Words and Photos by Pete.
Crew : Butty, TJ, 3 sheds, El pres, Troll and Slim
Pub : Dunc. After a big circuit of the hill on his Sabbath Cycles road bike .
Route : RB, Middlewood, West gate , Full length of Lyme Park, inc Red Lane and Green Lane , East gate , Bowstones, Sponds, Brickworks, Poachers Snicket , The Vale
Conditions : Warm and dry
Stats : 1 shag (Fnarr Fnarr)
Notes :
Three magic ingredients to this ride …..
– Appointing Butty as Operations Lead
– the dry and warm Weather
– Butty’s knowledge of Lyme Park
The world and his wife seemed to be out and about on the Middlewood Way..as the boys set a cracking pace to the West gate.
Our objective was a mini reservoir on the far side of the park, and a spot of birding. En route we get great views to the shadowy towers of Manchester City Centre, and to the east Kinder Plateau and Kinder downfall.
Was it a sh@g, was it a cormorant ? Not really sure but it was an entertaining route.
After our spot of birding, Butty took us to the east exit via Red and Green Lanes. We happened upon what ostensibly appeared to be a sports gear photo shoot in excellent evening light, with an attractive and youthful couple doing the modelling.
Some of the crew even suggested that it may have been a different type of photo shoot all together …wink wink, nudge nudge.
The promise of a tipple sped us onward to Bowstones and a wonderfully dusty dry Gritstone Trail. What a pleasant contrast to last weeks mud and murk in the very same spot.
Butty and TJ supplied the drams at the Trig Point , we are much obliged.
A quick tweak to the pressures of my trusty Hans Dampf and my (Cotic) Soul was a more agreeable steed on the descent to Pott Shrigley
Fine piedom and good ale awaited us in the Vale.
Dunc’s arrival brought another TNR certainty …the ribaldry zone. A magical mix of endorphins, beer and northern sense of humour.