I had hoped to join the SWWB - but an unscheduled event the previous weekend threw plans for the 3 days away with Verena's crew, so a quick overnight local trip cycling from my doorstep in Bristol took its place.
On a clear and sunny Friday afternoon I dodged the XC90's and Q7's on the school run through Clifton, crossed the Suspension Bridge and breathed relief at last in the big greenness of Ashton Court. A familiar grind climbing up towards the quarry and the city below looked good in the sun, just feeling a bit self conscious loaded up amidst the lightweights on their XC machines who were out for a couple of hours on the trails.
I took familiar shortcuts and a bit of B-road to Cadbury Camp Road that is North Somerset's "Millionaires Row" to reach Cadbury Camp itself, which is an impressive hillfort earthwork. There were huge views over the Bristol Channel and Weston super Mare beyond in the golden hour as the sky went ablaze and the temperature dropped further.
Avoiding the areas where the frost had laid all day I found a pitch out of sight and after talking with the last dog walkers pushed in the pegs, plumped up my sleeping bag then back on the bike descended through Court Wood, surprisingly dropping into suburban Clevedon. Onto The Clevedon Brewery Tap Room, that is a slightly strange but happy place, meeting an old friend there with good beer and a friendly clientele, all in an industrial estate that is deserted on a Friday night. The "loyal" locals were watching the Brazil - Croatia shocker on a laptop.
Back at Camp I had a toasty night in my winter bag, foam topper on my airbed, Screwfix heat retaining socks and down booties from Joe's shop....but cold fingers in the morning even with gloves packing up the frozen tent and strapping everything back onto the bike.
Once packed it was all downhill on the bridleway through the golf course and flat across the moor to Nailsea - I had to wait for Wetherspoons to open, not a Spoons fan but "any port in a storm" (to thaw out) and the eggs Benedict and (unlimited) coffee went down well.
A bit more pedalling through urban streets, then through the park and onto the Festival Way bike path, a final climb up through Belmont Hill Woods past the giant sequoias then back down through Ashton Court and, after a bit of a wait, back over the bridge which was closed for a while due to an "incident" - a reminder that not everyone is looking forward to Christmas.
I was back home by lunchtime, even less than 24 hours away had felt like a real break and cleared the mind.
I reckon that winter dry frost is probably better than a soaking in warm spring rain - but I must get back to the Welsh hills and valleys for a few days again soon.
