Like riding abroad....

Sometimes, usually during the worst of the winter bog marches that we seem to find ourselves on, the thought 'why?' emerges into your head, and my usual subconscious retort is that we'll get some kind of karma payback in the summer - dusty trails, rocky ribbons of swooping perfection, laughs with riding mates, ice cream, beer.....

Well, last weekend was it for me.

Robin and I took the longish drive down to the Peak district, primarily to meet up with old friends that we had met on a foreign sojourn, Rik and Adele, but also to ride trails that we often read about online and in the magazines. Des was coming too, but had an appointment with the postman, or the paperboy or something....

Arriving on the Lancashire side of the peak, Rik had given us a route to ride as we were going to be there long before our hosts finished work. Setting off from the lovely wee village of Hayfield, we did a 'reet nice figure of 8, with two testy climbs and also two nice descents, one swoopy, the other more peak like - rocky and fast. Nice days riding, and in really great weather too.

After a wee refreshing drop in the local beer garden, we drove over snake pass to Sheffield, and on to meet our buddies, and the lure of the local pub and curry house!. Great stuff.

Next morning, slightly fuzzy headed, Rik sorted us out with a cracking brekkie before we drove off to Hope valley and had another sun drenched corker of a ride. I won't try to describe the route, as being expertly guided, you don't really have to know where you are, all I know is that we took in some cracking peak descents, and we climbed a lot!. If I remember correctly, we did Cavedale, Hollins cross, Potato alley, Hagg farm and then finished on the roman road. My favourite was Hagg farm, although it is pretty short, followed closely by Cavedale, for sheer ballsy rockiness.

Fish and chips and a quiet night followed, with legs wearying, and thoughts of another days riding to come....

Another cracking brekkie, and the best days riding yet!. We parked at Ladybower reservoir, of dambusters fame, and basically rode out the whole length of the famous Cut gate route and back. That doesnt sound much, but it was unbelievably good, I thought the descent out toward Langsett was good, but the descent back just ripped the legs off of it. Even though it was busy, it was an absolute joy of a descent, rocky, rutted, big steppy drop offs.... Tremendous.

And ice cream to finish. What a great weekend, thanks so much to Rik and Adele, for going out their way for a whole weekend, feeding and guiding us, great company as ever folks!. Not quite as big as the thanks deserved by Mrs Enjoyrider, for being so cool with me disappearing away for a weekend of doing what I love. Xxx.

Now, the Yeti has taken a bit of a battering, time for some TLC....

Stolen weekday in the lakes...

 

Ill bell from froswick, with Windermere glistening to the south

We had a wee bit of a plan to go and ride Ben Lomond on Friday, but the usual scots weather put the brakes on that, with heavy rain predicted for the Lomond national park, so instead, Robin and I headed south with a few route options in mind. I was quite keen to ride nan bield again, and as Robin likes riding somewhere new, that's where we went.

Parking at the south end of Dubbs road, we followed almost the exact route I had ridden myself four weeks ago, and I have to say, it was far better riding in company than riding alone. I rode way more than I had whilst on my tod. Fantastic days riding, perfect weather, not a breath of wind to be felt. Then fish and chips to finish.

Robin dropping off of froswick

 

 

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Friday night fever

On Friday night I finally got out with Klaus again, the first time in a long time due to shifts and family stuff. The two of us, along with Colin, Klaus' mate headed from chez Schlesiger along the south and north beaches to seamill, portencross, past the hunterston behemoth and onto fairlie.

Then round the usual trails, in glorious sunshine complete with gorgeous clear views over the firth and beyond. Quick pint of harviestouns finest, then back home for not far short of midnight. It was a tired blogger that was awoken at 6am with the work alarm on Saturday...

Always worth it though, canny beat a summer evening ride.

Mmmmmm......

No biking this weekend, as Maz is working, but as it's been a gorgeous day, got the BBQ out and tried something I've been thinking of for a while, pizza. A revelation!. I'll be doing this again!.

 

 

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Racing the storm!

A wee pre-nightshift spin tonight, with no jacket or anything....

Which was fine until I got to the viewpoint atop carrick hill, and saw the storm moving in from the north, very fast, and complete with biblical thunder and lightning. Crikey.

I never managed to beat it...

Midweek Lakeland escape...

 

As it has become evident that my shift pattern is changing, after 16 years of having a week off every month, I decided that I'm going to use the last remaining ones to best effect. So a wee plan was hatched, friends were invited, but I knew they were all working, so off on my tod I went to the Lakes.

After a reasonably early start, and a quiet 3 hour drive south, I pitched up at a lay by just outside of Glenridding, next to the mirror like ullswater. First up was a long farm track which terminated with the rocky climb up toward grisedale tarn, and then on up the steep pitching steps to dollywaggon pike.

 

 

This part of the trail is pretty busy, as it's part of the coast to coast route through the area, from grasmere over to patterdale, so there were lots of incredulous looks at a big sweaty scot carrying a bike up a mountain, all cheerful though!. Once up on the plateau, and heading over nethermost pike toward helvellyn itself, the views were absolutely astounding all around, from high street in the east, scafell pike in the west, Skiddaw and blencathra to the north, and even Blackpool tower and heysham nuclear power station to the south!.

 

Looking west over the langdale pikes

 

Path up Ill bell

As I was on my own, I had made the decision to ride at maybe 70%, to avoid a tumble on what can be very exposed and rocky terrain! but to be honest! I wouldn't do this again. The lakes cannot be ridden at 70%, full concentration! commitment and a bit of speed is required. Lesson learned. Once up onto the summit, the views were even better.

Ullswater from helvellyn

 

Striding edge

 

And again...

 

Descent off helvellyn..

All that was left was the descent down sticks pass, and as I said earlier, I took it too easy going down there too.

Sticks pass

20 minutes after getting to the car, I was in Ambleside YHA, for a bath, change and then a well earned bite and beer, before retiring early due to a bigger day the next day.

A quick bite for brekkie, and I parked the car at the bottom of dubbs road for a wee cheeky assault on some footpaths above kentmere!. The plan was to climb garburn, but instead of descending down the usual route into kentmere, carry on up Yoke, over Ill bell, froswick and thornthwaite crag, before turning west over Mardale Ill bell, and descending the famous Nan Bield bridleway, then taking the high Borrans route back to the car. Cracking day, I'd definitely do that again.

Leaving garburn pass

 

And off up onto Yoke

 

A wee pal...

 

Windermere to the south

 

Path up into ill bell

 

Ill bell summit

 

Nan bield switchbacks in the centre of picture

 

Ill bell from thornthwaite crag

 

Western fells

 

Harter fell down to nan bield

 

The lakes in one picture. Sweet.

As everyone I know knows by now, I love the Lake District. Haste ye back...

 

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Who says there's nae hills in the shire?

 

I've been trying to get some of my fellow Glasgow MTB club members down to ayrshire for a while now, and the mayday weekend possibly wasn't the best time to ask again. Anyhow, my mate Graham made it today, and joined Robin, Stu, Julie and I for a day of quality pity trails, real ale, and good food.

Weather was surprisingly good, 13 DegC for most of the day, which made the huge amount if climbing tough. As we were showing Graham around, we wanted to show him as much as we could, which meant a hell of a lot of climbing. A baw hair short of 4000 feet to be precise.

Great day, great trails, good food and beer. Home for a shower and a curry, and plans for heading up to Yorkhill children's hospital tomorrow to see our wee niece, the wee soul.

Good weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

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