Mountain Bike Ride
The Bread Lad, Uncle Ian
Heading away from Chop Gate car park for the plod uphill to the summit of Clay Bank, what is hopefully winter’s last icy blast was visited upon us in the frigid breath of a northerly wind straight from Iceland’s chiller cabinets. What began as a little light hailstoning, turned to a thorough, heads down, battering, which culminated with a sprinkling of light snow. Yesterday was a very wet day, all the streams and culverts today fat with water, straying onto the road surface in places, thawing snow from the high moors adding to the flow, the sound of rills and waterfalls loud in our ears as the summit was gained.
Turning offroad at the Carr Ridge steps, which take us up to Urra Moor, we climbed higher until the gate came into view, a little more climbing and we were at Round Hill, the highest point of the North York Moors where we found the snow which had not melted yet, although it was thawing rapidly. Ploughing through wet slush, following a previous cyclist’s tyre tracks, water splashed our legs and feet, running down the inside of waterproof socks - so that was thirty quid well spent. The original plan to follow the moor top tracks to Stump Cross and it’s sublime descent, returning via Tripsdale was shelved by mutual agreement and we took the track directly to Tripsdale. The usually speedy descent into Tripsdale, today taken cautiously, sloppy snow hiding a multitude of loose rocks and muddy puddles, lower down the snow disappeared and the track reverted to muddy sand, where we were able to regain some of our usual elan. Smoothly gliding over ruts and rocks like Danny Hart, all we lacked is his skill and bravery.
Resting at our usual corner, where the ascent starts, The Bread Lad renewed his brake pads, eaten by the sand and we watched the water roaring through the hidden valley of Tripsdale, the normally tranquil stream doing a good impression of a white water rafting course. Unable to prevaricate any longer, we began the payback for the two mile descent we had just enjoyed. Two thirds of our party have previously cleaned this ascent but today it did not happen for any of us, ground conditions naturally. Regrouping at the top, no lingering today, we moved on, less swiftly than we would have liked, into the bitter headwind on the draggy track high above Bilsdale, passing East Bank Plantation and continuing to reach the start of the Medd Crag descent.
Medd Crag was once a an unmissable favourite descent, a varied and technical pleasure chute down to Bilsdale Hall. Following some recent “improvements”, it is now an ankle deep slop-fest, mud churned up by feet and water, previously flowing lines sucking at tyres as we fought to stay on course. It was almost a relief to reach the road at Bilsdale Hall, where our perseverance was rewarded by licks from two friendly farm dogs.
Only a blast down the road was left for us, nonetheless an enjoyable blast. Shortly afterwards we were in the bar of The Buck Inn replenishing our depleted calories with an incongruous culinary fusion of of toasted teacakes and shandy.
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