Post by hodgy on Dec 9, 2014 11:54:03 GMT
While browsing through the December '14 edition I noticed that they had featured the Bolts Law route again ( I sent this to their route master Tom Hutton ...back in July 2009 and it got featured a couple of issues later for the first time) ...and upon browsing the route map ...couldnt believe my eyes !
They have only gone and lopped a large section of offroad at the beginning of the ride in favour of a road ride to Blanchland ..ffs!!!
If you are travelling to the area especially to do this ride then ignore this map ...and instead from the start of the ride at Edmundbyers head off up the Lead Mining Trail bridleway and follow it to a gate past Chop Hardy ( yes you will be returning on this section ...but it gives you a chance to scope how good its going to be!) ...at a gate turn right onto a bridleway taking you down Buck Shott fell to a very minor road near to Allenshield ...the course of this bridleway is almost lost on the map running as it does along the grid line.Drop straight down from here into Blanchland.
There now that was better than tarmac ...wasnt it ?
The rest of the route is fine ...until later in the ride after doing the lengthy road section to get you near Cuthberts Hill ..turn off left on what is marked (on recent maps) as double track ..this is immediately after a cattle grid...continuing on to the bridleway ( a couple of hundred metres down the road) will only bring you grief as this is boggy at any time of the year!
I also noticed that on the newer versions ( and on this map) they have marked in the double-track loop which heads down the hillside cutting into the C2C route high above Rookhope...before steeply climbing back up the hill to take you past the old winch buildings ( ruins ) ...and then cutting back across to join the bridleway to take you over Bolts Law itself
When we were younger with no respect for authority we regularly used to ride this section ...but now that we are older and wiser ( and having been caught by the estate manager on a number of occasions both during the day and at night ) we no longer do so ( ahem !) ...saying that your map reading skills have let you down only works once or twice before you start to get recognised ...which is a shame as it is a real nice section ...so whatever you do dont get lost !
The rest of it is ok ...and apart from a small uphill road section is the reason for doing the ride ...the fantastic blast back to Edmundbyers!!!
They have only gone and lopped a large section of offroad at the beginning of the ride in favour of a road ride to Blanchland ..ffs!!!
If you are travelling to the area especially to do this ride then ignore this map ...and instead from the start of the ride at Edmundbyers head off up the Lead Mining Trail bridleway and follow it to a gate past Chop Hardy ( yes you will be returning on this section ...but it gives you a chance to scope how good its going to be!) ...at a gate turn right onto a bridleway taking you down Buck Shott fell to a very minor road near to Allenshield ...the course of this bridleway is almost lost on the map running as it does along the grid line.Drop straight down from here into Blanchland.
There now that was better than tarmac ...wasnt it ?
The rest of the route is fine ...until later in the ride after doing the lengthy road section to get you near Cuthberts Hill ..turn off left on what is marked (on recent maps) as double track ..this is immediately after a cattle grid...continuing on to the bridleway ( a couple of hundred metres down the road) will only bring you grief as this is boggy at any time of the year!
I also noticed that on the newer versions ( and on this map) they have marked in the double-track loop which heads down the hillside cutting into the C2C route high above Rookhope...before steeply climbing back up the hill to take you past the old winch buildings ( ruins ) ...and then cutting back across to join the bridleway to take you over Bolts Law itself
When we were younger with no respect for authority we regularly used to ride this section ...but now that we are older and wiser ( and having been caught by the estate manager on a number of occasions both during the day and at night ) we no longer do so ( ahem !) ...saying that your map reading skills have let you down only works once or twice before you start to get recognised ...which is a shame as it is a real nice section ...so whatever you do dont get lost !
The rest of it is ok ...and apart from a small uphill road section is the reason for doing the ride ...the fantastic blast back to Edmundbyers!!!
