Bothy Weekend Kielder Forest Easter 2016
Oct 14, 2015 11:58:07 GMT
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kirky72, danthor, and 1 more like this
Post by hodgy on Oct 14, 2015 11:58:07 GMT
Dates : Either Friday 25th March to Sunday 27th ( this incorporates Good Friday & Easter Sunday ..as well as the Easter Monday being a bank holiday too ) ..as well as it being the start of the 2 week school holiday
OR
Friday 8th April to Sunday 10th April ( last day of school holidays )
Anyone want to get down and dirty and in touch with their wild side ?
Amongst our local group of riders a bothy weekend was talked about for this year ..but never actually got off the ground ..but I know there is a will for this to happen .
I have visited loads of bothies in both Scotland and England while out mountain biking but have never yet stayed in one ..but it has always appealed .
These bothies are two of Northumberland 's finest ( even if that numpty Robson Green has stayed in the first one ..called The Green ..but not named after him! ) ...one on the southern edge of the forest ..and the other 20 odd miles further north ...
The Plan
Meet in the small hamlet of Stonehaugh at 9.00 pm on ( a) Friday evening allowing for the fact that we will have had our evening meal either en -route ( for those travelling from afar ) or at home .We will then park our cars and cycle the relatively short distance from here to the bothy at The Green ( approx 6 km ..lights will be needed) .
Transport in the form of my missus will take all of your gear to the bothy ...where we spend the night .
As bothies go it's very well appointed ...just don't expect hot running water ..although heating is taken care of with wood burning stoves in each room ...
Breakfast on the Saturday morning ( your kit will be transported to the Wainhope bothy to meet us when we arrive ) we then cycle through the day on little used forest roads , bridleways taking in some very off piste trails ..( some of which will form part of a mtb trail which What Mountain Bike are interested in featuring which has been put together by myself, DaveT , Graham & Ian Bell) ..also taking in part of the Lakeside Way and some of the man made Kielder singletrack ( part of the Lonesome Pine Trail & part of the Osprey trail ) .
Rather than faffing at the bothy and cooking an evening meal ..we will stop en -route at The Anglers Arms in Kielder and have our meal there. ..at your own expense !
Stay overnight in another well appointed bothy ..which although in fairly close proximity to Kielder village itself ..still gives the sense of being " out " there as it can not be accessed by car ..( unless you have a gate key !)
Sunday ..breakfast then head back through some remote trails towards Falstone *( some fantastic off -piste ) .
Your kit will once again be transported back to meet you at the cars .
* the tea rooms may be open in Falstone .
The journey back will in the main be on different tracks and will take a more direct route to enable you to travel home
at a reasonable hour in the afternoon .
I can promise you some fantastic riding and a weekend which will stay long in the memory
So..what's the cost ? Nothing from me ..I will throw the cost of transporting your gear around for free...
It will obviously cost whatever fuel you need to get there and back ...your evening meals ( Friday & Saturday ) , a contribution towards the cost of breakfasts on Saturday & Sunday ..and your lunch on the Sunday ( sandwiches which can be bought at our local Co-op on the Sunday morning and brought to you by my missus ) .
A present for the bothy ..a tin of some sort ( traditional ) ..oh and a " bottle " for each night ..
The bothies will probably sleep about 10 people squashed like sardines ...I'm expecting at least half of that to be taken by our crew ( wishful thinking !? ) ..so spaces are
fairly limited ..shall we say the first 5 to fully commit ?
The other thing to remember is that you can't " pre -book " these places ..so we could well end up sharing with other folk ..which could end up being very cosy !
I will go into an equipment check later ..but the very least will be a good quality sleeping bag & roll mat ...
Anyone out there interested..before answering please make sure that it is a firm yes !
The following pics were taken at The Green Bothy ...yesterday
Grid references for the bothies on appropriate O.S Landranger maps The Green : NY 74 78
Wainhope : NY 67 92
Hope you can make it ...
OR
Friday 8th April to Sunday 10th April ( last day of school holidays )
Anyone want to get down and dirty and in touch with their wild side ?
Amongst our local group of riders a bothy weekend was talked about for this year ..but never actually got off the ground ..but I know there is a will for this to happen .
I have visited loads of bothies in both Scotland and England while out mountain biking but have never yet stayed in one ..but it has always appealed .
These bothies are two of Northumberland 's finest ( even if that numpty Robson Green has stayed in the first one ..called The Green ..but not named after him! ) ...one on the southern edge of the forest ..and the other 20 odd miles further north ...
The Plan
Meet in the small hamlet of Stonehaugh at 9.00 pm on ( a) Friday evening allowing for the fact that we will have had our evening meal either en -route ( for those travelling from afar ) or at home .We will then park our cars and cycle the relatively short distance from here to the bothy at The Green ( approx 6 km ..lights will be needed) .
Transport in the form of my missus will take all of your gear to the bothy ...where we spend the night .
As bothies go it's very well appointed ...just don't expect hot running water ..although heating is taken care of with wood burning stoves in each room ...
Breakfast on the Saturday morning ( your kit will be transported to the Wainhope bothy to meet us when we arrive ) we then cycle through the day on little used forest roads , bridleways taking in some very off piste trails ..( some of which will form part of a mtb trail which What Mountain Bike are interested in featuring which has been put together by myself, DaveT , Graham & Ian Bell) ..also taking in part of the Lakeside Way and some of the man made Kielder singletrack ( part of the Lonesome Pine Trail & part of the Osprey trail ) .
Rather than faffing at the bothy and cooking an evening meal ..we will stop en -route at The Anglers Arms in Kielder and have our meal there. ..at your own expense !
Stay overnight in another well appointed bothy ..which although in fairly close proximity to Kielder village itself ..still gives the sense of being " out " there as it can not be accessed by car ..( unless you have a gate key !)
Sunday ..breakfast then head back through some remote trails towards Falstone *( some fantastic off -piste ) .
Your kit will once again be transported back to meet you at the cars .
* the tea rooms may be open in Falstone .
The journey back will in the main be on different tracks and will take a more direct route to enable you to travel home
at a reasonable hour in the afternoon .
I can promise you some fantastic riding and a weekend which will stay long in the memory
So..what's the cost ? Nothing from me ..I will throw the cost of transporting your gear around for free...
It will obviously cost whatever fuel you need to get there and back ...your evening meals ( Friday & Saturday ) , a contribution towards the cost of breakfasts on Saturday & Sunday ..and your lunch on the Sunday ( sandwiches which can be bought at our local Co-op on the Sunday morning and brought to you by my missus ) .
A present for the bothy ..a tin of some sort ( traditional ) ..oh and a " bottle " for each night ..
The bothies will probably sleep about 10 people squashed like sardines ...I'm expecting at least half of that to be taken by our crew ( wishful thinking !? ) ..so spaces are
fairly limited ..shall we say the first 5 to fully commit ?
The other thing to remember is that you can't " pre -book " these places ..so we could well end up sharing with other folk ..which could end up being very cosy !
I will go into an equipment check later ..but the very least will be a good quality sleeping bag & roll mat ...
Anyone out there interested..before answering please make sure that it is a firm yes !
The following pics were taken at The Green Bothy ...yesterday
Grid references for the bothies on appropriate O.S Landranger maps The Green : NY 74 78
Wainhope : NY 67 92
Hope you can make it ...
?
