Wet, Wet, Wet. Not a band, just my summing up of today, Sunday 27th April 2008. It was threatening at home as we gathered for the off at the Cave. Terry H was to meet us at Blanchland, while Keith, Steve B, Jason, Mick H and Paul collected at Golly's to get the transport organised. The outcome was Paul, Steve, Jason and Golly in the van and Mick and Keith in the latter's Freelander. Off we went, or sort of, until it was pointed out to Jay that he was steering the van towards Whitley Bay, not Hexham. Start again, around 9:20 am, but only after Skippy (Steve B - Wild Boar Skipper, see?) declared his Stumpy unfit for duty and we had to switch his funny Yankee cleat pedals onto Gollum's spare Decathlon.

We got to Blanchland in very overcast (okay, wettish) conditions to meet Terry in the car park and got the ride started about10:30 after Keith finished passing around his spanking new Whyte XT 120, a beautiful piece of British  (ta jay) Carbon Fibre handiwork, and so light it needs wheels to keep it down. Terry took us by road up the nearest vertical climb he could find, to make sure he killed off all opposition as soon as possible.- however, it came in handy for Keith and the Gollum who had plenty of time to discuss important bike matters on their long walk upwards, and there'd be another much longer one near the end!

Special Treat - new enhancement for you - click on map below for BIG version you can actually read! Following the Red track from Blanchland we went north into Slaley Forest, then east, did the two small Forest loops then back down the way we'd gone (completely different in reverse, no boredom here) then straight down to Sandyford doing the lower loop anticlockwise. And thanks to Paul C for the lovely GPS data. Now if you study the top of the track carefully, you might see it painting the word VAN. I bl@@dy hope that's not another bad omen for the GollyMobile®.

The initial savage climb gave way to some ordinary hard climbs as we made our way up Birkside Fell to the Sun. But we didn't see it, although we got high enough to touch it. Now there's a good reason for climbing, and we all know what that is. So once we'd reached a few map contours higher than the place we started at, the ride became very nice indeed. The wetness we experienced at the start didn't bode well for the terrain ahead, but really it wasn't at all bad, and apart from a few stretches of fairly heavy mud it was almost all rideable. And most of the bad bits had been caused by those loathsome motorcyclists ripping dirty great ruts out of the soft ground. Not only was it eminently do-able, but the very first section of singletrack was absolutely excellent, and I, for one, would have been happy with that alone. Plus a few more climbs, of course, as I'm in serious Training Mode just now (aren't we?).

here's Keith's  stumps, ripped to shreds by fast gorse bushes smiles up to now

here's where Gollums carry their spare tubes - really! or is it a wind-up?

However, the route Terry had picked out for us contained plenty more of the same and even some of the climbs through patches of forest and woodland gave us some great riding, with an abundance of technical challenge to keep us alert. Of course, technical challenges usually means someone copped it, and today the someone was Paul, about four times, and Mick with one superb over-the-bars moment. There's a shot of his face here somewhere just after the event. A tribute to the RAF, is Mick, with this fine example of the famed and magnificent Flying W!

Actually, I joked above (what, you didn't laugh?) about being in training, did I not? Today, however, three quarters of MidAirCrisis One were out for this Wild Boar heavy practice run while the poor old Gollum was sole representative, just one quarter of Team Two. Hardly fair, and the other three sh@t on me easily so I dunno how much chance we've got of being second last in the Race unless you other bu@@ers get going soon.

Reaching Blanchland again, wor Keith looked a bit puzzled as we sped past where the cars were towards the looming, mountainous, upward mass of Bale Hill - had we not finished the ride? Well, actually, erm, no! This final, long, gut-wrenching climb up the B road towards the last singletrack section over the moors past Edmondbyers, then back on tarmac from Edmundbyers (yes, two byers there!) to Blanchland was just what he wasn't ready for after another lengthy spell off bikes, and this his first ride on a new one! So it wasn't all happiness and smiles as he and Gollum took the long walk up into the clouds to join the rest, who were all asleep in a heap when we got there.

Although it was a slog for us, the remaining stuff was yet again Quality, as the Young People say these days, so I don't regret giving Terry the nod to clag on this extra loop. Actually we did this a few times just as some folk were expecting an easier trip, but I like the evil glint in Terry's eye when we're about to inflict more pain! Anyway, we would have been back too early if we hadn't done it, and we'd have missed the final, humungous deluge which shifted tons of loose crap off the bikes as we headed downhill and back to the cars after about 5.5 hours moving time (Paul's GPS again).

25.4 ml, 5 hrs 30 mins, 4.62 mph average speed, 28.5 mph max (Paul!) and back in the car park at 3:50 pm.

I can certainly recommend this route, and without doubt we're gonna hurt ourselves on it when it's bone dry some time soon (?). Cheers Terry for another cracking ride.

bit of video, the Slippery Slope             Terry & Jason        Steve        Mick, Paul & Keith        Prob for Terry      

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