drunkcyclist2

Words by Alex, pics by Pete & Butty

Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, Dunc, Stunt

Route: Stonyfold lane, Zig, Teggs, White Rabbit ascent, Nessit, Ferriser, Campfire spot.

Conditions: Still, Mild

Notes:

A final TNR before lockdown 2.0 reduces groups to 2.0!

With a favourable weather window, TJ suggests a campfire evening, and together with Slim, they get in the essential logistics (beer and wood) ahead of the ride.

We gather and compare our hefty packs (still with own supplies, extra clothing and dry wood), and it’s a no brainer that we will do a “minimum viable product” to get to the campfire spot.

Butty then adds in a critical parameter of dry backside, and Charity lane is struck from the list of options!

We head up with sporadic fireworks visible over the lights of macc and its surrounds. An early Badger runs across the path by Teggs gate in the lights of the lead riders.

Strange sounds..bongo drums and jungle beats rise up from Langley as we contemplate the Teggs descent..all a bit surreal!

All is revealed as the big marquee at the back of the Leathers has been hosting a lockdown eve event of it’s own!

Lots of lights visible in the forest, and plenty of other riding groups out for a last blast.

Less trees around the campfire spot than when we were last here, our logistics duo have rebuilt the fire circle, and there are plenty of big log rounds lying about to use as seating!

Fire is soon going, beers are opened, Butties are unwrapped, Butty has his tin of frankfurters on fire, and Stunt is extracting his from a flask of hot brine!

The 5th is not going un-marked, and some serious ordanance is being let off in the vicinity, we can’t see it, but it’s loud!

It is very very good to be able to have bants, talk beery boll*cks and feel like life is normal(ish).

The evening is not cold, and not all the extra layers are needed, we do however consume all the beer, and the whisky!

By which time a serious fog is enveloping the land, and its a cautious ride home in suitably legal pairs.

Many admit to feeling the effects of being a bit over refreshed the next day!

Words by Alex, Photos by Pete

Covid Echelon A El Pres, Slim, Croxy, 3 Sheds

Covid Echelon B Stunt, Bern, Dunc, Butty

Route: RB, Endon House Climb, Quarry Steps, Kerridge Ridge to almost White Nancy, Field zig zags to the lower bridleway by Waulkmill wood, back along lower Kerridge to the “slope of slippery doom” and the main road. Bull Hill lane, New Road, Charity, Narnia, Hardingland, Lower Teggs, Smithy.

Conditions: Cool, Mizzle then clear, lots of surface water!

This week a 5:30 start worked for all, and two echelons were required (once Butty had found his way around the mini flood by the pylon blocking his normal entry!)

A Leathers finish arranged by El Pres = a slighly unusual route of familiar bits in a different order to normal.

Warm from the Endon house climb, El Pres suggests a short carry up the Quarry steps…in the direction of gunfire from the shooting range. Great views of low cloud and rain showers over the plain, lit from the side with the low sun in the west, very atmospheric!

Various fences on the ridge now “fixed” to keep you on the main track, so we end up almost at White Nancy before we can work our way down to the lower track. Wet grass off camber long zig zags to the rescue!

A lady rastafarian walker who we saw at the top, had descended by a much more direct route, and cheekily asked us why we were so slow!

The slipply slope of doom was in typical form, but not stupidly so, and once on the main road heads down for the Bull Hill climb. Regular Bern on top form (or needs drugs testing!!). More uppiness to Chazza in the last of the light, where a large owl was spotted by the first arrivers.

Given that 25mm of rain (imperial inch) had fallen overnight, wetness was expected..small river was what we found! Even those taking the grassy path to the side fared little better than those on the splashy main track.

At Narnia gate the state of rear ends caused some hilarity, and most were also experiencing the cold seep of water into socks from soaked shoes.

Narnia not too bad, but very loud streams nearby made it sound very different.

Hardingland dry as usual, a bit of skygazing as we regrouped as the skies had cleared, then lower teggs through a roaring ford, and some tendrils of mist by the ressies, and rapidly cooling air.

Overflows in full force by the steps, farewell to the early bathers, and one last climb to the warmth of the Smithy.

Crews: Echelon A: Troll, Bern, Butty, Stunt. Echelon B: El Pres, TJ, Lee

Pub: possible G?

Route: RB, Middlewood to viaduct, down the steps, Queen’s street cobbles, Shrigley road, Bakestonedale road, Gritstone Trail, 1975 stone, Sponds, Dale Top, upper Beavers creek, back up to the top of the quarry, quarry descent, chapel descent, road to Poachers Snicket, road to the Bulls Head Kerridge.

