Crew: El Pres, 3 Sheds, Troll, Stunt
Pub: Slim, Butty, Dunc, Nick
Route: RB, Clarke Lane, Oak Lane, Redway, under Nancy, Ingersley Vale, Poachers Snicket, Spuley Lane, Pott Shrigely, Bakestonedale road, Layby ascent to Sponds, loop back to Dale Top, Quarry descent, Birchencliffe, Shrigley lane, Sugar Lane, Vale
Conditions: Warm, Dry, nice breeze
A night where most had excuses (some pretty good Dunc!) for either not riding, or joining late. A select group mustered at AZ corner, El Pres sorts destination – which requires a 20:29 arrival at the vale for food.
With a Sponds target, and live tracking set on Whatsapp for the chasers, he opts to miss out the back of Kerridge start so it’s road all the way to Redway.
At Ingersley Vale we bump into Jane and the spaniels who confirms that Pete was prepping for riding. But phone checking seems to suggest he’s not following our track…
The breeze is welcome and prevent overheating on the climb up past the brickworks and the layby.
The dry weather has made both the ground dry, and the vegetation stunted – so perfect for finding the line, keeping traction, and minimising prickly encounters.
The big wall stile is a bit wobbly as the feet on one side have rotted away so they are now off the ground. As a lone buzzard lazily flaps overhead with regular keening cries, there is still no sight or sign of Pete.
Fast over the ground up to the corner, over the shonky gate, past the pile of white paper waste, and right onto the gritstone trail. Crows hopping around a “sleeping” sheep, looking up what appears to be an iceberg on the skyline is the huge mound of white gunk just short of the trig point gate (still with the annoying sign).
Murky views (still no Pete) and fast route 1 down and across the bumps and up to Dale Top, where we find that Pete is in the Robin Hood with the Nancy’s!!!! Traitorous behavior (or possibly just community outreach worker?)
No time to mutter, but time enough to do the rocky grippy descent, continue down birchencliffe (with some treacherous mud between the walls) and out to Sugar lane and the wonders of the Vale.
Wise word from Nick on the evenings conversation:
I forgot what interesting topics are covered in the post ride discussion, concrete foundations to dwarf tossing, GCSE’s to action man real grippy hands and buttys knob????
Enlightening as ever.
Proper TNR