Crew: El Pres, PTD, Butty, TJ, Dunc, Slim, Stunt
Route: Bolly Maze, Tinkers Clough, Endon House climb, push up the steps, Kerridge Ridge back towards Lidgetts lane, back of Kerridge to Waulkmill Wood, Poachers Snicket, Pott Shrigley, Bakestonedale road, Moorside lane to the end, up the grassy ascent to Dale Top, down the grassy singletrack by the wall, Birchencliffe, Long Lane, Green Lane, Beeston Mount, Poachers.
Conditions: Overcast , warm and muggy.
Despite doomladen forecasts of rain all evening, the skies are lighter with bits of brightness as we assemble at the Bolly Maze (or the temple of dogsh*t according to Pete).
No route plan has been concocted in advance, what emerges from a team discussion is a desire to do some routes closer to home that we haven’t done in a while. We start with Tinkers Clough and a choice of routes down – the LHS of the steps is simplest and apart from an early slippy pipe is not especially challenging, Butty heads off Right and finds it a bit trickier! The other side is greasy from recent rain, so pushing is needed.
Crossing the tranquility of the canal, we say hi to various dog walkers and some dad and young son riders as the stony track cuts between fields of plump ewes and the odd horse. A quick whizz down the road to the war memorial turn enables us to see the full range of 7 old merc C class’s that the farmer has gently rotting away.
We challenge the E ers to get up the steps – and they don’t even make the first one! (it is quite big to be fair) . Hot from the pushing TJ strips down to a single layer to cries of Putin! we admire the bulk of the A380 as it comes over, and gasp at the girth of some of the sheep poo we have to avoid on the ridge trail.
Gate helpers need to watch out for shitty tyres to the face when assisting fellows carrying bikes through the kissing gates!
Fine views from the trig, and a fine dry rocky descent to the end of the ridge (or is it the start?)
A quick 180 and back along the lower path all the way to Waulkmill wood, admiring the endeavour of the guy at the bottom who has been cutting up huge chunks of the big fallen tree.
We provide apparently useful distraction (to not be distracted) to the puppy training class all walking their hounds at the end of Ingersley vale, then cut up through the snicket, past the poachers and across to Pott Shrigley.
We’re not going to go all the way up Bakestonedale road to the gritstone, but instead cut in along Moorside lane to the Lyme Park Moor wall, then turn right up the grassy slope to Dale Top.
An impromptu acoustic bike climb challenge ensures – none get all the way up without at least one little bit of pushing, but Stunt gets furthest, and then completes the rest on two wheels.
With the red lights of the Manchester construction burning bright against dark skies, TJ proffers some Laphroig in celebration of a recent Birthday. #epicfail on cups, so ingenious improvisation finds the top of water bottles upside down and even the body of a head torch can work rather well! (the torch even worked afterwards!)
Time is a ticking, route 1 down alongside the wall – is narrow, and very wet with dew, so just as technical in it’s own way as the more usual quarry descent.
Birchencliffe is not as wet as it could have been, but still a good water splash, then lanes all the way back into Bollingtonia, sheeps eyes glinting green in our lights.
A busy Poachers, but we are well looked after by Sarah and the team, it’s been warm enough for some Dortmunder lagers to quench the thirst of some, and we have the full spectrum with pale ales, and american brown ale, and a fudgy stout!.
It’s been an evening to savour the turning of the seasons, and a bivvy night soon?
The AoE do a Leff Whisky combo, and it’s still a dry run home!