Words by Alex , Photos by Pete
Crew: Stunt Santa, El Pres, PTD, Troll, Bern, Dunc, Slim, Butty, Dr S, Doog, Lee, G
Pub: Mawds, Big Nic, 3 Sheds, Coley
Route: Muller Corner, Zig, Teggs Cocktail Bench, Langley, Halfway up the White Rabbit ascent, Singletrack back to Bob Bench, Smithy.
Conditions: Clear, Sub Zero, some old snow about.
Notes:
The annual winter gathering of the clan assembled on a very cold night, under clear starry skies, with sightings of shooting stars to the south reported by Doog.
Stunt Santa arrived with twinkly lit bike to check who was on the naughty list! Butty with onboard temperature tech claimed a -10 on the way here! Colder lower down than higher up apparently.
A quick check of who we are expecting, then off over crunchy snow up the Zig with ice crystals sparking from all surfaces. With ice a potential worry, the Zag is missed out and we head up the main track to Teggs, which turns out to be either dry or snowy, just a couple of patches of sheet ice mainly at the gates.
The cocktail bar is soon open!
Pigs in blankets snackage
PTD’s Blue one…Rum, blue curacao, mango Juice and peach snapps (fruity)
then Trolls Hot buttered rum.
With more drinks on offer, it seems sensible to pause here, do the Teggs decent, and reconvene at Bobs Bench.
Again just need to watch out as you go through the gate, then its all dry or crunchy snow.
All safely down to the car park, a traverse across the Langley reservoir dam (and a little dog who was a bit freaked out by Santa on a bike), then up to the Leathers (and a quick chat with John re ETA).
The optimists were opting for a Dans Bench stop, the pessimists straight to Bobs. A compromise was to go halfway up, cut into the singletrack trails, and arrive at Bobs having done more than a token ride.
We all went up, but there were many and varied ways to Bobs – all good 🙂
Fresh refreshments:
Homemade manchego and tomato biscuits from the Troll.
Mulled wine with secret ingredient of sloe gin from Bern
Whisky mac with benedictine from PTD
Jaqui’s famous mince pies
and the PTD “Backup” cocktail a somewhat cloudy concotion, Brandy, cointreau and cider. It looked and sounded “off” but was actually rather good!
Time to head back round the ressie and to the Smithy!
We have the place to ourselves (maybe no bad thing) and welcome our pub only team.
Excellent food, flowing ales, crackers with plenty of charades and fun facts, much mirth and mockery. John even runs an impromptu Aled Jones competition – won by the Troll (who’s Bee Gees number in the TNR band is good practice!)
Good old fashioned bill splitting accounting required to assure the establishment that the total was exceeding the required number, Ruth arrives and provides whisky’s, and probably the coldest ride home in a very long time!!!
Santa has put El Pud on the naughty list for missing the event with a poor excuse.