So me 'n' her decided on our wisdom to go and have a blat round the Peaks yesterday.
The weather which started off looking cold clear and crisp:-
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598717&noresize=1 [/img]
...soon closed in, and coupled with a serious wind turned the ride into one of those epics that's fun to do once in a while. Having spent the last couple of weeks working my ass off in London, needless to say I was loving being snowblasted whilst struggling through 18"+ powder.
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598719&noresize=1 [/img]
There were odd magical moments when the sun showed it's face
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598721&noresize=1 [/img]
But for the most part it was thoroughly gloomy
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598726&noresize=1 [/img]
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598734&noresize=1 [/img]
The only colour being my thoroughly raw pink face
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598727&noresize=1 [/img]
Most of the climbs were surprisingly rideable. The downs were complete guesswork as the snow turned the trails completely featureless, other than the Beast which was simply awesome.
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598735&noresize=1 [/img]
Met back up with the missus down at Ladybower
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598739&noresize=1 [/img]
Then headed back over the permissive bridleway over Win Hill and down through Aston back to Hope.
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598742&noresize=1 [/img]
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62598743&noresize=1 [/img].
...and the national emergency bit?
[b]THE FEKKIN' WOODBINE WAS CLOSED![/b] 😯
Couldn't believe it. 5 hours in sub zero conditions with no tea, no cake, and worst of all, no bacon at the end! 🙁
Oh, and well done to Derbyshire council for not gritting a single damn road. It took over 3 hours to get to the M1 from Hope, as it was sheet black ice the whole way.
The Peaks rocks properly in weather like that, I had a few top rides in about Jan/Feb earlier this year when there was a metre of drifted snow at Hope Cross.
Great pics, well done for surviving it. 🙂
(try the Station cafe in Edale for top notch post ride grub)
[i]Oh, and well done to Derbyshire council for not gritting a single damn road.[/i]
Yeah, Lancashire council didn't bother doing ours either, bizarre.
Nice pics and write up.
Some great pics there.
Glad you got home safely. Looks like one of those rides that was pretty grim for the duration but afterwards (ie: when you are warm and dry and have cake) you can only shake your head and say "wow, that was AMAZING...."
It was actually really good fun, there and then. Even the worst bits into the headwind, I was warm for (with the exception of my face), and the snow was so dry that even if you took a tumble it didn't soak in.
The few seconds when the sun came out, or the moments when the riding all came together where simply amazing. If it hadn't been for the grief of getting back, it would have been right in amongst my "top day's riding. Ever" list. The bikes didn't even need cleaning!
Looks cool, glad you made it back OK
Great pics! God I wish I could have made it out there this weekend, looked amazing!
Looks great. Hoping we get some proper snow here; only 1-2cm with lots of ice so far.
[i]The bikes didn't even need cleaning! [/i]
Snow is really good for cleaning bikes! Mine was well and truly jammed up with snow round the BB and the top linkages after my ride last night but once it all melted the bike was spotlessly clean. 🙂
Looks good fun for entry level winter riding but you lot ain't half a bunch of drama queens. We have heavier frosts than that 🙂
Great write-up. So, 'fess up, how many comedy over-the-bars due to unseen rock/rut moments in total? 😉
how many comedy over-the-bars due to unseen rock/rut moments in total?
About 1/2 a dozen. More "bike suddenly lurches sideways as it falls off edge of rut and rider ends up stumbling off in random direction" type tumbles
Great Pics, wished it was like that yesterday morning round our way but only got 2 - 3" later in the evening. I set off for a quick hours blast around the moors but within a hundred metres the bike slipped from under me 5 times, just beneath the thin layer of snow was lots of black ice 😥 so gingerly took the bike home and went for a walk instead, and still ended up on my arse a couple of times.
Going by that second picture it looks more like 3 of snow...so I'm guessing the powder wasn't much more...what ruler did you use to measure that? 😉 not the one your wife uses but the one you use for Adrian-Mole-moments? 😉
Still looks a very pleasant day out on the bike!
That was before it started snowing again, in one of the wind swept spots. There were a lot of bits where it had drifted to knee deep. It was pretty much all powder - it was cold enough that there was no "wet" snow.
not the one your wife uses but the one you use for Adrian-Mole-moments
Even on an Adrian Mole ruler, I doubt I could have summoned 3" yesterday!
Im SOOOOO jealous of you, lucky bugger!
Looks brilliant mate. We had a similar ride over Darwen Moor on Sunday. The stuff of lifelong memories.
Ace!
That's the quietest I've ever seen the peaks.
I was lucky enough to get out over lunch time today. Looking out towards Hayfield and Kinder Scout it looked fantastic. A truely 'blue sky, powder' day.
Yesterday we stuck to the 'lower pistes' mainly around Marple and Reddish Vale. Still got exfoliated in the mini blizzard.