Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, Croxy, Dunc, Smiffy, TJ, Stunt
Pub: Mark McD
Route: Zag, charity, extension, cat, danebower hollow, cumberland clough, standing stone, RHS squeaky bum descent, Macc Spoons.
Conditions: Mild, in cloud at the Cat & Danebower, wet trails.
Notes:
Sharp eyed Butty has spied a beer festival event at Wetherspoons this week – which allied to cheap prices and late serving of food – gets the collective thumbs up for the end point of the ride.
After last weeks token solo rides it’s time for proper BAU routes, so the classic chazzy/chumby is invoked.
After the amazing summer things are turning more normal, its grey and damp although not too cold. It is still light at our meet at the bottom of the Zag (with chats with Simondo from the ex Poachers 3rd group), but lights are soon needed as the gloomy skies kill off any twilight very quickly.
The cloud layer is just brushing the tops of the trees at the summit of charity, plenty of puddles in the ruts, and water running down the track – mud seemed particularly slippery (or are we just out of practice?)
Croxy is first down into Forest Chapel – and gets a bonus Barn Owl sighting.
Extension has some big rocks just where you don’t want them after the big drop off half way down!
Long drag up to the Cat – where it is windy and chilly in the cloud, we huddle in the porch donning extra layers, Butty has some zip issues with his jacket but finally gets it closed, and TJ brings out the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (thanks Enid!!).
Danebower properly low vis most of the way, but we emerge from the cloud bank just before the end.
Chumby proper Gnarr – and seriously slippy on the edges – a night for riding the rocks, the brook wet but not as loose as it was in the summer. The ford a proper water splash now!
Big smiles and wet legs at the bottom, and just the final sting in the standing stone climb. Dunc opts to go the long way instead by heading on to the Bottom of the Oven and up past the end of Charity extension…is may be less steep – but he was over 7 minutes behind his top gear challenge marker.
Without pub time pressure it would be rude not to do the RHS descent – Butty has christened it the squeaky bum descent – and with a lot of vegetation obscuring the narrow trail, and wet roots underneath – it lives up to its name! Time to trust the bike and keep off the brakes!
Folks are ready for the Pub, just the minor matter of a chain faff from Croxy, and we are on our way down into town.
The outside tables are quite busy – but we manage to lock up in the little triangle of woodchippings by the entrance, and get a table inside next to a warm fire looking out at the bike stacks.
Bargain prices, and some decent guest ales with the Seven Brothers honeycomb and the Exmoor Dark going down well, nosh was acceptable too – shout out for the Sticky Korean chicken 🙂
We are also joined by Mark McD, and there is plenty to catch up on with tales of the lakes weekend, TJ’s LEJOG part 1, and Croxy’s safari adventures. Plenty of putting the world to rights, and before we know it tis midnight and on the pints of Leffe. SHOCK as El Pres can’t finish his Jaipur!! Somehow we have managed not to order double glenfiddichs at under £4 (maybe next time)
The dark nights and filthy trails season is officially started, and a could ‘spoons be a regular winter haunt??