Words by Alex, Photos by John
Crew: El Pres, Croxy, Dunc, Troll, Stunt
Pub: Butty
Route:
Rainbow bridge, Clarke Lane, Endon House climb, Lidgetts Lane, Back of Kerridge, slope of doom, Rainow, Oakenbank, Pott Shrigley, Styperson Woods, snicket of doom, Sugar Lane, Canal, Bridge by Tinkers Clough, Oak Lane, Redway Lane, “Under Nancy”, Ingersley vale, snicket, Poachers.
Conditions: Mild, breezy, drizzle post pub.
Notes:
Croxy alerts us to the fact it will be Burn’s night this TNR, with various Burn’s night suppers being advertised by some of our hostelries- but they either start too early, or are too expensive. Troll suggests some al fresco eating of snackage inspired by the occasion, and this sounds even better!
However the weather forecasts suggest that we do finish the evening indoors, and a Poachers finish is the inevitable conclusion.
Dunc polls for attendance, and a small crew assemble at RB to work out the rest! Croxy even on his acoustic full suss – and E-C*#t free evening!
Tis a windy night (if extremely mild) so going high is not going to be fun, Croxy suggests a route and no one has a better plan so off and over the Canal we go.
Conversation is kicked off by said pensioner who has a petrol driven RC model aeroplane that he built some years ago, and now with some time to play he enquired about flying it at the strip in the field we are riding past – £200 to join they said (insurance it seems), Croxy is not yet tempted…or it is the fear of crashing it?? Sub topic – when is a model RC not a drone? there is a difference apparently!
Talking of the skies – there is a wonderful full moon – enhanced by scudding clouds passing it by – we will admire it all evening.
De layer faffing at the top of the Endon house climb due to overheating!
Back of Kerridge is not that muddy – the slope of doom is not that treacherous, but the soft bit after the stream at the bottom is very soft sticky mud…which then comes off tyres in flying lumps on the road descent into Rainow!
Oakenbank is running fast – but the lower section is still muddy for from tractor activity, which makes hitting it at speed a little sketchy.
Road all the way to Styperson, where we find some handy rocks just short of the bombhole to keep out of the wind, and set out the treats…
Troll has baked haggis with firecracker sauce sausage rolls, Croxy has brought Jura – aged in pale ale casks (wtf marketing bollocks). Both are extremely moorish, and pair well together. Being a smallish crew we get three rolls each, and somehow we manage to imbibe over half the bottle to boot!
The forecast rain has not yet made an appearance, and we have time on our side, so Croxy extends the loop (to burn off some of the alcohol) by dropping onto the Canal off Sugar lane, and heading back Kerridge way to pick up Oak lane.
This means we will get a steep little climb up Nancy Lane, some nice views of Bollingtonia by moonlight, and take the Poachers from the rear up the mucky snicket.
Our usual table reserved in Pete’s name, speaking of whom he messaged earlier picturing lunch in the Alps with a 5 Litre bottle of Rioja!
Dunc shares news of Big Nic – well on the mend after a bit of internal rejointing needed from an op he had in his 20’s.
Thornton initiates purile humour from afar, progress on the Troll house must have reached roofiness as he’s talking solar panels, geekery extends to methane purifiers on septic tanks, and thence to electric cars, with a bit of divertion to True Detective (Jodie foster starring in season 4 at the moment).
Butty arrives with tales of treatment, and suitably gross humour.
All of the banter and food is washed down with Citra, Desert Storm and eventually pudding beer, and speaking of puddings El Pres goes apple pie dessert!
No AoE (well we did do some decent whisky imbiming beforehand), it is raining on the way home, but just light drizzle blown by the gusty winds.
It feels good to have done January (from a TNR perspective), the light is staying noticeably longer in the afternoons, and next week is Feb!
Pete you were missed – and you have competition in the photographer stakes from Croxy!