OK folks, FWIW this is my tupence,
Start point was McDonalds on the A59 just outside Clitheroe, departure time was to be around 10.00hrs in fact we were about 20 mins late but what the heck this was supposed to be a lazy run up to Ninebanks.
Allen Mitchell was keen to do a few lanes on the way up but not Salter fell (didn't want to come off in the first hour ) So we headed for Clapham via Gisburn forest with the intention of doing the tunnel and Thwaites lane if we'd managed to get through the tunnel as we were expecting a torrent. On arrival we discussed the situation with the new member Mark Haydock who happened to mention his bike was only 10 days old and had 800 miles on the clock, it was suggested he run around this short section on the road but decided to have a look see for himself, however like many things once started it's difficult to stop, so up he went or should that be through and up anyway at the top he seemed quite impressed with his own effort and much to our surprise he said it was his first venture off tarmac !!
We carried on down the less demanding but much slippier section during which
time Mark laid the bike down quite slowly and gently with no damage other than
to his pride. We continued over the bridge at Stainforth foss and then took
Long lane much to my personal disapproval although Allen Mitchell had been keen
to do
it with somebody else about and leading ( thanks Charlie ) Les Booth had decided
not to chance the Varadaro up this quite stony track so took Mark the road route.
Les rang me to find out where we were as we had been a while so I explained
there had been a number of slow speed put downs and we were a little exhausted
.
After this extra exertion we decided to go by tarmac to the lunch stop at Middleham via Kettlewell and Coverdale quite funny really as the weather was brilliant in Kettlewell with punters sat outside the pub eating and drinking but I had set my mind on making Middleham before lunch ( didn't want to spend to much time getting up to Ninebanks like last year ) As soon as we crested the ridge into Coverdale the whole skyline became darker and cooler, we managed to get there just before the rain arrived which was lucky I suppose but meant we had to eat our lovely lunch inside.
We left Middleham in rain again and headed for Leyburn and onto Reeth, turning off the road to Tan Hill towards Middleton in Teesdale. We headed out on the B6277 for Langdon Beck then taking the left signed to Carr Green Reservoir but turned right to Harwood and the " green lane " up Green Combs to rejoin the B6277 ( Les had chosen to take Mark around on tarmac which was 6 miles to our 1 so obviously we arrived at the top first so we headed back down towards the duo whilst looking for the next lane which runs over Coldberry End to Ireshopeburn on the A689 to Alston shortly afterwards we turned off for Carrshield and Ninebanks. We had been desperately trying to beat Les and Mark who were keen to get their shower and get stuck into the beers however a slight isunderstanding arose as Les shot off in the opposite direction to Alston and therefore arrived after us intrepid trail warriors !! I wonder how that happened Charlie ?
Pauline was pleased to see us and on the Friday night there were just 2 other occupants and on Saturday we had the place to ourselves. All the ordered drinks were in the cold room and once the money/ drinks were organised we were keen to eat but we still had 5 more to arrive. Very soon Mick Bingham and Bill Naismith rolled up and by 19.30 we had told Pauline she better serve as the remaining 3 should have been here and it wasn't right for us to spoil her meal but as this was said Paul & Neil Vernon and Jim Dobson pulled up outside with just enough time to take their coats off before sitting down to eat, good timing or what ?
During the evening various people disappeared to bed but by 01.00 Saturday
I had had enough leaving Glenn, Charlie and George debating the trustworthiness
of
the Police !!
Saturday morning up at 07.30 for breakfast at 08.30 ( lazy start of 10.00 planned ) by 09.15 all the other members of the party have arrived and been allotted their quarters so we decided to leave early. The previous evening there had been serious discussion regarding going up the lane which we had come down the previous year and an inspection party went out to investigate ( it looks much worse from the bottom ) Anyway the general consensus was to do it with a few choosing to go around as it was the first trail of the day. What a wake up call ! all those that tried did eventually make it with a bit of extra effort, hey Adam. We progressed on along some interesting back lanes through Saggyford and Featherstone Castle to the fuel stop at Haltwhistle. Fuelled up we headed for Greenhead and Gilsland and skirting the ranges we ran north through Butterburn and into Wark forest at Churnsike Lodge at this point we have been on the gravel road for 1/2 mile and there are already plenty of smiles.Heading east to Whitehill we turn north to Muckle Samuel's Crags and into Keilder at Hopehouse turning right to Bower. We turned back into the forest and ran around until we exited onto the lakeside road running into Keilder village at which point we ran over the 12 mile toll road (3/4 on dirt) to the lunch / fuel stop at 13.30 Oh forgot to mention the day was lovely and warm, not requiring waterproofs at all. Come 14.30 we are ready to leave for another 3 hrs in Keilder and Wark forest all dirt roads and NO traffic, What !! no traffic was this brilliant or what ? The navigation took a couple of detours mainly due to yours truly using a map that didn't even show Keilder water so some of the plantation sections had grown a bit and some newer felling roads put in but as the riding was generally of a good standard nobody seemed to be worried.
I know there has been mention of 90 mph on the dirt but for anybody reading this my personal limit was somewhere between 45 / 60 and of course as we were running a last man system you could choose your own pace.
We arrived back about 18.15 just giving us enough time for a quick shower and beer before another of Pauline's excellent meals ( 3 courses of course ) We must have been fairly well worked over as by 23.00 we were all in bed.
Sunday dawned nice and bright so we all thought a good day beckoned and for me this was to be a day to try and relax as the route home or at least to Bainbridge in the Yorkshire dales was to be led by Graeme Hyde and last man Rob Hogarth. we started with a gravelly steepish downhill trail into Nenthead then small tarmac lanes and a broken tarmac track to Tan Hill and onto Thwaites followed by a very interesting narrow lane before arriving at Bainbridge.
For those who have read other posts you will be wondering were Les came off
well that was just before the A66 between Brough and Barnard Castle, I cannot
be more specific as it is actually off my map. Les was apparently concussed
for a few minutes and because of some pain in his back the ambulance service
didn't want
to carry him the great distance to hospital by road so he got a free ride in
a chopper to James Cook University hospital at Middlesborough, Allen Mitchell
went there to see if everything was ok and whist he was pronounced alive but
couldn't be released due to the distance from home so he was kept in overnight.
Charlie
stayed with Les's bike awaiting the arrival of the recovery outfit, after 2
hours Charlie happened to come across them about to give up and go home as the
drivers boss had told him to abort the job, therefore he wouldn't take the bike
to Les's home only to their depot. Anyway Les is ok and he was due to get the
bike back when I last spoke to him, still a bit battered and bruised but keen
to get back out there, a true biker.
At various points on the journey back different members had dropped off and
headed home, usually in company. The 10 at lunch was reduced to 7 as we left
Bainbridge for Hawes and Gayle tops down to Hubberholme and Kettlewell, a few
more back lanes took us to Gargrave and a toilet stop before Paul and Neil Vernon,
Jim Dobson and Derek Arnold left myself Glenn Tatlow and George Gordon to head
down the Ribble Valley aiming for Charlie's thinking he would have
arrived home ahead of us not knowing what hassle he was having ( no companion
or phone to chase the recovery guy's up with). Still all arrived home alive
even if one of us was a bit late !!
Here's a link to some pics: http://www.zen37194.zen.co.uk/GOC2004/
Be seeing you
Harry Nuttall (Aitch FL 118)