 |
||
|
Swaledale Outdoor Club |
|
||
|
Swaledale Outdoor Club |
| > Home > Newsletter > Mountain Biking > Kildale Figure of Eight |
Kildale Figure of EightA bright, sunny and windless morning saw a turnout of 16. After a late start, due to a puncture, we managed to get rolling by about five to eleven. Out of the village and south up that cracker of a hill which leads to Baysdale Abbey, and having stretched the lungs and gained the high ground, we left the road and headed south along the ridge taking the left fork to Armouth Wath. Here the route changed from south east to north east, back to the forest edge to the south of Baysdale Abbey. Across Little Hograh Moor and Great Hograh Moor with it's boggy bits and bouldered path to the John Breckon Road. After a little refreshment we headed north to the Westerdale road rocketing down the hill to Hob Hole water splash and immediately started the gear crunching climb up the hill on the other side. Some joker shouted "try your brakes after the watersplash", but it's hard to imagine anyone did!! Half way up the hill the route turns sharp left along the Baysdale bridleway for 3/4 of a mile and then up over the moor into Leven Dale. This is where the falling off competition started, with three or four genuine slips and dives, and one beautifully concocted tumble performed by one rider whilst descending a grassy meadow. The Glebe Cottage Cafe in Kildale made a welcome break for taking refreshments. Here the original group was reduced by four with Liz Copsey joining for the smaller loop of the figure of eight, up the dale to New Row, climbing up onto Percy Cross Rigg and north west to the edge of the Hutton Lowcross Woods. A steep decent onto the saddle at Roseberry Common saw yet more falls before we headed down through Airy Holme Farm, across the Great Ayton / Gribdale road, up the west side of Easby Moor which is surmounted by Captain Cook's Monument, through Mill Bank Wood and onto the road at Bankside Farm and down the hill back to the finish at Kildale. Everyone seemed to have had a most enjoyable day, falls and all. Len Pope |