Words by Alex, Pics by Pete
Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, Bern, Troll, Stunt…and eventually Coley
Pub: PTD, Dunc
Route: BL, Black road, Blakelow road, Zig Zags, Walker Barn, Charity, Extension, Standing Stone, Shutlingsloe Steps, Back of the Moon, Nessit Hill, Middle track, Ressies, Sutton Hall.
Conditions: Sub 5, still, misty later, very muddy
Stats: Offs 1 Pete
Notes:
Second ride of the year…and a small Eric friendly crew :-), food pre ordered at Sutton Hall to ensure we don’t fall foul of early kitchen closing in Jan.
Library Photo
Butty mysteriously messages to say he is coming on unconventional bike…sadly no clown bike, but the ever dependable Fargo adventure bike (all the rest being currently out of action)
No choice but to take him down charity then!
Route to be decided when we know if the hill fog is bad or not.
Initially we swing by Coleys as we are ready to go on time, and he’s not here..but no sign so we carry on, already warm before the start of the steep stuff!
Puddles and mud not too bad on the zig, and the zag also not too greasy. A few layers unzipped as it’s not as cold as we feared.
Chatting and catching up mostly done by the time we regroup at the start of Charity…as we see bobbing lights approaching up hacked way lane. Turns out to be 3 walkers, gently running with a dog. We set off so as not to be in their way…only for them to overtake most of us and share the trail to the top.
Library Photo
Downhill we gain a lead…despite there still being big ice patches in places…only for some of our number to stop and adjust tyre pressures and they (now having gained more followers) to be hard on our heels!
El pres correctly anticipates that they will ascend forest chapel, while we do the extension.
At standing stone we are doing really well on time, so we decide to do the shutlingsloe steps, and loop back on back of the moon.
Finally clear of walkers group 1…we meet another crowd (with different dog) coming back down from Shutlingsloe as we are pushing up the final steep bits (legs getting a bit tired with all the climbing tonight!)
Must be some major new years resolutions causing all this traffic tonight!!
Pigford moor…shockingly muddy, cattle still up there churning up the soft ground, plus big tractor tracks! Unrideable in parts (even with big tyres)
Singletrack across the tops and down is greasy and slippy in extremis…much feathering of brakes, occasional sideways drifting, and the odd low speed off!
Funnily enough the rigid bikes are down first..showing that suspension doesn’t help in all conditions.
Walkers 2 passed again as we do the singletrack from the step to the S bends,
Mist coming down as we get to Dan’s bench where we have time, but not the supplies for a sub five winter warmer :-(.
El Pres salvages a discarded mudguard on the middle section, before the final blast round the ressies (more walker lights coming down from the rangers station), where we finally connect with Coley.
Mobberly 1924 the ale of choice, PTD arrives just before our food, and Dunc not long after.
Skiing talk, new bike talk, and general banter ensues.
Last orders arrives in a flash…definitely cold on the way home.