Swaledale Outdoor Club

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Scaling Dam Reservoir

On a beautiful Saturday in late May I persuaded Nigel to pick me up and accompany me on my easy going ride around Scaling Dam reservoir. We met up with the medium grade riders in the car park only to be asked by the burger van proprietor if we would park in the old rutted further away car park so that any potential lazy customers could be within easy reach of her facilities. I'm sure any person that much in need of a cuppa or snack would have been willing to walk a few extra yards, but we obliged much against our will! What a cheek! I won't be buying anything off her now!

Not a great start, but the riding, views and company were fantastic. Although I had billed my ride as 14miles, I'd worked out a slightly longer route than the original planned one, which eventually took us 20miles, and the other group only went 25 miles, so we did really well.

We set off together across the moor, with me complaining about my new camelpak tube not releasing enough water although I was sucking hard. A few miles along the route, Geoff and Nigel came to my rescue and taught me all about the physics of water travel because it wouldn't work the way I had it in my pak! Silly Fool!

We had parted from he others at Danby Beacon and we rode towards Commondale and along the River Esk on a bridleway/good track. All the tracks were good, wide, dry and so easy to ride comfortably along. We stopped for lunch in Danby bakery/cafe which was a little disappointing as Geoff and I had ordered soup only to discover that someone had thrown it on the floor in the kitchen and so despite munching our bread already we had to eat double helpings of their gorgeous Olive bread,this time with pate. That meant there wasn't really enough room for their gorgeous cakes, so I had to bring some home instead!

We climbed high above Danby, across the moor and returned back along Nigel's favourite single track on the moors, which was good fun, we also met up with our other long-distance riders there again. We ignored the snack van and all came home satisfied with our suntans and day's exercise.

Liz Blanchard

Last Modified: 22 June, 2003