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Day 6 |
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Day 1 |
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Day 2 |
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Day 3 |
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Day 4 |
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Riding from
Buttermere to Eskdale
Start
time 09.30am
Kilometres
covered
38.6
Kilometres
covered from the start
197.6
Time taken
including pub pit-stops
12.00.00
A good breakfast awaited them in the morning, all
packed & ready for the days big adventure, the
rucksacks weight a ton with the food pack-ups &
kit. Kidder & Chiefy set off thinking about the
big climbs to come & got lost 350 yrd's down the
trail, so doubled it back to the pub for a
bearing. The trail around the lake edge of
Crummock Water was hard going (Crap)
then came the long, long tough lug up to
Floutern Tarn the views well made up for
the slog. Then came a downhill walk to ridable
ground above Ennerdale Lake. The
last track section before the tarmac road was like
a jungle romp (Cut & slashed by bramble
briers).
The pair big ringed it through Ennerdale Forest
climbing all the way to Black Sail Pass Y.H.A. A
quick stop to sort their lives out again & watched
in amazement some very old Americans heading off
up Grey Knotts (697m). Black Sail
has been a Y.H.A. since 1933, it was a (Shepherd's
Bothy). History lesson over the pair moved
out for the biggest push yet (850ft)
over the pass, it was physical torture with heavy
kit, bikes & mtb shoes. The pair pushed on & headed
over the other side to Wasdale Head
& the pub. Kidder & Chiefy sat drinking tea &
eating flap-jack watching the mountain rescue team
kitting up to move off into the mountains to help
so poor hikers. (Maybe the old Americans).
Chiefy growls out the orders to saddle up, so off
they pedal to Burnmoor Tarn (300ft)
the last big climb of the day. Riding through the
waters edge of the Tarn the pair stop to admire
the splendid views. The downhill run to Boot
was becoming tricky with the light fading.
At the bottom the pair headed for the pub to place
their orders for two big bowls of pasta &
plenty of the black stuff. Full & now sleepy
Kidder & Chiefy cranked it slowly to the
Eskdale Y.H.A. in the darkness
occasionally blinded in the odd cars head-lights (Like
two pissed-up rabbits). At the Y.H.A. the
orders were to wash-out the smelly kit & then
sleep. (The next morning was not much fun
wearing clean soapy kit, which was slightly damp)
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Lakeland Loop
Pit-Stops |
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Pictures by kind permission from
Bicyclemania.co.uk
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Pictures are thumbnailed click-on to super size |
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The U.K.'s
Toughest
mtb Challenge
The Lakeland Loop
2005
Kidder riding below
Great Borne (616m)
Chiefy doing the mate thing
just standing & watching
Now I've seen my arse..!
this is a battle
of mind over body |
