Words by Alex, Photos by Butty and Pete
Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, Mr Inc, Stunt
Pub: Dunc
Route: RB, Hollin House, Lidgetts Lane, Kerridge Ridge Trig, White Nancy, Steps descent, Lower Kerridge, Rainow, Oakenbank, Poachers
Conditions: Very Mild, Very muddy, low cloud
Stats: 1 Chain (Butty), 1 Puncture (El Pres), One comedy off (Mr Inc)
Notes:
Butty declares a northern start (again!), then arrives in need of scrotal rearrangement due to bib tights “shrinking in the wash”!!
Fortunately he’s finished before we have to explain to the two dog walkers what he’s up to!!!
Much debate re conditions…warm but lots of water & mud on trails.
By the top of the climb up from the war memorial to the road some layers are shed!
Eerie glows in the distance beyond Croker hill have us wondering what is going on…
First trip up the ridge proper for a while, and we epically fail to get to the first gate (slippery conditions blamed!)
It’s quite hike a bike to the next rideable section, and the grass slope also beats us!
Over the next stile and finally the trig point as the cloud scuds around us.
Lots of broken spectres (some may have been staged).
Descent in poor vis and poor grip = interest, over the next stile and Butty’s chain gives way, he’s in two minds as to if it’s 10 or 11 speed, but seems to remember the right link in the end.
A straightforward track is also gripping (for the lack of it!) Kerridge is in challenging mood tonight!
Along by the wall an Owl watches us from a branch, and stays put for a close up 🙂
Superb views from White Nancy, and the low cloud (yet clear underneath) is causing amazing colours from the lights of Manchester Cranes, and the conurbations.
Even better its a pleasant temperature to admire them.
No one is rushing to start the descent, in the end we go left of the steps in a big zig zag, which gets us down in one piece.
There is perverse pleasure in the slippy conditions, so we opt to keep going and cut back along the lower kerridge path, plenty of concentration needed, and lots of slither through the gate at the junction with the Waulkmill wood slabs.
The section which has been stripped back to sub soil is actually the most rideable..but this just gives us a breather before the slope of doom!
More breather is had as El Pres discovers a puncture at the top, where we all help by watching! He’s never short of a tube though and is soon underway (not helped by the rancid stench of butty’s gloves!)
Mr Inc goes first and does some good sideways action (new rear tyre may be advisable), lots of drift but no disasters 🙂
Rainow folk seem to have gone for coloured lighting this year, very festive red ones on the two bushes opposite the church.
Oakenbank a rapid thrash with lots of grip (relatively speaking) although an occasional moment near the end at speed!
Bin bags are required for the seating at the poachers due to the evenings splatter.
Top pie slices and amazing chips (we even get a few leftovers from the kitchen due to our kind words).
Parrot ale is session strength, a chewy porter is also rated, Dunc arrives and a bottled beer and whisky axis of evil begins.
Some responsible elements depart early…and the rest stay late…
You don’t have to go big to have big fun!