RSF Grinton trip Day3: Fremmington Edge & Healaugh

By Sunday our numbers were down. A couple of guys went off to do their own rides leaving seven of us to do this short loop. I'd originally planned that this day's ride would be shorter, but as these things go when you havent had chance to try a ride out... this turned out to be a full day's worth of cycling.

Heading out of Grinton, we rounded a corner at what looked like a back street to be confronted by a vertical wall of a lane. There was a tiny reprise before another steep section emerged that kept rising and turned from a smooth track, to a bumpy one, to a fully lumpy one. We stopped a couple of times to 'admire the view' and nodded hellos to mountain bikers who were also climbing up Fremmington Edge.

Nick pushing his bike is a rare sight

Amanda & Ged almost at the top

Ian showing off with his sensible gear ratio, suspension & tyres

Atop Marrick Moor the wind was still fierce as we climbed further albeit a more gradual incline. We met some land rovers who were off up the tops for motoring fun and also some scrambling motor cycles. But we carried on beyond the tracks and towards a grassy descent where it took a little while to figure out just where the bridleway was. Soon we were enjoying some smooth descent, but this soon turned in to a technical rocky downhill section. We all lined up awaiting our turn.
The cold winds had frozen my hands and I interspersed riding with pushing since my raynauldsy fingers made effective braking impossible. But everyone else fully enjoyed that descent.

Passing some beautiful landscape, we were soon at Langthwaite & the pub.

Those who ride with Simeon were well prepared with packed lunches. Alas the Red Lion was lacking much food choice, so a couple of us cycled up to CB Inn heading up towards the Tan Hill Rd. The view up Arkengarthdale was amazing and the sun was trying to break through.

We enjoyed a really nice lunch & this place lives up to it's reputation.  Amanda left the ride here to spend the afternoon with her husband and the rest of us enjoyed some more climbing up the other side of the valley along the side of the wonderfully named Cringley Hill.

This was a really fun bit of moorland followed by a fast descent to Nova Scotia, so fast that we managed to miss our intended turn off, but instead found a steep bit of tarmac to enjoy that brought us to Healaugh where we took the road and then the greenway along the riverside to find a perfect afternoon tea stop in the form of a beautiful view whilst flasks and rations were pulled from saddle bags.

The last section brought us back to river level & we negotiated tree roots on a very narrow path. We were back in Grinton in no time.
Ian, Nick, Eileen, Stephen & I went to the pub for halves and brews and it was mild enough to sit outside.  Ged headed back up to the hostel for his lift home with Dave. A lovely way to end a brilliant weekend of cycling.

The map for the route can be seen here.

I had thought I'd take the monday morning commute by car to rest my legs after three challenging days in the saddle, but I was greeted by such glorious weather that I couldnt resist a cycle commute and I havent had any days off the bike yet. And my legs are telling me about it!

It was lovely to meet up with riders that I see so rarely, but the usual suspects turning up was as always greatly appreciated - you know who you are ;-)  Thanks for your company & making the trip brilliant!
Special thanks to Gerald (in his mid-70s) who was the only person to complete the full three days with me & was great company. On Sunday morning at breakfast, he'd asked if I was feeling fit this morning, to which I replied 'of course', his reply 'I was worried about that'.

Planning and leading rides for a group of well seasoned cyclists can be a little bit of an intimidating experience. Our club certainly has some massive personalities and some very strong views are held & I think that the history of past rides & leaders can sometimes get in the way of new people trying out those shoes with confidence.   Since I didn't know this area at all where others did, I had been filled with trepidation at the start of each day, but by the end of each day I was buzzing with the success of the routes and the enjoyment that everyone seemed to have had.

RSF Grinton trip Day2: Castle Bolton

Cold, driving winds, head on! That was the start of day 2 of the trip. The moors were alight with heather burning (controlled), the smoke was thick and we were heading right into it as we headed towards the disused lead-mine buildings on Grinton moor. Sadly Andy had to head back as the wind and smoke didn't agree with his asthma. The rugged track soon vanished and we were left pondering where the bridleway was - without a gps it would have been very difficult to figure out the line of the track, but we had a few between us and we followed the overgrown, barely used route up the hill, all pushing our steeds; the grass & half burned heather tussocks making it impossible to pedal.

Through the border wall atop the hill, the proper track reappeared and soon we were enjoying a fast, albeit bumpy (for those of us without suspension) descent of Preston Moor, still into the cold wind as we headed towards Castle Bolton.

We lunched in the castle tea rooms with one or two people dressed in period outfits dotted around. They are filming some comedy about William Shakespeare. Alas we didn't see anyone famous.
It was somewhat slow service, but worth the wait!
After lunch we parted company from some riders who had to head home or save their weary legs!


