16th April 2015 - High Cross, Hawkshead Hill for Grizedale

4 made it out on a sunny April evening, Grant, Andrew, Jamie and CT, JB & CT were there early and nipped off for a recky of a track spied earlier, this meant a 10 minute warm up! Back at the cars and met up with Grant and Andrew and a jogger also turned up and we all headed into the forest together, shown on a map as High Park plantation, head in on fire road and take first junction on right (really straight on) we then wondered where to go and so decided to head round to Moor Top via some of the NF route. All good from Moor Top saw a couple of MTBers near the car park, now down the NF and onto the rock garden test...but wait the test has been watered down by raising the ground level, so no real drop off, fairly easy now. Decision time, we ended up by going down the singletrack from the old challenge route, watch out for low hanging brambles and mud, at one large muddy puddle I was struggling through and JB blasted past, either his large volume tyres were doing a great job or he was carrying speed, guess which ;), now cross the stream and a test climb out, including a tree hopping competition, Jamie just rode it, CT took two goes and Andrew made a great effort just not quite able to clean it. Then carry on up the big climb (inc' a bit of a push;) then out onto a rock track to re-group and catch some breath, down the rocky route and you come out near the bottom of the black section, so climb up the left hand track, this is smoother, but still a test. At the fire road junction right turn and along to the black descent pause to take snaps of the view and then take on the black run! Ride down carefully;)
Now along to the NF and ride up the first section, now we were warmed up not too bad, at the top Grant broke out the Yorkie bar, that he had found on the trail! We were going to taste choc' biscuits but they were not to be found :( so flapjack instead. Now ride back via fire road and Lawson park descent past the gardens and come out near Lanehead centre, now just take the road back to the cars, nice and slowly! Cars at about 9.30 a great ride out. I think Andrew enjoyed getting out, especially whilst having a 5 week old baby at home, so a change is as good as a rest they say! not too sure;) Next ride Elterwater. 
Here are a few pics at the top of the Black: