Time for another Northumbrian Safari this Sunday, 13th April 2008. Terry H's timing was a little adrift so he set off alone to meet the rest of us at Alwinton village. The rest of us consisted of Mick H, Steve B, Keith and yours truly the Gollum. We were ready to roll for the scheduled start time, but Golly insisted on hanging around to see if anyone else turned up - there were two new members possibly arriving close to the cave if recent e-mails were to be believed. Keith sportingly agreed to go looking for suspects but came back empty handed. Then Golly sent a text to Steve W, only to have the reply come back informing him that Steve was, in fact, in the Lakes this weekend! (He had indeed told Golly that earlier in the week!). So off we went around 9:20.

Terry was indeed ready to roll up at Alwinton as the others arrived, and we managed to get sorted and set off for 10:25am. This was Keith's first proper ride after a two month lay-off due to working away, so we planned a route that would be gentle on his legs, still a bit weary from Thursday night's ride. But our planning is a bit sus, apparently, and poor Keith was groaning 10 minutes later!

We were doing one of our "usual" Clennell Street rides the wrong way round, for a change, which meant a tarmac climb instead of a grassy, stony dual for the first few k's. When we hit the bridleway and Keith saw where it was pointing (up) we could see steam coming out of his ears. Never mind the pain, he didn't let it stop him as we began a steady trudge up the hillside heading for Barrowburn. Now I'm absolutely hopeless at remembering routes, and lost since the demise of my trusty 6 year old Garmin GPS, but I think we took to the rough at Shillmoor and headed up soggy ground aside the Usway Burn to Fairhaugh, but Terry will correct me if I'm wrong and I'll correct this!

Before reaching the House and later the ford, however, we stopped on the western corner of the forest at Hosden Burn for our lunch break at 12:15, with Keith suspecting his headache was down to lack of nourishment. Golly agreed so we tucked in for about 15 minutes. Steve had managed to transport a Subway 12 inch sarnie all this way without apparent damage and made it disappear, no problem.

When we got going it was along a strip of excellent singletrack which dipped in and out of tree cover, but unfortunately the external parts were 2 to 3 inches deep with muddy goo, like most of the other grass and bare earth stretch covered today. Surely it's gonna stop raining or snowing soon and the place is going to dry out - surely? Reaching the ford at 12:35, we decided that with the Burn in flood as it was, we might just give it a miss. Perhaps Keith didn't hear the majority verdict, or just wanted to cool himself, so you can guess why only his head is visible in the following shot!

Anyway, while Keith took his dip, the rest of us crossed the wooden bridge just two hundred metres upstream where we met him for the biggest climb of the day, which finished as a walk for everyone after brave attempts to clean it by Terry and Steve. Emerging from the trees we had Uswayford ahead and descended to another stream crossing where we spent a few minutes chatting to a trio of riders headed in the other, more normal, direction.

That left another drag, a long one this time up to the heights of Clennell Street, where again Steve and Terry conquered the summit on two wheels despite the odd stutter due to loss of traction. And when we were all overtaken by a young speed merchant on his Orange Five, Steve made sure he caught him before he cleared the hill! MidAirCrisis Rules!

All that was left now was a crazy, but very damp dash down The Street back to Alwinton, where we arrived around 3:15pm with grins as wide as ever, and in decent weather, but cool. terry reckoned we covered about 15 to 17 miles, but the sogginess of the whole route made it seem a bit longer. Thanks once again to Terry for devising another good route for us.

NOW! For once, someone else had a camera out today, and I thank Keith for his contribution below - some nice moody shots amongst them, and only one bad one (guess). He just wanted to flash his new i-thingie toy, really.

 

Keep watching and if you fancy a ride out with us, drop us a line here: bailout@midaircrisis.org.uk