The rest of us enjoyed a loop into the bottom of the valley following East Bolton Moor & descending into Carperby. The sun was now shining and the winds had dropped.

As we climbed back up to the castle, there was a definite evening glow forming.





Rather than take the road option back, we followed a track directly northwards to Greets Hill. Bits were rideable, other bits less so - but those bits meant we could have a good natter, a few breathers and admire the view.

The last climb was well worth the effort...

The final descent was smooth as butter over soft, golf course grade grass with the occasional hole and tussock to leap off as we sped our way down towards the hostel with the sun setting on our backs.

The gpx and map for the route can be seen / dloaded here

RSF Grinton trip Day1: Richmond

Way back last October, following an audax from Richmond, I penned in a RSF cycling trip to Swaledale to explore the area a bit more. The danger of booking anything so far in advance of March is weather risky - this time last year we had plenty of snow and ice, thankfully the long weekend this time turned out weather wonderful.

The hostel had filled up pretty fast (with what turned out to be a school party, not of little ones exploring the outdoors, but six formers on a mathematics residential weekend!), so some of the group stopped elsewhere - inns, tea shops, tents & campers!

 
The Friday morning started out chilly, but bright as fifteen of us zoomed down the steep hill to join Route 71, which happily had been closed to motor traffic whilst some road repairs took place. The cracks in the road were minimal for a rough-stuff rider, but we had been duly warned to take care. The lack of traffic made a lovely carefree start to the ride and we enjoyed views across the River Swale valley as we sped along in the morning sunshine.


Our first bit of rough by How Hill was accompanied by the echos of gunfire from the military ranges and we popped out at the quaint hamlet of Downholme.

The gusty wind helped us up to the top of Downholme Moor. We admired the views from atop as Phil fettled with his bike.

After this was a lovely long descent all the way into Richmond. Initially straight with a nice gradual decline, you could really let yourself go without too much concentration. The last, steep down into Richmond opened up a smashing view of the castle as we rounded a sharp corner, alas being on road and going at speed with cars now a factor, nobody could stop safely to take a photo. (I'll remember that view for next time).

We lunched in sunny, blue skied Richmond. Sadly the ancient centre resembles a carpark whenever the market isn't on - the church and monument become the centre of essentially a big cobbled roundabout - I always think it's such a shame letting cars into this beautiful ancient town centre.

The climb towards Whitcliffe Scar through the woods was delightful; you're up above the town in no time and from this side of the valley the views are magical...

... And the woods are muddy!

At Marske we headed for the hills for an additional loop around the side of Skelton Moor, then back towards the river, although despite the path following the river course, it was far from flat as it climbed up to Marrick.


The evening sun was closing in and there was now a certain chill to the air as we waded our tyres through farm muck, which is where I picked up a massive thorn and pfffft, I had a puncture so close to the end of the ride (only the second of the day for the whole group). Stephen came to my rescue and we were heading back up the hill to the hostel in no time, which certainly warmed us up.

I believe le tour is venturing up that steep road - the tarmac seems far too smooth for regular car useage.
To say I'd not had time to head up here to try the routes out, this one turned out to be perfect.
A map and gpx can be viewed here

In the evening some new guests had arrived at base, so we spent a good few hours chatting over drinks in the hostel. 
Day 1 was a fantastic start to the trip!!

Cragg Vale fun coming up

If it's escaped your attention, Le Tour Grande Depart will be from Yorkshire this year. There is hundreds of years of history of rivalry between my home county of Lancashire with that of those tight fisted folk just over the border in Yorkshire, but my home town is right in border territory; so much so I'm often mistaken for having a Yorkshire accent. And who can begrudge a county when it is just so beautiful and created wonders like Yorkshire pudding and Yorkshire curd tart. So of course, I've volunteered my legs for some Yorkshire style grande depart fun. I will be joining a troupe of riders who will be hauling a grand piano up the longest continuous gradient in the whole of our fair land, Cragg Vale.
I'm ridiculously excited about it. 

February was a brilliant cycling month. Despite howling gales and plenty of wet stuff, I managed the highest mileage since last September and I didn't even take part in any audax rides! In fact, 80% of my Feb rides were purely commutes. I've been going a longer, less trafficy route a fair bit, which may account for the unexpected increase for such a little month.


Which meant when I led a toughish off road RSF ride last week, I still had plenty of off road hill climbing in my legs. Phew. Winter has not stifled my cycling fitness one bit :-D

Ian took some lovely pics on the ride. Thoroughly enjoyed the company.