After turning left you will be cycling parallel to the railway track with silver and yellow pipelines and a lake to your right. Follow this track as it gently drops then climbs, watching for the end of the lake. As the track nears its high point, you enter a short, flat wooded area after which the trail starts to descend and the lake ends. At this high point there is an earth mound over the nearest pipeline to your right. This is a JUNCTION where the Valley Drop In joins this route and Valley Run continues on.

From this vantage point, look over the railway. In the foreground is a dirt track going away, perpendicular to the railway. In the middle distance there are some pylons going away to your right - this is the route you want. In the far distance are the two ridges that give this ride its name. Oil Canyon runs between them. This ride climbs the right hand ridge at the far end then joins Oil Canyon almost directly opposite this vantage point before continuing along the left hand ridge.

Cross the first pipeline at the mound and cycle under the second and descend to the railway; cross it and the small stream (small bridge made out of pipeline) and pick up the dirt trail that leads to the main road. Cross the main road and there is another pipeline next to a ditch; cycle 20 yards to the right for a convenient crossing point. Cycle straight up the short hill (metal building at the top) and turn right, following the pylons. You will meet a black cobblestone road. Turn right onto this road and head uphill until you pass beneath a square metal ‘arch’. This is a JUNCTION – left for Oil Canyon, straight on for Twin Ridge.

Continue on the trail, past the dwellings. The trail follows the side of the hill, gradually climbing for the next couple of miles. There are trails off to the left and right but they don’t lead anywhere interesting. Continue on the main trail until it flattens out and turns right (next to two derelict stone buildings). Leave the trail at this point and continue in the direction you were going or bearing slightly left. There are a couple of stands of trees in the middle distance. You want to gain the ridge of the hill to your left and there are various ways up - the easiest is to cross-hill to the left of all the trees. Once on the ridge you will pick up a dirt trail that runs along the middle of the ridge. Follow this back towards the communication tower, past a small hut and over a short rocky section.

Follow the trail for a mile or so until two sets of electrical power lines cross it. Here the main trail climbs and bends left, following the power lines. Leave the trail and carry straight on, under the power lines. After a hundred yards you will pick up another trail with a slope to your right and small valley to your left. Continue along this trail (looking out for hidden rocks and large thorns in the summer) until it bends right. At this point there is a hillock in front of you; leave the trail and cycle around and to the left of the hillock, climbing slightly then steeply over rocky ground. Once past this hillock and on flat ground, there is another, smaller one. There are two ways down from here; the most straight forward is to the right, between the two hillocks. The most fun is to cycle to the top of the second hillock and straight down the far side – down Buckworth Vertical Suicide or ‘BVS’.

Before descending, look at the terrain. There are some buildings at the end of a short valley containing old vehicles. This is an army camp; do not enter that valley. Instead, work your way to the left. After descending, there is a small rise with a metal post in it (directly down from BVS or to the left of the alternative descent). Cycle past the post and drop down to the dirt trail ahead. There are two trails heading left – take the second one, at the top of which is an old hand dug oil well (deep, vertical sided hole about 6 feet diameter). Cycle along here and cross the ditch (to clear this area without dismounting you have to cycle to the right of the ditch).

There is a small lake which you cycle to the left of and into a small oilfield. This is a JUNCTION where Oil Canyon re-joins this ride.

Turn right onto the main trail through the oilfield. The trail divides into 3 – they all go in the same direction so take the one in best condition and head for a derelict 2-storey building. You may come across soldiers around here but they are tolerant or even friendly towards cyclists so wave and shout ‘Salam’.

Continue on the wide trail with the building to your left. After 150 yards there is a small memorial to WWII on your left. This is a JUNCTION – you can continue along the main trail/road and descend the ridge but you miss the best part and it isn’t much shorter. Instead, leave the main trail here and head right, picking up a small trail (Paisley Bypass) that passes to the right of a tall metal post.

It climbs for about 50 yards before flattening out, after which there is a shallow ditch. Follow the trail between the hand dug oil wells until the ground flattens out and then bear right, heading towards a brick wall, crossing beneath an elevated pipe at the far end of the wall.

You are now on a tarmac road – do not turn right as that leads to the army camp. Instead, turn left then immediately right and climb the bank following the faint animal trail; there is another hand dug oil well to your left as you climb the trail. This leads to a ridge; drop straight down the steep slope, across the short valley floor (across a fun little ravine) and straight up the other side.

This climb leads to a crest before a steep-sided valley. From this vantage point you can see the Caspian Sea and the town of Lokbatan below and to your left. The ridge you are on and the ridge at the far side of the steep-sided valley join together a few hundred yards to the right. Follow the trail that leads there then drop down on to the far ridge. You are about to enter Spaghetti Road; be prepared to enjoy yourself. It is made up of hundreds of braided dirt channels divided by tufty grass. Follow any of them, apart from those on the extreme left as they tend to lead towards the sheer drop.

Follow Spaghetti Road as far as you can; after a while it bears right and you drop off the ridge. There is a small derelict concrete and metal structure – pass to the right of this. The trail leads through a bank then appears to turn left onto another bank/slope. Go through the first bank and ignore the second, going past it. The trial is then on flat, open ground and turns left and parallels the mini ridge you just passed. After a couple of hundred yards turn left off the trail and head back towards the ridge you just ignored. From the top of the ridge, look to your right. There is a ‘saddle’ that leads off the hill. Head for and enter this saddle. If you are in the right area, you will soon be riding across a slope and then into more open country. Continue straight down the hill until you come to a narrow, rocky dip. The ridge you should be on has no oil wells but the one to the right has a few. The ridge to the left is a long way away. Cross the rocky dip and continue straight along the ridge, keeping to the high ground. The trail gets broken and confusing here with few landmarks but generally bare left and any route will work. After a while there is a small metal post and two concrete posts. Pass to the right of the concrete posts and just to the left of the metal post to a drop off and mini-pipeline crossing.

Once onto flat ground, cycle out with the hills on your left and the railway line to your right (may not be visible). Continue until you meet a semi-permanent road – this is a JUNCTION with the route you would have taken if you stayed on the main trail at the WWII memorial instead of taking Paisley Bypass. Turn right, down the road and head for the railway crossing and the army guard post. The soldiers are used to cyclists so wave and say ‘Salam’ while ducking under the second barrier.

Cycle straight across the main road and onto the short section of road with the lake on the left and join the second main road, continuing in the direction you were heading. Follow this up and past the petrol station. You can follow this road all the way to the top or there is a dirt trail that starts on the left a few hundred yards after the petrol station. That takes you through Trash Can Alley and onto the Stonepay road.