Words by Alex, Pics by Pete & Butty
Crew: El Pres, PTD, Butty, TJ, Slim, Stunt
Route: BL, Hurdsfield Road, Well lane/Swanscoe Lane/Lidgetts Lane, back of Kerridge, Waulkmill Wood, snicket to poachers, Pott Shrigley, Bakestonedale road to the Gritstone Trail, Bowstones, Park Moor descent, double track to Moorside lane, grass climb to Dale Top, Quarries descent back to Moorside Lane, road to Poachers.
Conditions: Cool, mizzly yet clear, damp trails, stiff breeze higher up.
Notes:
Proper first dark from the off, leaves on the ground, damp in the air autumnal ride. While the rest of us debate what the right clothing choice will have been by the end of the ride (4 of 6 still showing exposed legs) ,El Pres chooses Bowstones as our destination and we make up how to get there on the go.
Hearty hello’s to/from Pete’s mates (Ricky et al) who are emerging from a house on Hurdsfield road, and we chat to the trio by the shonky gate at the start of Kerridge. They are heading Bolly way via Stypersons for some low level fun.
The fine mizzle that can’t quite decide if it’s rain (but plays havoc with glasses as soon as there are oncoming lights) has made it’s mark on the trails, wet roots, slithery mud..and the slabs are lethally slippy even in a straight line! not often you head off them for the relative safety of wet grass!
Parts of the back of Kerridge path have been widened by a digger which has scraped off the surface..looks suspiciously like hardcore could be coming next? but it would be an accessible path unconnected to a road/paved path??
Waulkmill wood covered in dry leaves for crunchy grip, snicket also able to stay dry, and its a good climb under the watchful gaze of an owl.
Some debate about going up via Blaze hill to reccy the quarry up there, but no one else fancies climbing that way. Into Pott Shrigley we go, and pass a deceased badger near the junction with the main road.
Long climb up seems to go quite quickly, perhaps the chatting, definitely helped by the tail wind, which as soon as we turn into the gritstone trail becomes apparent its freshened! Plenty of extra layers applied, those with covered legs feeling that they may have made the right call after all.
More trail improvements – the gritstone double track has had its ruts filled in and is now a smooth well packed surface most of the way to the 1975 stone..this one we approve of!
Descent to Bowstones faster than we remember and less puddly, Butty leads the way and scatters the odd clump of sheep who are resting on the trail.
Wind up another notch as we hike the bikes into Park Moor, waterproof layers now applied to full wind protection!
The odd deer silhouetted against the lights of the metropolis wanders away as our lights reach over for a better look.
Descent fun and fast, it feels a long time since we did that one 🙂
Butty has a new route out, which takes us slightly higher along a double track fork and eventually to just the one ladder stile over the final wall.
A debate about flatty pedals breaks out with folk falling into opposing camps – the Funn half and half fully recylable aluminium and steel vs the full flat “dolphin Killer” plastic ones. One side certainly took the moral high ground 🙂
Time being on our side there is time for another climb up to dale top, PTD has no eBike this time but acquits himself well, not everyone cleans it as some tired (or cold?) legs need a momentary push on the steepest bits.
Quarry descent worth the effort, then no dawdling and straight down to the Poachers.
Full pub shocker! lots of well behaved but rather loud chaps are taking up most of the space, luckily by the time we’ve ordered food (bonus with a Gammon special the perfect solution) and beer they head out to the next venue on their likely pub crawl. We settle at the far end, and welcome Adrian and Dunky in quick succession.
Wincle Waller goes down at pace, TJ loyally goes with the Poynton brew, and Butty orders a Nanny State to maintain his Stoptoberness, but is nearly undermined when the barman provides Punk IPA instead. Pete takes one for the team and drinks it instead :-). Dunky has not done so well with the Ron Hill run everyday challenge, after lergy picked up from the weekend scout camp, but 20 days in a row is still some achievement.
Some thoughts on trips for next year, some ribaldry from Adrian, a brief history of Poynton coal mining, and after the conscientious early leavers its soon time for a whisky or two in some rather lovely chunky glasses 🙂
Ahh the joys of chattering teeth post pub on the descent into bolly on the way home.