Ride 046.

Date:   4th May 2005            Distance: 16.25 miles

At the risk of turning this website into some internet version of Grumpy Old Men, here’s another good British idea. Wait until the spring, just as the weather begins to pick up, then dig up the car park. As they have done at Pinchinthorpe, limiting the parking spaces as they attempt to lure more visitors to Guisborough Woods. 

And we needed a big space for Howard’s new baby – his monster truck, purchased no doubt, on account of its bike carrying capability. Only three of us again, probably just as well because we got the last parking spaces, Simon recovering in Las Vegas after our Hamsterley Forest ride – which he later likened to being gang raped. Of course the obvious question of how he would know what gang rape feels like is best left unanswered, suffice to say they are a strange bunch in Darlington. 

Our first visit to Guisborough Woods this year and the hills haven’t got any smaller, we panted our way out onto Roseberry Common, everything relatively dry despite the mediocre weather. Following old trails we skirted Roseberry Topping and made our way to Easby Moor and Mill Bank Wood in sunshine, although a cool breeze tempered any wild thoughts of summer. Directly to Glebe Cottage for coffee and teacakes before the hard climb up from New Row to Percy Cross Rigg. Aspirations of a dab-free ascent were dashed by the large gorge now running down the centre of the track, perhaps the Road Closed sign we’d ignored at the bottom had been relevant to us. Against the wind along Percy Cross Rigg was a bit of a slog, back in Guisborough Woods, we turned right onto part of the Black Route and had a bit of muddy, rooty downhill fun, Howard entertaining us with a reprise of the stunt falls he learnt in Spain. Emerging at Bold Venture Ghyll, a short stretch of fire road took us to tree 32 and the start of The Chute, more mud but a totally excellent bit of track.  

And then it was all over, a gentle pootle back through Hutton Village and we were back in the car park.

 Height Profile: (click to enlarge)

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