Words by Alex, Photos by Pete
Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, Dunc, Troll, Bern, Lee, Smiffy, Stunt
Route: Bolly Maze, Hurst Lane, Jackson Lane, Redway Lane, Nancyside lane, North Farm, Waulkmill wood, Ingersley vale, Poachers snicket, Ascent of Oakenbank, Jumper Lane, Blaze hill, main road to Bakestonedale road, Gritstone Trail, Sponds Hill, Dale Top, “wall” descent, Moorside lane, Pott Shrigley, Poachers.
Conditions: Mild & dry, windy higher up.
Notes:
Back from foreign manoeuvers Pete takes charge this week declaring a Bolly friendly route to finish at the Poachers (he was getting withdrawal symptoms!).
With fine weather and end of the alpine season means another double digit sized crew, although of course we start out with fewer and let some catch up en route.
Properly light (and clocks change this weekend), so lots of folks out enjoying the outdoors alongside our good selves. Time to be nice, say hi, and pedal slowly through the puppy training class in Ingersely vale!
Butty chooses the top of Oakenbank to break out his special blend of whisky’s for a proper toast to young Rory – the apple of his grandfathers eye 🙂
Lee arrives just in time for the last dram, and by the time we are readying to ride on, it has become dark, and lights needed from here on in.
The road to Kettleshulme is still closed due to the collapsed carriageway, but it is open to cycles..time to take advantage of a traffic free climb on tarmac. Tis a big hole in the road, and you do need to stick to the fenced in cycle lane (as Butty discovers when he goes parallel, but can’t get through at the far end).
The Bolshaw powders trucks are also taking advantage by parking on the road, saving some HGV tight turns in and out of their normal bays.
Even better we get some wind assist higher up to help us on our way.
Gate to the gritstone is hanging on one hinge, the farmer here really hates spending on hinges and posts, preferring a bit of bale twine instead!
Very dry on the tops, with winter feed station set up for the ewes near the Sponds trig, where we hit the wind face on!
Extra layers rapidly donned, a quick photo op, and then down and across to Dale top.
A time check and lack of enthusiam for pedalling into strong wind equals a straight down by the wall approach….and it’s a cracker of a ride on dry short grass. A gentle bimble along Moorside lane is accompanied by shouts of TOAD! as there are lots of them standing still and quite difficult to distinguish from the dark sheep turds also strewn across the via bianche. We think no toads were harmed in the process.
Route one back to the a rather quiet poachers, where we get our food order in before the nancies. Has the change in beer, and the raising of the food prices pushed folk elsewhere?? Certainly the bolly harriers were not in attendance, and the Nancies were low in numbers, and lots of the other groups of regulars were not there….
Plenty to chat about on a cosy table of 10, but a few yawns around the table later on mean it’s only a token Leffe AoE. Still some things you can always rely on with Bern’s pic of his creamy pudding coming in later on 😉
Headwinds on the ride home meant pedalling downhill!!