Another new rider made his debut today, welcome to Lee E from High Farm, Wallsend who's mount is a fairly rare BMC Trailfox full susser. And it was nice to see Jules out with Tim again - been a while since her last outing. Steve Wa and Terry completed the now expected very low turnout and the five set off from the Cave for a shortened tour of South East Northumberland just after 0900.

We ducked behind the Holystone, up to the Cramlington Waggonway at Hillheads before Tim led through the fields and across to Backworth with the strengthening wind at our backs. We took in our newly created trail on the way through to Seghill then singletracked our way to Thorn Hill where we spent a few minutes at the summit clearing up rubbish left by scum. Steve led that fantastic swoop down between the tricky trees and gruesome grooves to the Mummy trail below.

Tim and Jules had to curtail their ride here due to other commitments so the three remaining set off towards the top of Delaval and into the fields at East Crammy. There followed a lengthy session of ducking and weaving, trying new bits of trail, backing out again, being ripped to bits by nettles and thorns - the usual bunch of attractions. Then we popped out of the fields at the Keel Row before dropping to the first wood and seeking new directions in there.

The familiar hill climb came next and from the top we followed Steve back down to bridleway level again. That didn't last long as the next climb beckoned before the much longer swoop down to the eastern fields behind New Hartley popped us back onto bridle again. We resisted the temptation to cross the lumpy fields we did two Thursdays ago and stayed on the longer perimeter bridleway around to Hartley's north side and those very nice woods over the stile (!).

We rested in the field after flogging through that, nicely sheltered from the wicked wind. Our bait stop was early, around 1100, then we attempted to cross the railway line in search of the elusive footpath around to the crossing. Didn't find it, even after a short ride along the tracks, so we'll need to go back and do that some other time. Steven swore there was another path over to the start of the Hollywell trail but we couldn't find that either so we took the one we found last time.

Next was the bridleway up to the top of the Dene and somehow the wind wasn't battering us on the way south. We dropped into the Dene with Steven leading as he hurtled along the bone dry, rapid trail with the other two dropping back gradually. It was about half way up the steady incline that Lee seemed to tire, luckily for Terry who was having trouble keeping up anyway. We made a reasonable attempt at that savage climb over the bridge but failed to clear it, but at least there weren't another ten bodies piling into the back of us this time!

We climbed out of the Dene and just as we hit the field at the top of the bank, Steve got his eye on another hole in the bushes. We did investigate but although there was a pretty sweet length of single, it only lasted 100 metres before being overgrown, so we backed out once more but again it could be worth doing some clearance work in there. The episode was repeated just further on but again, although we could see the end of the previous trail, there are some considerable blockages to clear to maker it usable.

From here to the end of the ride we were blown about a bit, but stayed off the open road as much as we could. Ian B warned me last week that someone had erected new gates and fences between the Holystone and the Pavillion, and I can confirm this, so we'll revert to the "legal" route out behind the farm as we used to. Should be OK until the wet season at least.