Words & Photos by Pete, Badger drawing by Robert Gillmor
Crew: PTD, El Pres, Troll, TJ, Butty , Pete, Coley
Pub: Dunc & Kersh
Route : BL , New Buxton Rd , Tea Rooms, Half of Danebower, Full Chumby, Standing Stone, New BBQ site & off piste route down , Rezzies, Sutton Hall
Conditions : Beautiful clear day but cool right from the start of the ride . 4.8c at Midnight
Notes:
Lots of good factors were stacking up for a good ride….
Beautiful autumnal weather , but a pleasant cooling
A crew of (lucky) Seven riders , including Coley
PTD took the helm for route sorting – always a good sign .
It was chilly by the time we got to the Cat.
Half a Danebower, and then Paul led us carefully down Chumby from the top …i can’t really describe the exact route but it neatly avoids the chunky stuff above the waterfall.
The Clough itself started dry, got decidedly wet further down and appeared to be fairly chunky on the rocks front. Or am I getting a bit nesh ?
The valley road was definitely cold…cold air sinks. Up to standing stone where we could hear some bellowing stags behind us across the valley. Coley unfortunately had to leave us at this point.
As we headed towards the new camp site there were lots of hindes’ eyes glinting with our lights …no stags visible though. And we surprised a hare as well.
Off piste and a bit of a cheeky route through the woods next …then down around the rezzies and Sutton Hall it is….
Bangers & Mash gets many a vote, and washed down by pints of “Monster Mash” (…it was a graveyard smash) .
Dunc and Mr K arrive to herald the ribaldry zone
Three culprits had a moderate AOE, Butty being still ob “Stoptober” ..which is probably a good thing given what happened on the way home …..I will now switch to TJ’s account of the events …
“Badger lying in wait on the ginnel from the canal towards rainbow bridge. An area usually traveled through quickly and with some hazardous slippery wooden edging at the side of the path. The badger obviously fancied Butty’s bike (or Butty) but had underestimated the bulk of both. It all happened quickly, the Badger took a broadside and Butty’s wheel skidded to the side on the slippery wood, Butty down hard, bike on the ground and the Badger deciding he had better retreat, swiftly disappearing into the bushes, resembling mostly a large mobile humbug. Luckily, Butty was only lightly bruised, damage being a broken light bracket which was replaced en route at TJ’s (bike light emporium) in Poynton.”