Thanks to those out this weekend and the route/Bothy knowledge from Stu and Bob.
Perfect winter conditions and certainly one of my riding highlights of the year.

Thanks for organising it Chew.

An enjoyable but hard couple of days' riding. I keep forgetting how much harder winter biking is Just enough snow for it to be fun. The sheet ice wasn't fun though.

Some photos

Heading up Langstrothdale.


Above Ling Gill on the Pennine Bridleway


A content Chew thinking Stu has come up trumps with the bothy ...


Then he woke up!


Rob and Chew climbing up from Thoralby to Stake Moss


Northwind on Stake Moss


Cath and Chew descending from Stake Moss to Kidstones.


Group shot.
Zippy, Cath, Northwind, Stuart, Rob, Chew

I really enjoyed that. I have a whole heap of photos from most of the year that I should upload, I think I'll save that for a dead day over Christmas, so in the meantime here's a couple of group photos that add to the main ones posted above.





Brain Dump in bullet points.

-Car passed MOT Friday AM, Friday PM I threw a load of stuff in car.
-Saturday, left 0615, arrived 1030 Kettlewell.
-Had some breakfast, got changed, found out forgotten lights and GPS, started riding.
- Freewheel stopped engaging, got it going again, attempted to not freewheel - was dodgy for the rest of the day and made riding on ice sketchier than normal!
- Blinking cold, but breathtaking views.
- Lots of ice.
- Lots of sheet ice
- Frozen bottles
- Lovely pub stop, Chew almost fell asleep

- Accommodation lovely, fire going, loads of space - warmer than outside, but still below freezing unless standing directly next to fire. Still had dry feet!
- Brr, cold descent out in the morning, but lovely views once the mist cleared a bit.
- More ice - getting better at riding on sheet ice.
- Freehub behaving itself a bit better today, occasional 3 pedal stroked before drive re-engaged though...
- Found next years Bothy stop.
- Breakfast in Leyburn with lots of extras (yes I did order tea and coffee for myself!)
- Bast4rd climb over the dale, and sheet ice sketchy descent - foot came out but didn't dab, and I stayed upright, I count that as successful.
- Cold by the end, daylight fading.

- Quick pitstop in the Cafe in Kettlewell with Bob and Cath, loaded up with tea, left Kettlewell at 1615, home before 2030 - including some RWD drifting on the local roads as the snow had landed in Essex! (Apparently driven on all the trouble roads that caused chaos earlier when I was in Yorkshire, but it had cleared by the time i got to them and the southerners were all too scared to venture out by then!).

I really enjoyed that, thanks to Chew for organising and Stu/Bob/Cath local knowledge adding to it. Glad I made the journey up, I'll be visiting this corner of the country more often

Some photos then:

This man is plotting our imminent demise from the comfort of a warm cafe:


...but Bob is clearly up for the challenge:


Chew tackling the first of many patches of sheet ice (and looking a bit too happy about it):


Biking in a winter wonderland:


Rob getting stuck in on the Pennine Way:


Darkness falling. At about half past two:


Zippy in not-very-hot (actually freezing) pursuit of Chew:


Bob with a morning brew in the bothy - note air freshener on the mantelpiece: we weren't slumming it!


Rob contemplating a freezing descent before breakfast (or maybe nicking Cath's pogies)


Last night's hut perched on the hill:


The first climb of the day, and a bit of welcome warmth:


Chew negotiates another tricky icy section:


Zippy, Stu, Rob and the view up Bishopdale:


Bleak up on Stake Moss:


Chew and Cath on the climb that kept on giving:


Zippy celebrates surviving the last icy steep before the road. I can confirm he didn't dab. I did. With my shoulder.

My knees are aching just looking at those photos

Fantastic photos Bob. Sort of want, but sort of no thanks too.

Yes enjoyed those thanks, you lucky lot. A classic BP trip. That's what it's all about .

is that bothy at the top of the best descent in nidderdale?

ton wrote:is that bothy at the top of the best descent in nidderdale?

No, it's much further north. I'll drop you a PM Tony.

looks great that does. top effort all who were out.

Would anyone be so kind as to furnish me with a GPX of the first day of this? For some reason mine didn't save, and at this time of year I like to collect all my tracks from the year and plot them on a big map and look at where I've been and remember all the places I've been and people I've spent time with. And I'm a completist/data nerd

(My email is: left foot leashed at gmail dot com)

Cheers!

Dave, YGM

I'd like to ride this area as I like the look of it
Any chance of a few route pointers?