drunkcyclist2

Words by Alex, Photos/Gifs by Pete & Butty

Crew: El Pres, Butty, Slim, Coley, PTD, Stunt

Pub: Dunc

Route: BL, Zig Zags, Charity, Extension, Standing Stone, Back of the Moon, 2 Sided Valley, Wildboarclough, Standing Stone, Just right of the RHS descent, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Dry, Mild, misty higher up.

Notes:

Gap Yaar = arrival early by Slim!

This week El Pres suggests getting over the moor below Shutlingsloe and into Wildboarclough, it’s been a while so excellent idea!

Huge tyre tracks in the biggest puddle on the zig are a new hazard!

Charity is suprisingly dry and rocky.

PTD has brought some whisky which we sample at the bench just off the standing stone track whilst we debate about the best way to the back of Piggford moor,
with a suggestion we push up the back of the moon descent, as the top bit is drier.

The logic is good, but it’s a steep push, on the tops we are into mist, dropping down across the moor its moist but not too boggy, although under the mesh is very wet!

We cast broken spectres ahead of us as we feel our way towards the 2 sided valley,

where the top section of trail is now very narrow and deeply sunken so the only way across is to have your up hill leg out almost perpendicular off the saddle!!

Luckily its soon over, and the rest is flowly and fun (apart from the stiles)

I don’t know what it is about the little section from the farm to the wildboarclough road, but its always a real pleasure to ride, this time with crunchy fallen leaves for added effect.

Time is a ticking, and at Standing stone some vote for a direct route to pub, whilst others follow Butty to a new “right of the RHS” trail which is good…and good it is, weaving across the contour lines, its less steep but all the better for it! A new favourite!

Regrouping at Sutton Hall, the Titanic offering is excellent (we drink it dry), food and table service excellent as usual, and Dunky arrives for the Ribaldry zone.

Some early leavers due to Friday committments, others perhaps slip towards an AoE…

Very mild for the time of year.

Words by Alex, Photos by Pete

Crew: El Pres, Slim, TJ, Butty, Mr Inc, Stunt

Route: BL, New Road, Cat, Axe Edge, 3 Shires, Cutthorne, Cumberland Clough, Standing Stone, Sutton Hall.

Conditions: Clear Skies, light winds, very cold

Notes:

Following last week’s trend of declaring a route “goal”, tonight Axe edge is declared! (and it meets the low stile count required by Mr Inc’s dodgy arm)

Under beautiful starry skies there are soon layers shed on the climb up, a mini top gear challenge emerges to inject some interest, at the commuter’s favourite straight on the group splits, but the straight up boys decide that bottom of the oven is a silly idea, and turn left to rejoin Buxton road close to the Lamaload turn.

It’s always further than you think past the Cat until the little right turn, and it’s always further up the hill to the track than you think!!

Arriving after an hour of up-hilling, the clear night and breeze up high leads to some serious chillin!

Tis no place to hang about, extra layers reapplied (and then some!)..we set out across the moor…its damp but not muddy..of more concern is that some mist is forming.

Arriving at the wall/sheep pen, it doesn’t look quite right, but a crossing of the wall is remembered.

Tech to the rescue suggests hiking the bike over is the right thing to do, whence it becomes clear we usually arrive from a marginally different angle 🙂

Mutterings about standing in the cold as some photography is performed (..”the Philistines !”).

Trail soon becomes familiar again, we hit the fast wide track, onto the lane, down the farm track (in good condition), and finally the drop off at the stream (well done Butty).

A huge meteor is seen (by Stunt) waiting his turn (verified by twitter you know!)

Twisty, rocky, slabby and chunky and it’s 3 shires bridge before you know it (with the damage hidden until its discovery later…) .

Sadly no wee dram to warm us up, just the sandy gritty loose Cutthorne climb.

With cold fingers and faces we hit it with relish!

8:30 at the lane, and there’s time for Chumby (no rest for the wicked)

Shiny Chumby gate is still technically shonky as it has no hinges (unless you count one scruffy loop of farmers twine).

Middle very loose, sides quite slippy, it pays to pay attention!

After the watersplash new fencing is evident (also from cut thorne to the main road) someone’s been busy this summer!

More ruggedness down the brook, through the ford and down to the gate at Wildboarclough.

Excitement over, weary legs take is easy along the valley and up to standing stone.

We’ve made good time, but not enough for anything else than route one down the road to ensure food can be ordered.

El Pres duly finds his Pub Proximity mojo and arrives first and gets 6 meals in, before the kitchen can close.

Lots of dark beers on offer, pumkin stout rather good, White Nancy or Hoegaarden for those who like it paler.

Excellent service at the table, which is just as well because no one fancies getting up in a hurry.

Trollish comments set a ribaldry edge with a lack of pub mates to help us along.

Very cold ride home, and legs would be feeling a big ride the following morning.

