Sunday 23rd November 2008 dawned with a scattering of snow on the ground but a clearing, sunny sky overhead. Mitford was the intended destination but without our Northumbrian Navigator Derek, still not physically recovered enough to face the cold, the Gollum was left with a last-minute decision to make regarding our new target. The decision wasn't made until we hit the A1 at Seaton Burn, with several possibilities available from there. He finally came down in favour of Thrunton Woods, even though we're due there in a week or two. Those who braved this cool day were Ainis, Andy, Chris D, Ian M, Matt, Steve B, Stewart and the Gollum.
When it was made it was influenced somewhat by the threat of an evil wind blowing, and it was cold enough inland without the threat from bitter offshore breezes. We got away from the Cave at about 9:45am and managed to squeeze into just two vehicles, thanks to Chris D for providing the other one. The little tarmac lane that takes you off the A697 into the Woods proved exciting to negotiate, with the GollyMobile refusing to grip on the icy covering of snow. It ended up bouncing off the side of the grass verge, completely doing its own thing, with Chris behind getting a birds eye view and wondering how this would end on a 1 in 8 slope wide enough for only one motor. Somehow the thing slowed down enough with frictional retardation for first gear to be engaged and at last it bit through the snow to the road surface. Phew! The atmosphere in the GollyMobile was one of agitation and slight concern, to say the least. But we made it. As a result of the trauma we quickly decided to go all the way up the road while we had the grip and before any more snow fell, and park in the main car park at the northern end.
We got away from the cars at 11:00 and headed immediately uphill on the main bridleway. Here's the route we took in pdf format so you can zoom in and out. We roughly followed a figure of eight pattern starting top right at Thrunton Red House (the THICK line is ours, ignore the others which are old GPS routes) then left and down to Coe Hill taking in one of the first singletrack downhills which was tricky but superb. It also claimed the first victim of the day in Ian M, but without serious damage or pain (he says!). We looped right around Coe Hill and dived off onto another tricky section of singletrack crossing the stream. This also caught out a few before we'd really got started, with Matt coming a real cropper and banging his knee, luckily not the permanently damaged one he's lived with for years.
Following warnings from the Gollum about dodgy, hidden gullies along this path, Andy first, then Chris both managed to dump their front wheels into ice-covered troughs which caused them to perform the old Flying W over the bars. Not particularly healthy for them, but totally hilarious for the rest of us, sorry lads. This trail is normally yellow sand, but today all you could see was snow, and after these two crashed we were all extra careful not to investigate innocent looking dips in the trail. Just as well as there were another three or four lurking on the way to our turn-off point.
A short discussion between Chris and the Gollum resulted in us taking a different route to our more usual one. Instead of the slow, long but rideable heave up the moorland fence line to Hard Nab we turned immediately south with the looming, vertical approach to Coe Crag straight ahead. It wasn't long before we were all carrying our bikes, the only way up here for anything but a helicopter. Once at the top half an hour later, however, the view below proved the effort well worth it. The sun was lighting up the south west side of every hill from us to the horizon in all directions - Northumberland at it's bonniest with The Cheviot away to the north east, it's head in the clouds and lower slopes bathed in brilliant sunlight.
By the time Ainis and Golly caught the others they were sitting down and opening their goodie bags, but the Gollum rode straight through their makeshift camp and continued blasting down the next hilariously tricky bridle. Tricky because every 20 or 30 feet you could feel and hear the ice giving way, cracking and creaking ominously beneath your tyres, ready to break through to a sticky end! Dunno how we all made it without a dousing. This saw us arrive atop Long Crag where at last we could get out of the wind for our very well deserved break at about 1:15pm.
Another briefing followed with warnings from Steve, Chris and Golly to the new lads about what lay in wait for them just over the next summit, and we were off again, hammering (well, you know what I mean) down Coe Crags behind the Gollum. Today that infamous final gully descent was totally evil, and there were plenty of surprised looks when the others, arriving in staggered formation, discovered that the cameraman had made it all the way down without incident. Experience (OK then, age) sometimes helps, you know! Unfortunately, it wasn't until last man Matt arrived that we discovered he'd pulled a muscle or something similar in the back of his knee just as we left bait camp! He managed to hobble the final two descents but was really in pain. Just about everyone else managed to fall or be quickly dismounted on the way down this nasty gorge.
We blasted on down the final rocky bit, and that was where Golly had yet another coming together with the front of his seat banging his weenis very har, har, hard. Ouch, ya b@stard! Crossing Coe Burn at the bottom of the hill created more falls for Ian as if he hadn't had enough by now but he just keeps bouncing back. I blame hardtails and their inanimate trail behaviour. To anyone who says "you should learn on a hardtail first" I say "Bollocks!". You'll NEVER learn how to ride rough stuff properly without springs at both ends. Anyway, he fell again just short of the crossing, and then after a human chain was formed by Chris and Golly on the tree overhanging the Burn to get the bikes over, didn't he go and drown himself in it when he missed his footing! Evil off the bike aswell!!!
Time to climb, as we set off up the very same hill for the second time to find some more entertainment up on the North Side. This was a very long drag for those with tired or damaged legs. (I claim the tired ones) but it took us almost to the top of the highest climb this side of the Crags. We were looking for an final singletrack, but finding it looks as though it may prove elusive. Somehow we were punched up another short, fairly easy slope until Gollum realised where he was - dead on course for Terry H's favourite drop.
After a few kilometres skimming the snow, ice and hidden traps along the top of Callaly Crag, Ainis got us to the little fence that marks the start of this extremely tricky and potentially life-threatening descent as he led along the fast top trail over a couple of inches of snow. There was only one video camera present, swinging around the Gollum's neck, and only one way to get any action from the back. The result would make you dizzy very quickly as it was swinging free at the back of the group, but I may stick a piece of it one here, dunno yet.
The squad were waved ahead and there were a few gasps of disbelief amongst those who hadn't seen this evil piece of, er, earth before. It's pretty steep, downright dangerous in the dry, so why on earth were we tackling it in the snow? Blame the Gollum, it was that idiot who wanted to finish the ride with a bit of torture. The drop certainly took its toll with most of us falling at least once. About half way down the fearsome descent Steve's undercarriage also had a brush with something solid (no, part of his Stumpjumper!) and that brought tears to his eyes for a few minutes, as it would. But he asked me not to say anything in case Angie reads this! Luckily, nobody at all reads this.
It was Ainis, Steve and Golly who were last down, and all the talk at the bottom was about survival. We'll be doing it again in the summer if not before, and maybe get a good comparison of how adrenalin-inducing it is with a bit of grip. Assembled on the fireroad below, Chris set off in search of the final short singletrack, but took the forward party a few hundred metres past it, as it's very hard to find with no obvious entry point. As usual, Golly issued a dire warning about the very enticing jump at the end of this swoop downhill, as it just launches you into hyperspace, with nothing but a bed in Alnwick Infirmary underneath you when you land. After the short, meandering blast through the trees just about everyone had a close encounter with the foot of the take-off ramp to hoots of laughter, but we all just about stayed upright.
Only a mile to go now back to the cars, all on flat then rising fireroad which emerges onto tarmac just north of the car park. We were back at the cars around 3:00pm and as we were leaving the trees looked very dark half an hour later. Home for 4:15 after a total of 13 miles, but they were very hard work today, so well done everybody for hanging in there and carrying an assortment of injuries throughout the ride without complaint.
Here's the Pictures, video shambles coming soon, so check back here.
And thanks to Ainis, a different slant on the ride:-
pic1 pic2 pic3 pic4 pic5 pic6 pic7
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