The Long March

Mountain Bike Ride.

The Ginger One.

20th January 2016 route.

As a defence, “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” probably could be bettered and even the most mediocre legal eagle could rip it to shreds; a geographically-challenged snooker player from Darlington did not even question the wisdom of today’s execrable route choice. Constrained as we were by snow on the high moors, it probably lacked a bit of sense to start from Clay Bank car park, only 677 feet below the highest point on the North York Moors, we decided to stay low and see what transpired. A lot of trudging through snow, mud and water with heavy bikes and wet feet is what transpired but more of that later.

Our initial descent to Greenhow Plantation on the road featured a few patches of ice and snow, entering the woods, we followed snow-covered fire roads, up and down to eventually reach Bank Foot Farm, giving way to a few large vehicles which are currently employed in harvesting the trees. After Bank Foot the usual format is to slog on up Turkey Nab onto Battersby Moor, the aforementioned conditions made this option somewhat unattractive. The low level track from Bank Foot to Coleson Banks used to be reasonable except for a brief messy section, an entirely logical thought progression reasoned quite often tracks are repaired and strengthened prior to tree-felling to facilitate access and egress for the wagons and heavy machinery. This particular track had not been visited by us for quite a while ergo there is every chance it is now a gorgeous thoroughfare which would lead us speedily and picturesquely to Coleson Banks. Of course there was every chance to converse was also true. The converse was also true with knobs on. A brief section of exemplary fire-road lead us unwittingly into a Somme winter, the track is beyond destroyed, metre deep trenches running with water stretch into the distance, bordered by ridges of soft clay topped with snow. Unrideable and barely walkable, the going was slow and sticky, sinking ankle-deep with every step, at points we were able to get off the track and stagger through the remains of the plantation but were forced to rejoin the track by fallen trees and thick brush. Ice rimed puddles alliteratively punctuated our passage as we plodded painfully upward.

Finally a metal barrier came into view, our torture had come to an end, we stumbled onto the Coleson Banks track like two Gulag escapees. The Coleson Banks track, once a popular way to and from Baysdale is also wrecked, the track surface now about three metres below the surrounding moorland funnelling water downward, reducing the terrain to bare rocks and earth. Probably unrideable to ascend - now there’s a challenge. It was not a challenge to two dilettante process operators, we showed it who was boss by turning tail and heading downhill to Battersby, where a large red sign informs the us the ‘road’ we have just descended is closed. Can’t think why.

Some road riding took us back to Bank Foot where we reversed our route through the snowy woods before the final drag up to the carpark which never gets any easier.