Words by Alex, Pics by Pete
Crew: El Pres, Butty, Dunc, PTD, Slim, Smiffy, Stunt, Troll
Pub: Biggus Nickus
Route: Bolly Maze, Canal and track to Oak Lane, Higher lane past Endon House and up to Lidgetts. Back of Kerridge to Waulkmill wood, poachers snicket, Blaze hill, Jumper lane, Oakenbank, Church house.
Conditions: Cool and breezy, epic hailstone shower late on.
Notes:
After a couple of “days of summer” getting to 20 celsius, today we are riding in single figures minus windchill! Dunc arrives confessing to being underdressed, others are sporting winter gloves and jackets!
Pete has declared a Bolly friendly finish, with a winding route. Some puddles and muddy bits along the canal and track up to oak lane, no complaints on the climb up higher lane and the newly sanitised track from Endon house to Windmill lane – we need to get some warmth in those legs!
We meet up with Butty at the Kerridge gate, admiring bucolic scenes across the valley in the evening sunshine. Slithery in places on the lower track, but Waukmill wood not too bad under the trees.
The dog training classes are back underway in Ingersley Vale, and the house at the top of the snicket is rebuilding another section of their big stone wall. Lambs play hide and seek in a little shed in the corner of a field, and two buzzards hang almost motionless on the ridge lift in the stiff breeze.
There is some mutiny in the camp re route choice, and team ebike suggest an alternative – straight up blaze hill – then do Jumper and Oakenbank “the right way round”. Actually its a good call, meeting the adage of “climb on tarmac” etc.
We gain Phil the plumber on his Orbea e steed (same as Smiffy’s – but in black n tan livery) at the top of the climb, and he stays with us on Jumper lane.
The height gain gives us great views of kerridge backlit by orange light from the setting sun, also highlighting a big black cloud trailing wisps of precipitation…
As we hit oakenbank it darkens and the first spits of rain appear, at the top it begins to hail..and then some!! All exposed flesh is stinging, there are slippery balls of ice all over the track, and you have to look sideways to protect your face! all in a deep orange light that is almost unworldly.
Back at the bottom of blaze hill we are out the other side, where a rainbow lights the sky. Wet and cold, its an easy decision to head to the pub a little early…where the Nancies arrive minutes later having made exactly the same choice!
Wadworths 6X, Citra and Landlord (with Cruzcampo for the louts), superb service from Rhodri, and much ebike excitement about the new Amflow carbon at only £3999.99.
Ribaldry is restored with the arrival of our prodigal brother Biggus, who had ridden here! He is shocked to discover how few of the collective are still in the world of work, and gets straight into ribbing mode.
With winter temps outside a stiff whisky is needed before braving the ride home, where it’s double buff territory and no place for dawdling.
Could be a few weeks yet before our first al fresco of the year. In the meantime Pete will bravely do some research into the food offerings at the newly reopened Poachers 😉