Ride 052.

Date:    5th August 2005           Distance: 12.5 miles

There may be a feeling of deja-vu about this route; we already did it in TTB024, last June when it kindly rained every inch of the way. Thankfully, today’s weather was merely cold but dry, perhaps not what we’d have liked for the beginning of August; blazing sunshine, cable cars and cold beer are what we’d have really liked but this is North Yorkshire not France. So, in our stoical British ‘beggars can’t be choosers’, ‘be grateful for small mercies’ fashion, we met at Sutton Bank car park. 

Terra Trailblazers attendances have been slipping a bit lately, we’re now reduced to enlisting 13 year old girls to make up the numbers, hence the reprise of TTB024, the least hilliest route we’ve ever done but still taking in some fine scenery.  So it was out the car park to Dialstone Farm, then North on the road to Sneck Yate, where we continued on the track toward Boltby Forest, turning right onto Murton Common opposite the Paradise Farm turn off. Across the moor until another bridleway led us through fields to Noddle End where the lumpy, rock-strewn downhill interrupted our previously flowing and remarkably flat ride. More than the odd dab was used to drop us down to the outskirts of Peak Scar woods were the pheasant population presently outnumbers the tree count – naturally that will all change in a few weeks when the shooting season begins. Our first bit of climbing brought us out of the valley and onto the road at the top of Murton Bank.  

Two miles of road later we were back at Sneck Yate, slightly-inclined road which thirteen year old Bex seemed to think was a proper uphill – she has a lot to learn. We turned onto the Cleveland Way and made our way along The Escarpement, rightly considered one of the best bits of bridleway in the country; stunning views across to the Pennines opening up with every turn, sinuous singletrack weaving through the summer vegetation, over all too soon. A quick glance at the allegedly bottomless Gormire Lake then back through the fields to Dialstone Farm before a short stretch of tarmac brought us back to the visitor centre at Sutton Bank and its welcoming café. 

Bex first ever ride with the Terra Trailblazers and she was in the granny-ring barely if at all – I’ll have to see if she can give Simon a few tips. If he ever recovers from the previous ride.

 Height Profile: (click to enlarge)

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