Post by kirky72 on Feb 25, 2016 20:12:31 GMT
Feeling a bit lethargic this morning after 5 days away at an exhibition eating shit washed down by too many beers, so decided a ride was in order but intended to keep it short just in case I struggled.
Starting at Hurstwood reservoir always provides a nice 2 to 3 mile climb too warm you up which didn't do any harm as it was -1 to start with this morning. I headed up the long climb of Gorple road and down to widdop and climbed the field ripper, down through Walshaw Dean and headed up to high brown knoll.
I've been up there before and found a delicious piece of single track which winds back down to the start of the Pecket Well descent, however I've been told and was also suggested by my guide book that theres a longer alternative, which I took today. It started okay but I have a feeling I took a wrong turn and it turned into a very long slog and was totally unrideable at times, once I baled out and found civilisation I didn't recognise any of the views, it turned out I was on top of valley overlooking Sowerby bridge and Halifax. I headed back around towards Old Town and then Pecket Well, however when I got there I had done nearly 19 miles so didn't fancy dropping down and climbing back up to the house of shit again as I didn't want to risk bonking or running out of daylight (no lights packed). So the ride turned out to be more of an out and back with a circuit of the moors as the only point of difference. 29 miles, 3900ft climbing in the end and half an hour of daylight left by the time I got back to the car. So it was the right decision to miss out a few miles and the resulting climb back up.
a few pics
I dropped down on way going and the opposite heading back, one descent was more of a slow roll and carry due to the size of the gaps in between paving and ice on the rocks.
High brown knoll, the highest point in Calderdale.
Entrance to the field ripper, started to dry out a bit since our last forum ride where we aqua planed and slid down speedway style, still horrible to climb up.
The rest. oh tried out a new camera, Canon SX710, had a handy 60x zoom on it.
s1049.photobucket.com/user/kirky72/walshaw%20dean%20limers%20gate/story
