Words by Alex, Pics by Pete
Crew: PTD, El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, Troll, Stunt
Route: BL, Zig Zags, Charity, Snicketry into Narnia, Narnia to Witches cottage, Repeat, Hardingland, Lower Teggs, Sutton Hall.
Conditions: Warm, Breezy, Heavy Showers, Muddy
Stats: One off (PTD)
Notes:
One of those nights where you ride despite the weather forecasts, and it turns out brilliant!
Route decided by the fact it was silly to go high in this wind, and that PTD & Barry had scouted some new “Snicketry” whilst on their self built e-bikes (a whole other story).
Even as Pete arrives we are wondering how long it will be before we get wet, Stunt predicts 80% dry…and he’s not wrong..it’s just that every 20 minutes or so it pi**es down really hard! Being very warm an outer waterproof is still needed but maybe not zipped up.
Cracking views of sun & clouds & downpours, buzzards & mobbing crows (rooks?) very clear too.
Progress up to Windyways at times slow as we linger under trees when the heaviest rain hits.
Chapeau to a young lad who (to great encouragement from Dad) has done the climb from Leathers to the start of Chazza, we leave them to have a breather before carrying on.
Into the normal snicket, but what’s this turn left at the first clearing!? ahah – PTD shows us swoopy “bombhole” strewn trail, much fun, although a few too many refusals for his liking!
At Narnia Butty suggest we do it again, and after some thought we do! Although we go back the “hard” way by doing Narnia (the shrubbery is getting closer to the final gravelly bit all the time) and has drawn blood from a steely eyed Stunt!
Take two, and this time PTD goes into full on coaching mode with demos of how to position when approaching the rim (inuendo strewn banter ensues) 🙂
Despite the rowdiness of his class, it has had some effect as far fewer refusals this time, and more bombholing on the final one with new lines created.
Time marches on, and thoughts of exploring “south of Narnia” are shelved for another week, and a second Narnia descent followed (in heavy rain) down Hardingland to Rainbows and smiles!
We arrive to cheers at the Sutton Hall garden muddy, wet and happy!
Some decontamination is needed before we can even show our faces at the bar 🙂
A fine selection of Ales, with Lemon Dream and the intriguingly smoky Little Bollington for most, with Butty and Pete waxing lyrical about the Hoegaarden!
Conversation flowed freely, and not all politics on an interesting night of electoral history. Troll does pudding and coffee so he can stay to watch the election night fun on the tellybox.
Highland park and rinsing of muddy kit for the rest of us.
Will the weather be conducive to solstic’y bbq’s in the next week or two…?