THE MUDDY BUMS (aka "the Clarty Ars#ses") MOUNTAIN BIKING IN NORTHUMBERLAND AND BEYOND

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18th April 2010 Hamsterley,Doctors Gate

The ride leader for this one dropped out earlier in the week requesting the Stannington two to get off their sick beds and guide the way, Luckily for Ian A Willie and Julie appeared a little later than usual (Apparently Willie was proper poorly but Julie just had a runny nose), Earlier Graham tailgated the cautious Ian all the way from Tow Law into the car park at Hammsterley,he had wanted to leave his car on the outskirts of the forest and hitch a lift in to save paying for the car park. The Attendees today were Ian A, Arthur, Ken,Kevin,Kevins mate Steve,Kevins mate Dan,Terry, Dave, Willie, Julie, Graham and Stephen out for his first Muddybum ride.

Five miles of climbing to start the day was rewarded with a rapid and testing descent to the Euden beck crossing followed by an arduous climb back out of the valley to the junction of the B6278.This is where Kevin managed to do a 360 on his bike whilst cutting the corner of what seemed like an innocuous piece of well tended grass not seeing the drainage ditch neatly concealed two thirds of the way through, This would have sent most of us back home via the tarmac but not for Kev a quick massage to the top of the injured appendage by Dave saw the group quickly mount up for a speedy descent to a cracking lunch stop and a bit more recovery time for the injured at Bollihope as the Bollihope Burn meanders through the trees,

The party split into two either side of the Burn some sticking to the road and others following Dave and Terry whoop de doing through the quarry and up to Pye close, before zigzagging their way across allotment plantations and Sunnyside edge. The following descent to and through the Doctors Gate had the riders who knew what was coming up accelerate with anticipation and the rest of us just hung on for a heart stopping descent, Kevin managed to forget about his damaged leg and overtook the majority before coming to grief to the side of an enormous gulley (Damaged arm this time),the descent down potato hill and over Ayhope beck saw the first few riders tackle the rutted climb, not quite sure how it happened but Kev’s leg just locked rigid and the only way was up ,gritting his teeth and using his bike as a crutch onward and upward he trod,after a mild descent to the Grove the party split into Three groups Julie and Kev along the road to the cars, Willie, Stephen, Arthur,and Ken retraced the route through the woods and the rest climbed the final descent of the day up Mayland Bank past the downhill track before reaching the start of the new red route descent at the end of the downhillers car park, this was a perfect way to finish a ride following Terry and Dave down the fast large bermed descent with three heart stopping black routes as the icing on the cake.

To the café now for more cake and a couple of coffees to help on the journey home, .24 miles on the clock and no rain until half way home in the car. Great ride and company.

IanA