Words by Alex, Photos by Pete & Simon
Crew: EL Pres, Slim, Butty, Dunc, Bern, Dr S, Stunt
Route: Riverside Car Park, Bollin valley way to Prestbury, Chelford Road, Findlow Hill Lane, Snicket to Artists Lane, Loop from the Beacon entrance, The Edge, descent to Mottram road, Swiss Hill, contour along past Wizards well back to the Beacon, Artists Lane, Windmill Wood to the Owl, Artists Lane, Prestbury Legh Arms.
Notes:
Pete plots a return to Alderley Edge woods lured by the deal on burgers and beer at the Legh arms. Given the returning light tis also likely our only chance to do so under cover of darkness.
The only fly in the ointment is the food cut off of 8pm, requiring a 5:30 start (FFS to quote Butty).
Smiffy is early shocker!! Butty, Dunc and Dr S will meet us at various points between the start and Prestbury.
We are riding in the light with sunset a good half hour away. Dr S needs Butty’s mini shock pump to administer some firmness to his front forks which have deflated. Some fiddling needed as the valve pin seems to have stuck down, but we get there in the end.
Pete has gone on ahead to ensure our food order goes in, and discovers that they are out of the veggie burgers, so two of our party switch to meat for the evening.
Climbing up Chelford road the setting sun is colouring the sky some wonderful colours, with hints of peach and pink, sillouhetting the skeletal network of branches in the tree canopy.
We are doing the bits we didn’t do last visit, so avoiding the turn down Bradford lane, we wiggle along until the wizard then a quick stretch along the main road to the entrance by the cottage.
Dusk in the woods could be a little spooky? Debates about would you bivvy alone here…
The vista at the Edge rocks is for once a passing glance, having had the sunset show to our left. Stunt leads us down some lovely dry down and ups and shepherds us to the right at the correct point for the rocky rutty chute to the road.
Now the return climb up Swiss hill (don’t take Squirrels leap by mistake!) which tonight is dry and grippy. E bikers are in smug mode whilst the rest of us get proper heartrate cardio zone minutes.
Back on the Edge, the contouring trail back to the Beacon is it’s normal narrow and surprisingly technical self, with no room for error, and we are strung out like a festoon of bobbing red lights.
Pete has brought whisky mac’s to warm us with sweet gingery infused firewater. Tis very welcome, and although it’s a sub five night, it’s not so cold in the woods with no breeze to speak of.
We have time for the Windmill wood trails down to the Owl, but mind the new ponds that are being dug either side of the track near the start. After the filth of our previous excursion, this time it’s soft in places but mainly dry until the final section before the sandy field.
The farm opposite the Owl on the corner – is now fully exposed with the clearance of hedges and scrub in progress last time now complete. Development of multiple luxury properties to come??
A nip in the air on the lanes back to the Legh arms and into the Pub for 8pm.
Plotting of possible routes for TNR’s to come, nostalgia for 80’s films, and chuckling at old photos of some of our number. Debate on what triple cooked chips means for a pub kitchen!
Bern heads off at sensible o’clock and sends a pic of his creamy pudding later ?
The 10pm cutoff is somewhat disappointing, but the bargain bills are not.
Chilly rides home.