lot of work has recently gone into revamping this path but an undulating surface and camber make this 1:20 climb up the bank more of a workout. Thrilling if you're up to it but many people would benefit from assistance or could simply about turn at this point and go back by the original route.

The path eventually joins a wider forest track and gradients become much gentler so persistence does pay off. Lovely open vistas eventually open up of the pastures leading down to Dalby Beck with Dalby Wood beyond. The path undulates past lonely farmhouses and smallholdings until it meets the tarmac of the Forest Drive, which leads back down the 1:16 drop to the Visitor Centre.

To allow for a dawdle down to the hide and for the fact that wheelchairs on such terrain are generally slower than walkers, I would set aside two-and-a half hours for this route. Having done this one, there is a wide range of other routes in the forest park that are accessible, so why not consult the National Park for accessible accommodation and hang around for a while?

FACT FILE:

Website: www.forestry.gov.uk/dalby forest; Leaflets consulted: "The Woodlands of Dalby"; "EASY ACCESS - North York Moors Forest District" and "A Guide To Easy Access". Referring initially to two leaflets, I was able to consider one of many routes on offer as "Footpaths Suitable for the Less Able-Bodied". Try also: "Easy Going North York Moors" from the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Published: 01/06/2004