Words & Photos by Pete
Crew : Dunc , PTD, Troll, Butty and Pete –
Pub : TJ
Route : RB , Middlewood, Clarke Lane , Oak Lane, Endon Lane , Lidgetts La , Back o’Kerridge (halfway) ….
Butty’s route to Rainow (past the little reservoir) , 3/4s of Oaken bank , Track past Savio House, Ingersley Vale, White Nancy , streets route to the Vale .
Conditions : Cold, dry and not quite frozen. A bit slippery on the back of Kerridge
Notes :
Not a bad turnout given that Alex is in the Eastern reaches of Europe and we had no El Presidente. His excellency is recuperating after a nasty case of spontaneous collapsed lung which meant he had to celebrate the new year in Macc Hospital.
He is now, thankfully, recovering at home.
The route was meant to be a re-run of last weeks route forged by Dunc & TJ, but with Butty and PTD in the crew there was no lack of creative spark in our route determination. Halfway along the Kerridge Bridleway Butty took the helm and led us into the Rainow dip via a particularly muddy track .
A brief tarmac climb and we were heading for Oakenbank ….where Dunc took over as “route-meister” and , on the second attempt, took us down a track which headed into Ingersley Vale.
then followed a “top gear style” challenge to the foot of White Nancy :
- PTD & Butty took the steps route (with bikes) whilst ….
- the rest of us went for the route grand direct …a near vertical slippy climb . Abandoning bikes part way up the RGD boys lost the moral advantage and the steps boys ..arriving with bikes…were the clear victors.
Austrian Apricot Schnapps was appreciated by some but not all…
Arriving at the Vale ……we had attained Nirvana.
Not too busy, excellent selection of beer, roaring fire. Five kindred spirits quaffed after a couple of hours messing about on the local trails.
I had reserved a table, distributed the menu and collected orders in via WhatsApp group. Pies all round. Delivered 10 minutes after our arrival just before 9pm
I expect a CBE in the new years honours list 😉
Our Beers :
Inception Pale Ale 3.8
Oat Milk Stout 5.0 ?
Eastern Promise 5.6
Moravka (that name always makes me think of the bride of Dracula?) in 4.4 and 5 editions
Whiskey for a select few …..
A good start to 2019 !!