Neil picks up the story: A very cold night, it certainly seemed like the coldest night so far. So we quickly decided to go over Barley Bridge and up Hall Lane. With the freezing conditions it seemed that the normally soggy ground towards Lonsledddale via Green Quarter Fell and Cocklaw Fell would be firm. The climb showed the ground to be very firm and all puddles frozen hard. Riding the track that is normally soft and soggy, over Green Quarter Fell and Cocklaw Fell, we found quite a lot of ice, some being difficult to see with lights. Black and looking at first like a shadow across a hollow, but some ice was quite smooth and very slippery. At one section to avoid ice on the track, I went onto the sloping grassy hillside, only to find both wheels sliding sideways – sloping ice!
Joining the track just above Sadgill, to return to Kentmere again care needed with the ice around.
At this point I think the cold got to my brain, as I can’t remember if we did the bonus loop. But we dropped down the road, to turn onto the bridleway at Long Houses; this was good going with the frozen ground. After the main climb, the normally heavy and soggy ground was firm and good to ride on. At this point Chis M had an emergency over the bars dismount, not quite sure what happened one moment he was riding alongside me the next he was flying through the air. Seems a bit extreme to get an extra mention in the blog.
HP descent was deemed to be maybe a challenge too far in the conditions, so we returned down Hall Lane, but turned right down the bridleway to Elfhowe –this was good to go down with the hard ground, which we seem to more often come up it. At the cars everyone wanted to get back and get warmed up so no pub afterwards.
Next ride Ings.
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