Words by Alex, Photos by Pete (with the first being from Sunday night)
Crew: El Pres, TJ, Bern, Coley, Troll, Stunt
Campfire: Slim, Croxy, Doog, Dunc
Route: BL, Zig Zags, Chazza, Narnia, Hardingland, Smithy, Witches Cottage, Chazza, Campfire
Conditions: Mild & Dry, cold later.
Notes:
Various wanderers returneth this week, and an impromptu call for a campfire night is well received, even the weather co-operates.
The extra packing of things means we are a bit delayed starting out from BL (and Slim becomes a “see you later” rider).
We meet the lovely Chelsea and her crew on the road to the Zig, and we temporarily join the hunt for Bella (a young dog who has run off at the sound of fireworks) – we do our bit..but no sign..
For November it’s not cold, and almost no wind = warm climbing up hill….or maybe it’s all the extra’s we are carrying? Stunt has dry logs (we you wouldn’t want a wet log in your bag!!)
Catching our breath at the start of Charity, the views are great.
Chazza is rocky & dry, Narnia is still quite muddy but not too slippy, Hardingland fast…but the final uphill after the stream still defeats us all.
Impressive scaffolding constructions at the lower Langley ressie…and a supersonic cat who was not expecting us to come round the corner!!
Democracy (de moan cracy??) nudges us to the smithy drag (as opposed to the white rabbit), we pass freshly felled and prepped big xmas trees all marked up for various town/village delivery.
Coley stays with us to Witches cottage before heading down to do Hardingland a second time. We crawl upwards to the rendevous..collect the Salad Dodger waiting for us with Camera, and head to the spot which takes more finding than usual!?
Someone has been organising it…some very big logs to sit on, and even BBQ grills carefully stashed in trees!
Deer retreat but watch us for quite some time, dry kindling & logs deployed, fire started and tended (scavenged wood all rather damp), extra clothes donned, and beer party set off to meet Tom (they arrive back eventually!)
Croxy arrives en Vespa, Doog via car, and later Dunc on bike.
Personal catering strategies vary widely…sensible hot soups, sausages to be warmed over the fire, the mandatory pork pies and sausage rolls with mustard, sarnies….and pasta salad!?
Beer talk flows with the Punk IPA, many a topic addressed and worlds put to rights, steam let off, and whisky’s (and coffee) shared.
Time to go eventually, our latest campfire of the year…but more winter ones would be good!
