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Riding from Eskdale
to Hawkshead
Start
time 09.45am
Kilometres
covered
60.1
Kilometres
covered from the start
257.7
Time taken
including pub pit-stops
13.10.01
Kidder & Chiefy woke up at 07.58am & breakfast was
served at 08.00am, plenty of time to stagger down
& get their fill. At Kidder & Chiefy's breakfast
table a 8 year old kid was doing the 'Times
cross-word' he was stuck on 7 across, so
Chiefy said "it's see my arse". The
pair hit the trail below Muncaster Fell
riding through a wood of rhododendrons when
Kidders rear wheel let go a spoke with a loud
crack, (Bollocks) Kidder twisted the
offending spoke around a good one & the pair
wobbled on. Riding across a golf course dodging
the balls, called for some nimble foot work, the
pair complimented some bloke on his nice golfing
kit. (OOhh ....... Suits you sir).
The pair climbed onto Corney Fell,
only to lose their way & the will to hack it
over a shit load of grief. So they hit the road &
climbed their way to the top keeping out the way of morons
in cars hell bent on hitting them. The detour took
them down to Beckfoot & then a
cheeky climb along Thwaites Fell
(219m) to a fast downhill tarmac run into
Ulpha. Pit-stopping at the Ulpha post
office for teas, a rest & to sort their lives out.
Chiefy barks out the order to move out, so off
they pedal onto Dunnerdale only to
get lost down by the river. A quick map check &
course direction & they're back on track climbing
the steep road to Stickle Pike (It's
high). The track below Dunnerdale
Fell is spot on, but after a while it
turns into another hill slog up to White
Pike (608m). A easy flattish track to meet
up with the Walna Scar track comes
next & then it's up,up,up, to the summit. (Chiefy
got fed-up pushing & had a bash at riding).
A the top the pair resuscitated their bodies
before the downhill run to Coniston.
Just as the pair were about to go off downhill a
4x4 Ibex come over the summit, mountain rescue
were out on a training mission. Kidder & Chiefy
fly downhill dodging the boulders, cramps were
setting in as their hands covered the brakes. At
the bottom they headed for the pub (The
Crown Inn). As normal now two big helpings
of pasta & plenty of the black stuff. (The
babes around Coniston ..... very nice)
Part pissed & full up on pasta the pair hoof it to
the shore line of Lake Coniston for
a dip. (Yes .. a .. dip)
Now wet & laughing the pair race each other over
Hawkshead Hill (197m) to the last
pub pit-stop in Hawkshead. Sat outside the pub
Chiefy celebrates his victory over the young
pretender with the last pint of Guinness of the
day.
(Kidder's gracious in defeat, he has had a
lot of practice..!)
The orders are slurred out, so off they pedal into
the night to find the Y.H.A. Once checked-in the
pair head for the kitchen for a night cap, they
just get the teas in before a member of staff
throws them out.
(Oh well ... it was gone midnight ...!)
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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 cruising up
Corney Fell road
By the old slate mines
before the big push
over Walna Scar
Kidder telling himself
'Pain is only weakness
leaving the body' |