Conditions: Dry, Mild, Broken cloud, cooling rapidly after sunset.

Notes:

With the closing of hostelries at 22:00hrs a new early start was enacted, 5:30 prompt at Rainbow bridge! Butty being not quite there yet, meant a ride along the middlewood in his general direction. Found on the viaduct, he then takes charge of the route and takes us up the cobbles of Queen street to escape the main drag for a bit.

With Sponds the target, and a 19:45 deadline at the Bull Head for tapas, a “climb on road” is invoked. It proves a fine plan, as we get splendid views from the tops in the evening light, with moody clouds, mist forming on the cheshire plain, and smoke rising in and around Alderley Edge ..be all those wood fired hot tubs 😉

As we climb the gritstone trail, two farmers boys are having great fun on quad bike vs scrambler bike across the moor.

Even more excitingly the plate on the 1975 stone finally lays to rest the “what is the transmitter mast that is not winter hill” debate of the last few rides…photographic evidence that it is Holme Moss, and just visible on the horizon it is (even in daytime without lights). Also the ladder hill one is clearly to the East!

Much enthusiastic pointing ensues!

Hard work done, downhill ensues, the moor is very hard after a dry summer, but the dew is already down to add some greasy interest!

We are at Dale top soon enough, and more Butty route planning for “all the fun bits”.

Horses on the quarry side of the fence seem happy to much grass extremely “close to the edge”. more fast descending 🙂 🙂

Chapel descent in the last of the good light, end a cracking route.

Time starts to press, and its a poachers snicket short cut to Lord Street and back up to Kerridge (apart from Stunt who misheard, and did Ingersley Vale, “under White Nancy” and Redway…although he did get to see Winter Hill in the distance…

Words by Alex (& Pete), Photos by Pete & Butty

Crew: Bern, El Pres, Butty, Troll, TJ, Slim, Lee, Stunt

Route: Muller Corner, Zig, Teggs, Smithy, Witches cottage, Charity, Extension, Standing Stone, Nessit, Ressies, Smithy

Conditions: Clear, mild, little wind, cool later, damp trails in places.

Notes:

Much debate at “Muller corner” while we assemble about the new normal now becoming the old normal, and what protocols will be appropriate next week (echelons of 6?).

Good to see the prodigal Stunt back for the ride (if not the pub).

Bern takes charge of the route and leads us off at some pace uphill to Teggs.

Mandatory tyre pressure fiddling from his salad dodgingness in prep for the descent (great conditions!), and still waters make for good pics across the water at the bottom.

Food order placed then a long drag up to the gate beyond the cottage, an even longer wait for Pete who had stopped at the bottom to put more air back in to said tyre! Eventually we spot a communication that he was retiring to the pub early with faffage!!

(Pete’s confession : After Lee , and Chris, came to my aid, the errors of my ways became evident. The tubeless valve was not tight to the rim , and my Topeak Pump was missing the vital end cap. I had tried a C02 cylinder, but the leaky valve was my downfall. A quick tighten up of the valve and a proper working pump and we were back on our way…thanks Lee !!. And Chris, my campaign to persuade you of the value of tubeless tyres will begin afresh next week 🙂 )

Huffing and puffing we deal with the slope that is hacked way lane up to the start of charity…Bern and Butty start a lengthy debate on the red light adorned tall mast to the North and then we wonder why we are missing riders…another message…El Pres and Lee have gone back to “help” ahem!

Leaving the mast research for later we continue up charity (Windy Hill at Saddleworth is due north but doesn’t look high enough..which puts Holme Moss slightly to the East as most likely..)

Mini top gear special as 3 take the under the trees trails to Narnia (very muddy but a new berm), or the main track and back (suprisingly rocky and wet!).

The under tree conditions kybosh further exploration, so back to complete Charity and the Extension.

We visit Nessit – which is weird without benches at present, then downhill led by the exuberant Butty and Troll for big smiles (and almost wrong turns) back to the Smithy.

Pete’s Pub Report :

• John’s hospitality was up to its normal high standard
• Seafarer , Pedigree and Moretti slaked our first
• A freebie round of John’s latest concoction ..Guiness & Coke (-a -Cola !!)

• There was a small AOE
• Twas a bit chilly on the descent through Langley

Bring butties for a bigger ride next week floated by El Pres