I seem to be doing a lot of cycling recently despite the windy weather. I’ve also been experimenting with the updated Google Maps WordPress Plugin developed by Patrick Matusz. He’s recently added the capability to use Open Street Maps and more specifically the Open Cycle Maps layers as well as just the standard Google versions. I particularly like the cycle map since it just looks a great deal better and topographic at these sizes and resolutions.
When the planned trip to the Lakes seemed to fall through we did this instead.
I should have known what I was letting myself in for, the word challenging was used in the sentence which started “I have an idea for an alternative walk….lets recce the route of the Haworth Hobble.” and although it was qualified by “We’ve done more than that before” 32 miles and 4600ft did sound quite a lot. Yes very challenging.
And then of course there was the weather, the forecast was terrible, one where the BBC weather animation had a very bright blue blob right on top of the start of the walk which intensified as the clock ticked through the day. So the evening before was fairly contemplative, would we? could we? what was “Plan B”?, or should that be “Plan C”? as this was already a plan B.
The Start on Saturday morning didn’t bode well either, raining outside, late up missing the alarm clock, relying on my mobile to wake me when the alarm schedule is only set for mon-fri then deciding half way to Haworth that the ‘other map’ was better and we’d have to go back for it. (a wise choice in the end)
When we get to Haworth at least its stopped raining and despite the fact that the village has been invaded by what seems like a 2nd World War German invasion force and the local Home Guard all seemingly fraternising with several civilians dressed up to go to some Big Band concert, the locals were very friendly. There was clearly some event on.
Bronte Bridge
The first part of the route heads off to the Bronte Falls crossing over a small stone bridge, the Bronte Bridge no less, the sun still shining at this point, made for a very picturesque start, the odd spattering of rain ignored for the time being. But not for long for then it started and just grew in intensity as we pulled up to the early high point and the ruins at “Withins”, which looked the part of a Bronte novel but clearly in this weather it was no place to stop. Within a few moments though the rain eased and a the sun seeped through the clouds, geese honked and all was right with the world again. This was the pattern for most of the day, always just enough sunshine to ward off the wet and cold, to keep the determination on the positive side; we will finish this.
Walshaw Dean
From this point the route follows the Pennine Way or the Pennine Bridleway as it now seems to be called, and skirts many of the reservoirs scattered all over these moors, heading towards the outskirts of Burnley. Its made repeatedly clear why these reservoirs are here. Victorian engineering architecture still performing its rather solid and solemn job of collecting the rain, most of which seems to be falling on our heads for much of the time. Despite this they (the reservoirs) appear at best half empty, the recent new stories of droughts as bad as the late 1970′s evidentially true.
Windfarm
With a good third of the route done and the outer reaches of Burnley a stone’s throw away we leave the bleakest part of the moors and head towards Todmorden passing the windfarms above Holme Chapel. Its easy to see and feel why these ‘farms’ are sited here, at least the wind is behind us so when it rains only our backs get wet. We are passed by numerous cyclists going the other way, not so lucky. At this point we attempt a minor detour and have to resort to real map reading rather than glancing at the highlighter line on the page (see earlier reference to other map), map references GPS and everything. We’re soon back on track though and skirting around the northern edge of Todmorden and its golf course heading off towards the oddly named Mankinholes and then Stoodly Pike.
Stoodly Pike
While we didn’t drop down into Todmorden proper we did eventually lose most of the height from the top of the moor and the anticipated climb up to Stoodly Pike looked the part and by this time the wind was getting up ushering in more heavy showers. In the end however, it was more in the anticipation rather than the reality, it wasn’t so steep or so long that we had to break pace for other than photos. This was the 2/3rds point from here on in it seemed like that we were on the homeward leg, or so we thought.
The first time out with the Harriers for nearly six weeks. Nearly pulled up but stuck with it until the end. The downhill section from Low Gate to the A69 was good recovery. Completely trashed by the time we got back to the Wentworth in Hexham.
Time:01:26:21
Distance:7.05 mi
Elevation Gain:573 ft
Calories:672 C
I’m ill still, not well, not man flu but just feeling all bunged up and can’t decide if its a head cold or hay fever or a mix of both. The cough is heading south to the chest and I’m faced with a prospect of going back to bed, long wait in the Nearest NHS Drop in Centre or what? A run, no that doesn’t feel good, or a troll out on the bike? Maybe if I can just blast the gunge away, and the weather is as good as its been since last summer, positively glorious sunshine but not too hot.
The bike it is then, where? up the Tyne Valley, to Hexham along the back roads. So with the GPS strapped to the handlebars and the bike strapped to my feet (SPD pedals) off we go!
The view from the Rat at Anick back towards Corbridge,
12.6 miles. Now return via lower route and hope I haven’t overdone it.
Oatens Bank is the short 2 mile stretch of road that takes you from Horsley and the A69 and Harlow Hill on the Military Road. It was on the last Tour of Britain as the top half of the Hill Climb in the area. The lower half being the pull up from the Tyne at Ovingham to High Barns Farm, but that’d be my finish later today.
