Crew: El Pres, PTD, Slim, Butty, TJ, Bern, Dr S, G, Troll, 3 Sheds, Lee, Slim
Pub: Dunc, Adrian
Route: MC, zig zags, charity, extension, standing stone, nessit, ressies, Leathers, Sutton Hall
Conditions: Mild, windy, muddy in places
It all began so well, a target of Cumberland Brook from Danebower , aka “the middle entrance”, a fine bunch of fellows, G actually arriving (and on an acoustic bike)!!
..and then some delay with start of ride faff from the Troll with a puncture out of the van,
…the lack of answer from the Leathers to ring in a food order
…the non phone friendly online booking for plan B at Sutton Hall (watch out for invisible spaces on the end of email addresses!)
…the increasingly gusty wind
and at the top of the Zag we don’t have time to get the route plan executed, Dr S has his car in what is now the wrong car park (and the risk of being locked in), and a general acceptance that a furtle round the forest is acceptable.
So with good company, a fair wind and a new plan we split into a 10 and a duo, with PTD and Dr S heading down Saddlers way on a rescue mission to reposition the motor, and the rest of us heading up to Charity.
Chazza changes with the years and the seasons, and tonight it was in a rare in-between state, damp enough for all but the biggest rocks to be held by the soil, dry enough that the mud is thin – but actually very slippy.
Made for a technical descent when at speed!
We all survive and follow up (down) with the extension.
Writing off thoughts of the summer “New favourite” RHS from standing stone, we head on to Nessit, with the singletrack from the bench by Shutlingsloe gate to the S bends getting a well needed traverse (or not in the case of 3 sheds who lost it half way along and went off piste).
More general slackness, admiring of the view, and the suggestion of using the remaining time for a cheeky half in the Leathers before heading to the food stop at Sutton Hall.
Motion carried, the normal descent leads us down through carpets of pine needles and to the welcoming embrace of John’s real ale taps. Warm enough to stand outside for those that wanted to, and the cheeky half (or two) went down nicely.
Discipline suprisingly reasserted itself and we managed to keep it to a single beer order, and be at Sutton Hall on time.
Hobgoblin, a shining, and a tart stout tickled various tastebuds, Bern enjoyed playing havoc with the food and drink deliveries, puppy dog tales, and the usual venting of lifes frustrations (in a non PC and amusing manner), and some floating of ideas for trips and adventures next year.
TJ gets the whisky in, and Bowmore 15 (at a specially negotiated price) was so good, that the AoE had a second.
Did a couple of folk miscount their beer tally? for truth and reconciliation report to the President!
In other news from earlier in the ride – the my ebike is better than your ebike because ….had now begun!