Words by Pete, Pics by Butty ( with his new phone!) & Pete
Crew : PTD , Butty, Troll, El Pres, Pete , Bern
Route : Bolly Maze – Towpath – Hurst Lane – Kerridge – Nancyside Lane – Partial KB – Waulkmill Wood descent – Poachers Snicket – Blaze Hill – Jumper Lane – Oaken bank – Spuley Lane – Pott Shrigley – Long Lane – Beeston Brow – Shrigley Rd – The Poachers
Conditions : mild, no rain , a bit muddy in places
Notes :
With last week being a Forest Fest I plumped for a Bolly start and a Bolly Finish, with minimal resistance from El Pres . We ended up with a half dozen riders – more than I was anticipating !
And once I knew Paul was in the crew this week , I didn’t even worry about a route plan – I knew he wouldn’t be backward in coming forward with ideas.
With the clocks having gone back it is properly dark by 6pm rendezvous . To add to the spookiness a number of teenagers wandered past the Maze in monster/ghoul outfits.
Paul has embraced the Halloween theme and arrives with a giant spider attached to his rucksack !
A plan is formed to go roughly South East and then loop back Northwards . Up to Nancyside on tarmac , and then a brief venture along the KB to let us descend Waulkmill Wood. This turns out to be slippier than I had imagined, but does enable the crew to get a good view at some Dark Honey Fungus at the base of a big tree on the path of the bridleway.
Contemporary library photo
At the Poachers we regroup and a route debate ensues. I had pitched in the idea of Oakenbank – Jumper La – Blaze Hill descent …which went down like the proverbial “ham sandwich at a Bar mitzvah” with Butty . So we made it a bit more single-speed friendly – straight up Blaze Hill to get the b@stard steep climb done first .
Arriving , and regrouping at the end of Jumper Lane , we discover that Bern & Phil are missing – they have gone too far up the hill ….after vain attempts to call them get no answer .. Paul volunteers to chase after them ..at which point we see their lights coming back down the hill .
From here on I agree some mandatory regrouping points !
Oakenbank is muddy then wonderfully dry then muddy again . Onward down Spuley but we have to hold back as we have a poor badger running the same way, spooked by our arrival .
It’s tarmac all the way now , apart from the short steep climb up Green Lane and the tasty descent after the summit.
The Poachers is fairly busy – a good turn out by the WNBs this week and the Simon & Karl team . So bags of Crisps are needed to stave off the hunger whilst the staff catch up with the food orders . Saltaire 4.7 California Common goes down well , as does the Dortmunder (as a palate cleanser) . Then its on to a 6% pudding stout which is sweet and wonderful.
A small but perfectly formed AOE remain late in the hostelry . It may have even got to a second dram .