Crew: PTD, El Pres, Stunt
Route: BL, Old Road, Teggs, Crooked Yard Road, Chazza, SS1, Narnia, Lower Chazza, Dentists Descent, Standing Stone, New spot trail, Kirsten Munt ascent, Nessit, singletracks, reservoir loop, Sutton Hall
Conditions: Clear & Dry with a chilly Easterly breeze.
Notes: 50% increase in crew this week!! So that will be a grand total of three 🙂
Its quality that counts though – and with a tricky wind and very dry trails its a perfect night for doing all the secret singletracks 🙂
Starting with Teggs we meet a very nice walker who wants to know where to get lights as good as ours! Less give in the hard ground makes for a bumpier descent than usual, but the right hand side snicket (free of argumentative natives this week) is very rideable (if your legs and technique are up to it!)
Opting for the road climb we are still generating enough heat to avoid the extra layer just yet. Cracking sky with the last of the sunset, a half moon, few clouds, and all the hues of light in the deepening dusk.
Layers on and full lights for the first foray onto the paths less travelled…to find it extremely well travelled, and waymarked for night time riders!! It looks a little different at night…and soon it’s because it is..and others have made a quasi downhill course. Backtracking we do find “our” track with a bit of dead reckoning trial and error, and enjoy the dry and firm track 🙂
Back on the Narnia track our lights catch the eyes of a couple of deer lower down.
Rocky and loose down to forest chapel, more backtracking to find the entrance to dentist descent – which is untouched, although some trees are down near the start (which is why it looked a little different). Fantastic conditions – just the odd diversion for downed twiggery here and there. Care needed for the odd damp rut as PTD has a sideways slide!
More uphill on the road to Standing stone, then a sober explore of the “new track” it’s all rideable if you know what is coming, more deer encountered lower down.
Time is on our side, so we can head up again, this time offroad, the KM ascent has had some drainage work done, widened and topped up with aggregate, seemed easier than we feared.
Stunning views from Dan’s bench, then a stunning encounter with a huge Stag just round the corner! PTD is level with him before we realise he is there!! He moves off a little then turns round, we decide to take the other path to the gate..
Perfect conditions for the sneaky tracks all the way down, and a new Wall jump on the downhill course means serious signs! (good 4 foot drop off!) PTD is excited – but needs a far burlier bike than the five.
The pub is calling, and with the last of our energy some impromptu racing to the Smithy. Bar is busy, and some ladies (who must be regular) happily inform us that they call us the Gynocologists..because we have bright lights..there is no real answer to that!
Kodiak Gold back on tap (beating the perfectly pleasant Thirst Quencher). Much debate between El Pres and PTD on food choice, they both plump for the quiche, but with differing sides, Garlic Bread & Skinny Chips. Stunt does his usual by being temped by new dishes before ordering the burger!
#firstworldproblems alert as out of Chiabatta they are, and would it be ok if they make the garlic bread from Focaccia instead!?
Tales of Finale Ligure…we need to go! Good catching up all round, and an excellent night, no stats recorded, although we reckon we’ve done some decent climbing (certainly the evil cramp that struck in the middle of the night would support that view!)