The route takes the hill full on and it’s just unrelenting but I manage. By the time I get to the top I’m warm, very warm and believe that its doing me good, just press on. The next stretch is down the hill, 30+ MPH to the reservoirs the a series of right angle bends to the back roads that effectively run parallel to the main roads and are almost dead straight, Roman probably, and quiet, head down push on, swerve at the last minute to miss the car approaching which you didn’t hear ‘coz you head’s all bunged up still, thats clearing, and you’re doing nearly 25 mph and the scary adrenaline rush gives you a momentary boost to get over the next brow before the legs start to feel weak. The next junction, where next? consult the GPS, guess at the direction, Aydon Castle, dodge tourists in the road on foot and cars, press on. This looks familiar but not from the bike, damn its steep, stop, push on. The Rat at Anick is a great place for a stop and lunch or so I though. Fluid is ok but I can’t face a full Sunday Roast, that’s all that’s on offer, so push on, or back now towards Corbridge, 12+ miles done and its starting to get hard. Corbridge reached in short order, it’s mostly down hill. Tea and enormous slice of flapjack, rest and recuperation watching the world go by from the market square.
Now the hard work starts. The route is familiar as its the same as the Tynedale Harrier’s 10 Mile Jelly Tea race, the climb out of Corbridge being just the start. The road then follows the Tyne for much of the way towards Ovingham, the exception being the short very sharp and very steep hill just before the village. In race terms it’s mile 9 and a bugger, today it’s mile 20 or so and it nearly kills me but there’s more to come.
At that point I’m passed by another cyclist, I’ve seen a few today mostly going the other way or on mountain bikes and going slower then me, this one is tall and lean and fast (and female, although that’s not relevant) and I get dragged along to the village of Ovingham itself. This peleton of just two doesn’t last long however as any gradient now has me crawling to a snails pace. I turn off for the last leg, the pull up the hill towards Horsley and home. Remamber I said it’s the bottom half of a ToB hill climb, it hurts a lot. Stop, rest, push on again and then we’re at the top, the final mile or so to the village and home is a relief.
25 miles almost to the nail, just over two hours, no where near tri speeds or even normal cruising but felt very good having done it, bloody shattered mind.
And for the cold? it didn’t kill me, the cure’s only partial but way better than the NHS Walk in Centre.
Ai Weiwei
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New ticket machine at Prudhoe station, good you may think. #fail it only takes credit cards and takes minutes rather than seconds to issue tickets. You can’t collect pre-bought tickets either. So now you run the risk of a penalty fare for getting on the train in the morning without a ticket because the queue was too long.
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Ingleborough the last of the Yorkshire Three Peaks
This time we were better prepared and more than a bit determined to improve on our previous time. We started from Houghton this time, the ‘official’ start point the 3 Peaks Cafe and clocked in. Disappointingly the clock wasn’t actually working and a hand written note was shoved through a letter box with the time and date scribbled on it. The note paper and a pencil being borrowed from another couple also fortuitously doing the same thing at the same time.
Whernside
The start from Horton begins easily enough, crossing the road by the church and following the path around through the farm then joining the road at the old school house. The sunshine breaking through the early morning mist and the effort of walking shrugging off the chill. Turning left at the farm at Brakenbottom the climb to the first top, Pen-Y-Ghent, begins it’s relentless attack on the legs. The path’s attack on the iconic jagged profile of PYG is as steep as it looks in it’s final section and by the time the summit is reached, in almost exactly the hour, we know we have expended some real effort.
The long trek down from PYG to Ribblehead is taken at run wherever we can, the rough ground and boggy terrain slowing us down too often. The stream, Hull Pot Beck, is crossed gingerly over the stepping stones, visible this time but slippery. We know from past experience that much time can be wasted trying to find a better crossing only to realise that this is as good as it gets and you’ll get wet feet whatever you do. Press on through the bog and minor detours around the worst bits, its no where near as bad as it has been but still over the ankle/knee/thigh in places. It’s a long way to Ribblehead and we join the road at Lodge Hall with no time to stop at the pub where we stayed on our last visit, pressing on to the direct route up Wherneside itself.
Ingleborough Trig
We’ve decided on the direct route as it cuts about 1.5 miles off the route but at the expense of the steepness of the approach. After a minor back-track, too eager to cut under the railway line, we find out just how steep the alternative is, damn steep but it’s agreed that its better this way rather than the never ending ‘usual route’.
There’s a brief, very brief stop at the summit for a handful of fruit nuts and other energy before the jog down to Chapel-le-Dale. Thats two down and one to go.
The last top, Ingleborough, looks very far and very steep and high from here. The mist has cleared and the huge bulk of the mountain is exposed and fills the view in front of us. We agree that ‘this is going to hurt‘ and it does.
The final run back to the cafe from the station showing willing but we’d missed our unspoken target, or maybe targets, finally coming in at 7hr:42m.
What exactly is BOGOF? Buy one get one free, right? Wrong, buy one and get another that looks almost the same as the first one but not quite oh and there’s another £125 charge to upgrade the second one so its nearly the same spec. as the first but not quite. Bloody marketing speak, its all lies I tell you.
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At the Learing Without Frontiers conference at the Brewery / Barbican in London earlier this month. A stimulating and challenging conference covering technology and learning.
Activities
Garmin
Marketwise Strategies
Mountain Circles
NFR
Tynedale Harriers
Dolphin Hotel
Galactic Teabag
Growing Old Disgracefully
Nothing Special