Words and Pics by Slim
Crew : Slim, Kersh, Dunc, 3sheds and Coley
Route: RB – Redway Tavern route – Waulkmill Wood – flagstones route to Rainow – Smith Lane – the Cheshire Corkscrew – Pymm’s chair ascent from Jenkin Chapel – Windgather /Taxal Edge – Kettleshulme – Bakestonedale Rd – Pott Shrigley – The Poachers
Conditions : warm & dry, slightly cloudy
Stats : one wonky tyre for Dunc
Notes :
With a hard core of the regulars off to Spain, those of us keeping the British End up celebrated the better weather by “Going Large”.
It was Dunc’s idea, as he volunteered to be our route planner and ops manager this week. It was to be a stark contrast to last week’s placebo of a ride .Even Mr K joined us this week.
After Waulkmill Wood descent Dunc led us over the paved path which spans the fields to Rainow. As the path reaches Rainow it skirts a house…where the residents and their curious pooch greeted us with smiles and good humour ..we had anticipated “gerroff my laaannd”.
The climb up Smith Lane is never easy. Our reward was the descent of a surprisingly rideable “Cheshire corkscrew ”
The slog up to Pym’s chair is…well just a slog. Your correspondent was reduced to “tacking” for a good proportion of the climb. I believe there may have been mutterings from Mr Ball
Once at the top it was noticeably cooler..so extra layers were donned and the “hooning” to Taxal commenced.
It was not long before our Ops Manager’s hooning was brought to an abrupt halt by a suddenly distorted rear tyre.
The steed was upended. The crew gathered around the patient for a diagnosis.
Fortunately Dunc remained sufficiently in control of proceedings to prevent a Kershaw Kill or Cure mending approach, and the vicinity was mercifully lacking any large rocks or bits of tree :-).
Science prevailed and we were soon hooning Taxalwards again.
All that hoon has to be paid for …The final slog up from Kettleshulme dip to Bakestonedale Rd was a grin-and-bear-it affair …but its always good to crest the top knowing its all down hill to The Poachers (more or less) .
Dunc had pre-ordered nosh from a mid-hoon halt (before the last walled section to Taxal) …this meant we could arrive at 9.30 and have huge platefuls of monster Chicken and chorizo pie plonked down in front us. God was definitely in his heaven.
Good to exit pub and it be still quite mild