Having missed this year's Scottish Winter Bivvy due to work, my friend Morne suggested we go up to Greg's Hut on Cross Fell this weekend. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the forecast foretold of winds up to 70mph which made our plans to start in Weardale and ride through Teesdale and drop into the Eden valley and back up look somewhat foolhardy. In the end we decided a bit of extreme weather would make things interesting, but to ride straight up from Garrigill, meaning of things crossed from merely "stupid" to "dangerous" we'd only have to turn around and be back to the car without to turning a pedal. Not very adventurous, admittedly.
Setting off around sunset from a disappointingly calm South Tyne valley, the climb up the doubletrack on the Pennine Way presented little in the way of challenges. As darkness fell, the wind got steadily stronger, and we soon climbed into the fog, but we reached the bothy by about 5, nearly riding into before we saw it. A group of 5 young lads celebrating a 16th birthday were already in residence, but fell over themselves to make room for us in the end room with the stove and sleeping platform. They were almost too polite, leaving that room to us while they went and sat in the cold middle room, despite repeated suggestions that they join us They did eventually come in and one of the birthday boys (twins) suggested a game of cards, and we played for a couple of hours, making the whole situation more convivial.
In the morning, we were, unsurprisingly, still clagged in, and the wind was, if anything, worse. A lady dropped in after an overnight training run for the Spine Race, and told us it was worse on Great Dun Fell. Despite this, and everything I'd read about the Trout Beck bridleway suggesting it wasn't worth the hassle, we decided to go over Cross Fell, Dun Fells Little and Great and see how it went downhill with a 30mph tailwind.
Not sure what I'm so happy about here!
Conditions were indeed pretty wild as we approached the summit of LDF and after the wind made a concerted effort to forcibly remove Morne's helmet, we contoured round to the east to get some shelter. Riding was no less impossible than on the lethally damp flagstone path with a 50mph crosswind. We repeated the trick with Great Dun Fell, getting within 100 yards of the radar station, but with the golf ball still barely visible in the mist.
Our expectations lowered, we were surprised to find the top of Trout Beck riding pretty well. There's quite a few crossings to negotiate, and further down the path has been washed into the river entirely, necessitating a bit of scrambling. But other than a few boggy bits here and there, it was a nice surprise to find some fun riding. Granted, a massive tailwind smoothed over some of the more questionable bits - maybe this is what ebiking is like? Even managing to find a boggy rut just wide enough to swallow a 2.8" tyre, but deep enough to send me straight OTB into a muddy puddle didn't spoil it.
From the confluence with the Tees, it was a short, wind-assisted ride back over into Tynedale and Garrigill (you could quite easily visit four of northern England's great rivers - Tyne, Tees, Wear, Eden - in a day's ride from here).
Bin There Dun That
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- thenorthwind
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Re: Bin There Dun That
Nice one Dave. Enjoyed that. Never been to Gregs Hut so couldn't really quantify 70mph winds up there. But Gt Dun Fell, been there on the road bike in fog without wind. Utter madness
I think the day we went the golf ball was just as invisible as your pic there. I think I rode round it and then carefull back down (the road/lane) to visibility (and slightly more warmth).
Gregs Hut, note to self!!
I think the day we went the golf ball was just as invisible as your pic there. I think I rode round it and then carefull back down (the road/lane) to visibility (and slightly more warmth).
Gregs Hut, note to self!!
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Re: Bin There Dun That
Well that was a proper ride, with proper weather. Oh, and a proper title as well Although I fully expected an emergency bivvy in a (wheely?) bin to get out of the wind. My geography has let me down slightly, so was the wind indeed, er, north? Some atmospherically murky photos too.
PS. Greg's Hut? I'm fairly sure I've kipped in an urban equivalent once. The breakfast was a bit iffy. I think it was called Gregg's Hut but my memory's vague.
PS. Greg's Hut? I'm fairly sure I've kipped in an urban equivalent once. The breakfast was a bit iffy. I think it was called Gregg's Hut but my memory's vague.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
- thenorthwind
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Re: Bin There Dun That
Thanks Shaf! I think visibility up there is the exception rather than the rule. So many times I've driven up and down the stretch of the M6 just to the west going to and from the Lakes, and it might be nice everywhere else but you can see the cloud clinging to the edge of the Pennines.
Ta Reg. We felt a bit like we'd cheated with such a short easy ride in, and in not terrible conditions, but at least partially made amends with a bit of pushing on Sunday. Still covered less than 20 miles in the weekend, but it's not about the numbers.
Ta Reg. We felt a bit like we'd cheated with such a short easy ride in, and in not terrible conditions, but at least partially made amends with a bit of pushing on Sunday. Still covered less than 20 miles in the weekend, but it's not about the numbers.
Was it here? https://maps.app.goo.gl/jjyN6Du4iH3gfovo7PS. Greg's Hut? I'm fairly sure I've kipped in an urban equivalent once. The breakfast was a bit iffy. I think it was called Gregg's Hut but my memory's vague.
- fatbikephil
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Re: Bin There Dun That
You're a glutton for punishment Dave... looks like we did pick the best weekend for the SWB after all!
I was actually thinking of crossfell as a bike ride on the way down to Mum and Dads but looking at the forecast for Friday, mebbes not...
I was actually thinking of crossfell as a bike ride on the way down to Mum and Dads but looking at the forecast for Friday, mebbes not...
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Re: Bin There Dun That
Next to a Shambles so definitely appropriate for methenorthwind wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 11:16 am Was it here? https://maps.app.goo.gl/jjyN6Du4iH3gfovo7
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
- whitestone
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Re: Bin There Dun That
Cath and I did most of that route going the other way around a year or two ago.
The Trout Beck BW was mostly rideable going up the way so apart from the washed out bits (I recognise the bit in the picture) it shouldn’t be too bad.
The first time I went up GDF it was a pea souper and sleeting and snowing on top. Absolutely frozen when we got back to the valley. The visibility was such that I didn’t realise that the road was on a ridge at the point where the BW leaves it!
Fair play heading out in that wind. It was bad enough lower down.
The Trout Beck BW was mostly rideable going up the way so apart from the washed out bits (I recognise the bit in the picture) it shouldn’t be too bad.
The first time I went up GDF it was a pea souper and sleeting and snowing on top. Absolutely frozen when we got back to the valley. The visibility was such that I didn’t realise that the road was on a ridge at the point where the BW leaves it!
Fair play heading out in that wind. It was bad enough lower down.
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Re: Bin There Dun That
A useless bit of info. The guy who built the shelter on Cross Fell Laurie Lambeth was also the first person to "everest" Great Dun Fell on a bike.
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Re: Bin There Dun That
I live at Milburn just at the bottom of Dunn fell ,I can vouch for the fact it spends most of the time under clouds/helm bar ,check out the helm bar blues on YouTube if you want a chuckle