Crew: PTD, Butty, TJ, Bern, Stunt
Pub: Chris, Dunc, Nic, EL PUD!!!
Route: BL, Cat, Danebower Hollow, Cumberland Clough/Brook, Standing Stone, Towards Nessit, but down the KM descent before the S bends, usual tracks and trails down and around the resevoir, Sutton Hall.
Conditions: Dry, sub zero and light snow higher up, bitter east wind.
Notes:
A night where many layers and a good attitude would be required…
Rather small posse assembled at BL, with El Pres “held back” at work…multiple interpretations!!
How frozen will the ground be?? time to head up to the Cat and decide.
Big events Bern (aka Tough of the Track) is having none of this “its cold” nonsense, and shoots off uphill never to be caught.
TJ having returned from colder climes (but having swapped bike fitness for ski fitness) takes a more sedately pace.
Others chat in the middle…intreguing diy ebike devilry being hatched by PTD..which makes for a good long conversation 🙂
But even the heat of a contraversial topic can’t keep the East wind at bay, and its a cold cold ride to the Tearooms, by which time Bern is re-evaluating the wisdom of such early vigour!
Lots of extra clothing is being donned, including Stunt’s disco trousers 🙂
Time for some crisp snowy climbing up and over from the Tea rooms to the Cat, then crunchy crackly across danebower on frozen puddles, ruts and stones. Into the wind, faces are seriously numb by the shelter of the little quarry at the end.
Not a night for dawdling, straight on to chumby, where sheep hooves have churned the edges of the track (and then frozen) and the middle is loose rock..now frozen in place! No easy options, its bumpy and tricky everywhere!
At the gate after the watersplash it’s too risky to stop (frozen drivetrains anyone), although we do dig out some cereal bar to keep Bern and TJ going.
Chumby running wet, and icy on the sides, with what seems to be only big rocks left!!!
Slightly traumatised we all make it down (eventually), but at least we are now below the ice line 🙂
PTD now offers a winter tipple for us at the top of standing stone (sub five rule invoked), it’s the motivation we need, and soon enough we are huddled around glasses of dark liquid, appropriately titled “corpse reviver” a hard blend of Spanish Brandy, Cointreau and No43 Â (a Spanish Grenadine type ingredient). It might look like liquid sh*t but it’s smooth, it warming, it’s not half bad (well from the King of Coctails should we expect anything less!?)
El Pres having started late, finds us (embarassingly after the last of the liquor having been served), the dregs are offered (which he gratefully accepts)
Suitably refreshed we opt to take the fire roads down, rather than hit any ice on the road.
Two pairs of runners have passed us (nice to know we aren’t the only mad people out in the forest)
The total white reflective tops of the lead pair make it look like we are chasing headless ghosts!
Paul despite complaining of a sore shoulder earlier..is now in full challenge mode with Butty…they race shoulder to shoulder down to the Smithy….but no-one can beat El Pres to the pub 🙂
The January blues seem to have lifted..its quite busy at the Hall, Steak Sandwiches (Full Steak for Bern!) are in order, Coare the pint of choice.
..and it’t not the beer talking….but EL PUD graces us with his presence!!!
Dunc and Nic make it for the last half hour too.
Highland Park to fortify the journey home…