Words by Alex, Photos by Butty & Pete
Crew: El Pres, TJ, Butty, Troll, Slim, 3 Sheds, Bern, Stunt
Route: Rainbow Bridge, Across canal to Clarke Lane, Redway Bridleway below White Nancy, Ingersley Vale, Poachers Snicket, Pott Shrigley, Bakestonedale road to the Brickworks, Moorside Lane track, “2 ladies” decent, push up to the cottage, round the “Great wall of China” and into Knightlow woods, up the Bowstones ascent, then left along the moor and down into Lantern Woods, out along the bottom of the moor, back to Moorside lane, Chapel descent, Road back from West Park gate to Poachers.
Conditions: Sunny, dry & warm
Notes:
Time for a Northern night, and a Rainbow Bridge RV. Dunky warns us of the Dalek – and there were at least 2! a passing jogger sets one off and it speaks in a broad Ulster accent (to much amusement!)…the control room may have been equally amused at our attempts to get it to go again (if they were watching!)
After last weeks solo TNR, back to BAU with bonus riders of 3 Sheds and Bern. While we wait for the Troll to arrive TJ does some rear mech adjustment.
A no prisoners pace is set once we get going to get us to the moor on schedule, and luckily we are warned of the closed gate at the bottom of the White Nancy descent to Ingersley Vale ….or brakes would have been severely tested!
Huge buzzard flying low to our right heading to Pott Shrigley (or was it the “close and far away” effect Ted?)
Butty and El Pres take charge of the actual route around the moor, with the original Chapel descent being swapped for the “2 ladies” one instead. Dry grass = fast and grippy (despite the lack of enthusiasm for the surface by 3 sheds).
A selection of gates and big laddered stiles, as we wend our way round to the big climb of the evening. Bern grumbles as he spins out at the critical bit in the middle meaning its not a clean run, and from the top moody lighting over Manchester and the plains.
Time is a getting bit tight for the Lantern Wood route, but this is solved by ringing the Poachers and pre ordering for 9:30 !
Butty leads us down bumpy grassy swoopiness, over yet another big stile, then good old fashioned singletrack under the trees. We do flash by the Lantern itself before exiting onto the moor again.
Double track down with the Butty bell helping move the hairy cattle to one side. Deer visible in the distance on the high moor. More track back to the Moorside lane stile (we are glad that’s the last bike shouldering of the night!)
There is still time for the Chapel descent after all 🙂 and then there is “no race at all” back to the pub (El Pres won!)
Bern has us sitting outside for the first beer…summer 🙂
Back inside pie or gammon as both excellent choices, Citra ale, and then a demob happy Butty (holiday soon) leads a willing A of E to Leffe, Kwak and then Whisky! In the midst of this the sensible Bern has arrived home but can’t find his keys, so rings the pub..we search but to no avail..luckily Bern finds them closer to home!
Pete very happy with the bolly finish, but without Dunky either, the Tythy ride home was a bit lonely.
No drunks needing assistance reported on the various ways home.