Words by Alex, Photos by Pete
Crew: PTD, El Pres, Croxy, G, TJ, Mr Inc, Slim, Bern, Stunt
Pub: Adrian, Dunc, El Pud
“A” Route: BL, New Road, Tea rooms, Cat, Danebower, RH turn down to Chumby, back up Chumby to the road, Quarries, 3 Shires, Cut thorn, north shore track into Wildboarclough, Standing Stone, RHS of forest, LHS forest, ressies, 5 Clouds.
“B” Route: BL, New Road, Tea rooms, Cat, Danebower hollow, Chumby, Standing stone, Nessit Hill, trails to the ressies, Sutton Hall, 5 Clouds.
Conditions: Sunny, Warm, Dry!
Notes:
A big crew…Croxy friendly weather, G & TJ between adventures, usual crew all available.
The puss bank school disco collection means we meet a swans pool to avoid being an obstruction..however getting out through the traffic to Buxton Road was probably not welcomed by all the drivers!
A fine evening for PTD’s big route plan..with some scepticism on whether it is possible in the time available, its a fine evening so we head out anyway and take a view on options at the Cat.
No wind to speak of, great views, and suprisingly few motorbikers make it a pleasant ride to the Tea rooms (Bern doing his usual “catch me if you can” big blast)
A & B ride cunning plan hatched…PTD will take one team on his mega route, whilst Stunt will take the rest on a more classic route, and together with menu choices get the food order in.
Croxy has brought bubbles and charcuterie to celebrate a birthday, which we have at the parting of the ways on Danebower (not often you can stop here for refreshment without being blast chilled!)
It shows what a fine evening it is that we are still in short sleeve order at this point (although one more layer is donned!)
The teams blast off, and are re-united fifteen minutes later as team B come down Chumby as team A climb up.
Croxy promptly has a puncture faff to sort before team B carry on to the waterfall (a mere trickle) then down Cumberland Brook (mildly damp) and down to the ford.
A large group of red deer happily enjoying the evening sunshine on the fields opposite the standing stone lane. We do the same at Dan’s bench, with flotilla sailing reminicences. Comms to Sutton Hall fail due to lack of pick up their end.
Fast and fun down dusty dry trails into a wall of flies at the bottom of the Reservoir and all through Langley!
We arrive at Sutton Hall to find Adrian at the bar…BUT THE KITCHENS CLOSED!!! and a distinct lack of flexibility..poor show!
Plan B is Five Clouds and Pizza, tables are secured in the dog friendly bar, as Team A arrived having delivered the big route in good time. In addition to PTD’s painful crotch collision en route, we now discover we have missed the pizza cutoff!! ..we begin to eye the homemade dog biscuits as a possible option..before our very own culinary genius negotiates Thai from next door to save the day!
Dunc and El Pud arrive to swell the numbers, and despite no tab, we manage to work out who owes what to whom without fisticuffs 😉
All’s well that ends well, and its a very pleasant spot, with rather good beer, and the Thai buffet is excellent!
We also have the newly opened Beer Dock two doors down to sample in due course.
Ride home either shorter or longer than usual (depending on your point of view) but not cold. Some tired legs in the morning one suspects!
…there is new bench just below the Shutlinsloe gate, which has “You don’t know how far you can go unless you try” carved in the back board, seemed appropriate for PTD’s big route plan 😉