Words by Alex, Pics by Pete, Butty & TJ

Crew: Slim, El Pres, Butty, TJ, Mr Inc, PTD, Stunt

Pub: Adrian & Dunc

Route: BL, Zig, Walker Barn, Charity, Snicket to Narnia, Extension, Standing Stone, Shutlingsloe steps & slabs, Trig point, slabs & steps, singletrack to kirsten munt descent, ressies, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Mild, dry, breezy high up, soft trails.

Stats: Chain faff (Slim). lighting faff (PTD)

Notes:

Decent turnout for promised birthday treats mid ride.

El Pres proposes top of Shutlingsloe as the venue, and a great shout it was too!

Warm climbing uphill in the last of the light, distractions in the form of bright aircraft lights coming over at regular intervals on the final slog up charity. (A380 spotted :-))

Lovely late evening light, but lights on going into the trees for the snicket.

…and its a wee bit slippy slidey (in just about a good way), so probably a last ride of the year here unless there is another long dry spell.

Extension is also a bit “rad” in it’s looseness (or were we just going a bit fast??)

either way a lot of smiles at the bottom.

Bad chain jam for the birthday boy on the shutlingsloe steps, meaning the advance party could wait at the stile with lights off (confusing TJ) and enjoy the views.

Too breezy to stand around at the trig point, so we hunker down amongst the rocks, and are treated to fine slices of pork pie with mustard all washed down with rusty nail on the rocks with lemon (it worked!!).

Presentation of an “unt” mug was very well received 🙂

Suspensions tested on the way down, with rapid pedalling to the pub to keep up with El Pres 🙂

Syd occupying our table, so we are in the back room for a change. Thirst quencher fab, food not bad either, and conversation enhanced with Adrian and Dunc.

Butty in Stoptober sobriety shock move (no effect on either ribaldry or digestion!!)

Dunc wondering if his Runtober has been a wise move.

The rest of us are on BAUtober and are entirely unaffected 🙂

Highland park, amusing vouchers that have survived the washing machine are happily accepted, and was there some brandy too??

Not cold on the ride home 🙂

Crew: El Pres, Stunt, Troll

Route: BL, zig zags, saddlers way, langley resssies, smithy, witches cottages, charity, extension, standing stone, nessit, trail monkeys LHS, smithy.

Conditions: Breezy & mild with biblical rain later

Notes:

Torrential rain during the day, and a radar picture showing little let up puts off all but the bravest this week.

However arriving at BL the rain had stopped, and after a quick comms to get a late running troll to go direct to the smithy, the climb in wet weather gear got hot quite quickly!

Mud and huge puddles have returned, but we don’t complain as the lack of precipitation is a win (as long as it lasts).

Plan A (which was to go straight up to charity then down narnia and hardingland to the smithy) is modified get there sooner to meet up with Phil, so we head to saddlers way. Car park is empty apart from 3 police cars..with some very friendly officers “who you haven’t seen right!” there are on an operation to stamp down on rural crime.

Rapid(ish) decent along the lower teggs track and up to the smithy to order food…a troll mobile, but no troll. He’s been too quick for us and has got to witches cottage already..he comes back down by an different route to that which we expected, by which time we’ve headed up to look for him..gratuitous wasted uphill for all!!

Finally quorate we head back up into the darkness and the first spots of rain. Amphibian avoidance needed as it’s obviously good weather for frogs!

We are rewarded for our determination to ride by a helping hand of a tailwind all the way up to the start of charity. Weirdly this years weather has resulted in a generous tinge of green grass on much of the upper downhill, so as well as the water running down – the dry bits are also a bit slippy!

Extension is grass free, but the earlier rain has randomly placed “baby’s head” rocks all over the place..tricky!

More frog dodging on the climb out, a possible deer sighting on the road (but it might have been shadows).

From standing stone we debate route, as we have turned into wind (and rain). We opt for trail monkeys over ferriser. After following a very big rabbit (or maybe a small hare?)  we stop in the lee of the trees just before the top of Nessit for a quick snifter of winters gold, pat Dan’s bench on the way past and hit the trail!

Phil immediately almost loses it at the start…and its a very different ride from the dusty dry summer conditions!! Slidey mud and slippy roots are back!! some sections are walked, lower down past the cleared trees we almost get lost as new trails head right but then suddenly end!

We find our way out, but now have to arrive pronto for the pre arranged food.

Not surprisingly we are the only clientele..but our fancy food (charcoal infused burger bun anyone) and selection of marvellous ales dizzy blonde, duchars and two bays made choosing difficult..some went for all of them 😉

Conversation stayed out of the ribaldry zone due to a lack of Dunc (too wet to walk to the car!!)

We smugly chided our mates until we opened the door to face the inside of a washing machine, and have a log flume experience on the way down…foot high gushers coming out of the manhole covers by the kings head! Bollin a grey seething mass with ammoniacal aromas! Clean bike and very wet kit on arrival home.

it’s autumn!