drunkcyclist2

From TNR 28-03-2013 Do You Get My Drift ?

Crew: PTD, Eric, El Pres, 3 sheds, Butty, Slim, Stunt
Pub: Big Nic, Shaun

Route: BL, old road, Teggs, LH cut across to Crooked Yard Lane, Walker Barn, Charity Lane Entrance, Hacked Way Lane to gate, Witches cottage, old path towards leathers, Church House.

Conditions: Cold, mix of massive drifts, some or no snow, muddy ground where the sun had warmed it earlier.

stats: a stat free night.

Notes: An almost Eric friendly group assembles.

From TNR 28-03-2013 Do You Get My Drift ?

weekend rides report Hardingland “full” and Langley affected by massive drifts. All this at BL where there is no snow be seen.

Light covering and frozen puddles on the zig zags, drifty but passable up to Teggs, virtually snows free on the RHS, icy excitement on the LHS. Muddy push across probably faster than risking the exposed track along the bottoms.

Crooked Yard Lane initially clear, then passable for bikes past ever larger drifts…then the static lights we have been ascending towards since exiting Teggs way become a JCB digging out 8ft full on lane blocking snow field.

Hike a bike up and round the side on the crispy tops, trickier to get down safely the other side into the road, then realising we are trapped between two diggers, so up and over the other side into the field, quick roll of a whole JCB bucket scoop of snow “snowball” down the slope 🙂 and out onto meltwater, salt and ice!

Road to chazza pretty good apart from occasional sheet black ice!!

chazza full, tiptoe down hacked way in case of more ice, cross the logging trail (more forest trashing!!!) and down the old path on fresh snow for the best riding of the night. So good PTD and Eric do it again:-)

Church house for warmth, Rambler, Pendle and grub. Plenty of bikers in, including more train buddies for Slim. Big Nic arrives for tales of fat bike fun, and Shaun drops in to keep us amused. Double chasers before rolling home 🙂

In addition to this TNR report I thought it would be timely to add a couple of “wintery peaks photos” in celebration of winters last stand ..

From TNR 28-03-2013 Do You Get My Drift ?

This is an avalanche at Winnats pass near Castleton, in late March. Avalanche and Peak District are not words we normal put together.

From TNR 28-03-2013 Do You Get My Drift ?

A gritter nearly engulfed near Longnor.

Both photos were originally posted on www.buxtonweather.co.uk, thanks to Mike who runs it.

From TNR 14-03-2013 Winters Not Over Yet

Crew: El Pres, PTD, G, Slim, Eric, Dave H, Butty, TJ, 3 Sheds, Stunt

Route: BL, Walker Barn, Chazza & extension, Stanley Arms, Cat, Danebower Hollow with early R turn into Chumby, Standing stone, not the S bends, fast tracks down and round the resevoir, Sutton Hall

From TNR 14-03-2013 Winters Not Over Yet

Conditions:

Dry & Still at BL , Drizzle/Light Snow & breezy at Walker Barn, Horizontal light snow & icy blast at Cat.

Slush on Chazza, light snow covering in forest & higher up, no ice, dryish trails underneath.

Stats: TJ Puncture

Notes:

Shock as Slim arrives on the dot of 6:30 at BL!! and Eric arrives without the need for lights (although later shows off his time to darkness display on the back – uber cool..and there must be a Knight Rider joke in there somewhere?).

Mr Bolly Bikefest joins us for a dose of real biking 😉

Bigger Shock as 3 Sheds arrives despite warnings of precipitation!!! and brings reports of snow in Rainow!?

Route plan becomes go high but pause at walker barn to see if weather rules out going high, light snow and a breeze but no sign of low cloud, so we MTFU and go to the cat via a strangely slushy chazza.

TJ stops by the Stanley to repair a puncture, leaving the whippets to freeze at the cat, and we are whiskers away from a split group to stave off hypothermia.

Biting wind, and horizontal snow across the tops – exposed flesh numbing rapidly 🙁

Snow covered RH descent into Chumby made interesting with dry grass/snow building up then peeling off tyres.

Chumby pretty dry and the ford very low. Rapid thrash around the forest to keep warm and into Sutton Hall.

From TNR 14-03-2013 Winters Not Over Yet

Lucan or Leffe, coal stoking the fire (“the chimney canna take the wood captain”!) food devoured to replace burnt calories, tales of dubious events at Buxton Opera House and a fine whisky finish.

From TNR 28-02-13 Apricot Spirit

Crew: PTD, Dan, Butty, TJ, Slim, 3 Sheds, Joe, Stunt, G, Mr Incredible

Pub: El Pud

Route: BL, zig zags, Teggs, reverse hardingland, Hacked Way lane, Chazza & extension, standing stone, reverse back of the moon, grassy descent, Main track, lower path, reservoir, church house.

From TNR 28-02-13 Apricot Spirit

Conditions: Dry, Cold, Windy higher up. Dry trails

Stats: Mandatory Thorn Puncture for G

No offs reported (maybe a few dabs..?)

From TNR 28-02-13 Apricot Spirit

Notes:

Our Prodigal “sons” Dan & Joe returneth (albeit a bit late)

Despite calm conditions at BL we receive dire warnings of wind higher up from the paragliding community

Tootle up to teggs and huddle awaiting Joe in a stiff breeze

Teggs in great condition

The evil ascent to Chazza at least keeps us out of the wind ..and provides Dan & G with a strava segment to attack (7^th)

A Coley cameo as we regroup..but he’s not riding with us tonight!

Something big had trashed chazza’s sides (logging wagon), icy in places but not in a dangerous way , extension extra loose on the lower section (for no apparent reason!?)

Back of the moon not frozen this week but still very firm, and a long overdue return to the grassy descent 🙂

Peach Brandy from TJ…just because (neat mini shot glasses!)

From TNR 28-02-13 Apricot Spirit

Rapid descent to Church house for pre ordered food and a warm fire.

Headless & Beaufort Scale, G orders a round of baby Guinesses, El Pud graces us with his “executive producer” status 😉 Glenmorangie snifters, a realization that we owe a bit more than we thought and off home.