Words by Alex, Photos by Pete & Butty
Crew: El Pres, Butty, Troll, Bern, Slim, Stunt
Pub: Adrian & Biscuit
Route: Backeddisbury Lane at the start of the offroad zag, windyways, walkerbarn, tea rooms, cat, danebower hollow, cumberland clough and brook, standing stone, RHS singletrack, trails down to the visitor centre, ressies, sutton hall.
Conditions: Clear, sub zero, not much wind
Bern’s suggestion of a big train assisted ride is saved for warmer and lighter evenings, so instead we go big in the classic way!
A new RV is friendly for the Northern contingent, and allows some fine stargazing in a stunning clear moonless sky. Orion our winter friend is looking down on us, with plenty of other constellations visible, plus planes, satellites and a small shooting star (on cue for Pete!)
Not a night to hang about for very long though, and Bern arrives with on board warming supplies for later.
Tis a long ride to the Cat, especially for those who have been off the bike for a while, but an almost windless evening helps, and we are ghosted by a big barn own on the long drag before the wiggles to the tea room.
Ground is frozen and although there are iced over puddles it makes for good riding, the top of Danebower at the gate is not the place to stop though as there is always a wind up high, and its seriously parky!
No pause at the end either, and straight onto Chumby, with the cold having given Chris and Alex saggy seatpost syndrome – the cable operated seatposts succumb to some kind of issue in the cold where the hydraulics go up and down, but won’t lock!
Chumby is chunky as ever, and at the gate by the waterfall Bern warms us with some rather fine mulled wine.
A bit of nervousness about what icy fate we will face on the brook section, but in the end the stream is flowing and the sides are merely frosty (phew)
Butty is out of glove combos by the time we get to wildboarclough, and it’s one of those rare evenings where the climb to standing stone is a chance to warm up after the chill of the valley floor.
Stunt toasts what has been a fine route with some Laphroaig, Bern snaps the rising moon, and we opt for the RHS singletrack.
Under the trees it is just above zero, but the conditions are suprising excellent! Time to follow the tracks right and left down to the ressies and head for the warmth of Sutton Hall.
Quite busy it is – a thirst for a return to normality is in the air is seems.
After tales of overcustarding last week, the second course brigade chance tactics and opt for starters, deep fried whitebait and haloumi fries accompany the ales – including the weirdly named pint of Pint!
By the time the ribaldry kicks in, we are the only table left, and it is surely a night for a snifter before venturing outside again. More iodine scented lovliness from the Isaly distillery is imbibed, then all available layers donned!
Adrian leaves without his rucksack and glasses (hopefully not his driving ones!) but we spot it and he returns to be reunited within minutes.
Cracking winter classic night!