words by Alex, pics by Pete
Crew: El Pres, PTD, Butty, TJ, 3 Sheds, Troll, Slim, Bern, Stunt
Pub: El Pud
Route: Top’o’Bull Hill Lane, Tea Rooms, Shining Tor, Halfway along the Yorkshire Northshore, RH track down to Errwood Hall, Singletrack up past the Shrine, Pym’s Chair, Jenkin Chapel, Ewrin Lane, Blaze Hill, Poachers.
Conditions: Clear and cold, soft in places.
Notes:
This week we are presented with almost perfect conditions for going high, so those who wanted to scratch their Goyty itch last week, get to get it on tonight 😉
Meeting on the Bull Hill corner there is a beautiful vista to the west, with the last vestiges of the sunset giving an orange tinge on the horizon, then a full palette of blues from light to dark up to a cresent moon with two bright jewels hanging below of Jupiter and Venus.
On the road climb it’s all too easy to be mesmerised by the circling planes crossing orion in the stack before they glide across the ridgeline on their way to the airport.
At the tea rooms, it’s getting chilly under these clear skies, once regrouped (and with the ebikers back from a cheeky charity) it’s up to the top track, over the gates, and with extra layers applied the down and up to Shining Tor.
The trail is dry, but the peaty bits are very soft, although we must now be above the frostline, as the mud is stiffening as we climb on it’s way to frozen ground.
Butty takes the lead to find our exit from the lumpy bumpy slabs (no pinch flats) then gives us stern warnings of the dangers of Clefts and Water Bars on the doubletrack descent.
This turns out to be overblowing it somewhat, but it’s an excellent dry rocky descent which then opens out into some grassed over switchbacks. Well worth the climbing to get there.
Crossing the stream we opt for the singletrack over the road climb, although there is a lot of pushing from the acoustic team (and only one e**nt cleaned it) as in addition to the risk of pedal strike, there are slippy muddy bits to content with. It does however warm us up 🙂
It’s a sub 5 night, and PTD reward us at Pyms chair with a whisky cockail, by adding a hint of Absinthe, and some vanilla…Sweet and Smooth… we all take seconds!
The descent is a proper face freezer (Dunc – it was definitely a double buff night), then at the bottom leg muscles needed reminding that they needed to perform.
Lead rider got an up close Badger crossing on Ewrin lane just past the dead mans stone, and with tired legs and cold feet any thoughts of Smith Lane and Oakenbank are quashed with route one to the Pub needed.
Red Willow ales are good on the taste buds and light on the wallet, although some still decide to do the £7 cloudy pint! Warmed by the food, ribaldry is finally reached at 22:04.
Pete has already eased into the Leffe zone when a vision appears..El Pud makes an appearance, and takes the ribaldry to new depths.
Tactical coffee gets some stick, but a fine Laphroig for the AoE team before heading home with the odd fleck of snow in the wind.
Early indications suggest it was a munroe night.