Crew: Slim, Butty, Dunc, Stunt
Pub: TJ, Adrian & Biscuit
Route: Rainbow bridge, Clarke Lane, Lord St, Poachers Snicket, Blaze Hill, Pike Road, Bank Lane (Cheshire Corkscrew), Jenkin Chapel, Pym Chair, Moor, Windgather, Taxal Edge, Kettleshulme, Bakestonedale Road, Spuley Lane, Poachers
Conditions: Mild, Dry, Muddy
Notes:
Dunc proposes a big ride out to Windgather and Taxal on a mild evening with little wind. Tis a good plan, although only four plucky riders arrive at the start point – and one of those has an alternative plan!
Butty’s bowstones entry into the outer woods of Lyme park will be saved for another night, we agree on plan A, and with no time to waste settle on a direct tarmac route to Pym’s chair.
Probably the last TNR of the year where we set off in the light, even if the sun has already set, and lights are on for the snicket as we pass the puppy training class outside Woofingtons.
Locks are dropped at the Savio gates to reduce the load, and the uppiness begins.
Three small horned black sheep peer over a fence from above on the lower section of Blaze hill, before the light in the sky is revealed to be an amazing Harvest Supermoon – which bobs up and down to our left as we climb to the Highwayman, and then on up Pike road to crest out.
To the South great views over to Macc Forest, the “nipple” of Shutlinglsloe poking above the closer ridges, and lights of cars on the Buxton road. To the East lights showing the final section to Pym chair and the climbs yet to come.
Regrouped and recovered we head for Bank lane – and despite the dry weather, last nights deluges have left even more water on the track than normal, Stunt braves the first full width ones, but bails out part way through the third, and that turn causes a lean to the middle, and a foot down – winter boots are good – but not when it goes over the top! As Pete says it warm enough for wet feet tonight!
The Corkscrew has more mud on it than a pigs bath, totally treacherous, worse Butty has to ride back up part of it to get his backpack which he left at the top when taking pics 😉
There are two distinct vertical white lines on the steep sides at the narrow part – have the Edinburgh trials been up recently? and are these a) the furthest anyone got, or b) where they have to stop and then go again (as if it isn’t difficult enough!!).
At the bottom – and admiring the amount of muck on Butty’s Bum, Pete gets emergency comms in support of daughter at Polish immigration – tis a small world, and in todays digital world it seems odd that the issue was an inkstamp from her last exit of the EU that the date was too faint to read!
Crisis resolved, we head on down the cobbles up the other side – past another full width puddle (not deep) and the spooky chapel and graveyard to the final stretch up to Pym chair. Where there is a stream of traffic coming past us…some form of Scouting/Guiding activity in the goyt??
A hint of wind assist is most gratefully received!
Some moisture in the air at the top, it’s clouded over too, so extra outer layers needed.
The moor track is quite eroded in places, and boggy in others, so it’s a slower ride to Windgather than we usually get. Red lights on a mast clearly visible to the North East…Holme Moss?
Definitely light rain at the start of Taxal, and again softer and slippier than usual, but fun nevertheless.
Right at the end Pete almost goes over the cliff, but realises his mistake in the nick of time!!
Thirty minutes to get to the pub, heads down and crack on. Butty turns up the turbo boost (he’s brought the extra battery tonight) dissappears off into the distance and clocks in at the poachers 16 minutes later. Next best acoustic rider is 9 minutes back, but still within the cut off.
Compared to last week the welcome we get is light night and day, food is ordered, beers are quaffed and all is good with the world. Busy with three groups of riders, plus the harriers, we seem to have managed our arrival into a nice gap in the proceedings.
Debate about the amount of climb we have just done – we guess at c2,500 ft – which was not bad – post ride stats at 770m (2,526ft) over 18.4 miles.
More debate with one of the Nancies about head mounted torches (buy a bigger exposure), and this lighting chat makes TJ immediately appear, closely followed by Adrian and Biscuit.
Tales of Adrians two phones, Tommorrows world presenters (Judith Hann was who we were thinking of), Hitler was a vegetarian! and the Stockport Pyramid to become 1000+ seater curry house/wedding venue>
Despite the newly established Tythy temperance movement (Two tacticals!!) there is pudding beer, then Leffe (or two).
Suitably anesthetised legs are employed for the ride home, rumours of TJ Whisky in the camper later…
No badgers reported, but strange face visible in the Jenkins Chapel graveyard photo (camper van antics?)