Today's pop-up ride was never going to be popular with it being organised at short notice, a day later than the usual mid week outing, the proximity to Christmas, mentioning the word hilly and being led by me! So it was definitely a case of quality rather than quantity with just myself and Richard S being up to the challenge.
Fortifying ourselves with large slabs of cake at Eppelby cafe we set off to Hutton Magna and used the bridleway to cut through to Thorpe farm, then the tunnel under the A66 to Greta Bridge before climbing up and descending back down to recross the A66 at Cross Lanes.
Heading for Barnard Castle we turned off looping through Boldron then onto Bowes. We turned right over Cotherstone Moor and although there was a fair amount of climbing the projected winds were not too bad and the views were superb. Descending into Cotherstone we arrived at about 12:00 at the Old Chapel cafe ready for lunch. We were both tempted by the daily special of a pigs in blanket sandwich with trimmings and thoroughly enjoyed it.
On leaving the cafe we were greeted by the sun for a thoroughly enjoyable return to Eppelby via Barnard Castle, Whorlton and Winston.
Overall a grand day out.
Greg McNulty