Chris Howarth – Page 11

Valley of Lights bike ride 29/11/12

Brass monkeys. So cold I feared for my toes.
The idea of the Valley of Lights, as well as being fun and a nice thing to do before Christmas, is to give support to all the local businesses affected by the terrible amounts of flooding in the summer.
I parked in Mytholmroyd at Russell Dean or Pearl and Dean in my head and then managed to miss the train because I thought it went at 5.35 but actually it was 5.25.
Still the 6.05 turned up on time despite alerts to the contrary and 10 mins later I was in Todmorden. Chris arrived as I came out of the station having had a free ride and we pedalled off to the high school gym where we registered, picked up snacks and drinks and more lights for our bikes which were being dished out by David Dodwell, lovely to see him again, he was a marshall.
This was all a bit rushed and then we went to Bramsche Square to assemble all lit up.
About 100 of us set off with a car and Mountain Rescue in front setting the (very slow) pace.
We stopped at the big lay by for a couple of mins and then went on to the JCB park where we had a long wait. Our feet and hands were alternately freezing. I had a wee behind a JCB and the steam rose up! No time for one before!
It was well below freezing as cars we passed were iced up.
Finally got going to roll down into Hebden. We were cheered all the way by the crowds which was very sweet especially as we didn’t really do much. It brought a smile to my face instead of the cold face of pain! We made as much noise as possible with our bells and whooped too.
Stopped for 5 mins then off to the Dusty Miller in Mytholmroyd. We had some beer and snacks. I could have done with hot soup but the DM not yet ready for business so not an option. Chris chatted to MR friend who was with her teenage son who Chris had delivered.
Then we got the bikes in and on the car reasonably efficiently and I went home via Walsden. After unloading at my end I had hot chocolate with rum in it and went to bed with a hot water bottle.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hebden+Bridge+Library,+Hebden+Bridge,+United+Kingdom&aq=3&oq=hebden+bri&sll=53.685966,-2.058522&sspn=0.145577,0.482712&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=Hebden+Bridge+Library,+Hebden+Bridge,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.741351,-2.012086&spn=0.007614,0.012875&z=15&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

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Tod to Hebden and back by bike 24/11/12

After pimping up our hair, Chris and I cycled along the canal to Hebden. It was really cold and our fingers only got warm when we stopped. I managed to get my wheel stuck in a rut in a very cold run off from the canal. Having just had to have a new wheel after my ridiculous episode with the bike on the roof rack last week, I had to ease the wheel free whilst getting soaked through as I didn’t want to incur any more expense. I’ve been really obsessive about making sure the bike is properly on the rack too. Triple checks. Wearing trainers meant that my foot was cold and wet. Winter cycling is a wholly different game and not something I’ve ever done much.
We have discussed footwear quite a bit. Chris has some overboots but they weren’t with her yesterday.
Arriving at the Alternative Technology Centre, we first got some hot chocolate and a piece of tiffin to share. Then we got stuck in pimping up our now totally filthy bikes with LED wire, I think that’s what it is, it’s basically wire that lights up. We wound the wire onto the frames and then glued it in place with a hot glue gun, that was good fun, I’d never used one before. By the way, don’t stick your finger in the hot glue because it hurts! Sometimes, I think only half a brain is in place.
Nancy came along and had a hot chocolate too and some of the tiffin went her way. She said all the right things about our hair!
Next Chris took me to the bike shop, here I bought waterproof socks and some proper cycle shoes, which were straight on. Chris also got socks and put them on. The man in the shop was a bit of all right which made the shopping a most enjoyable experience.
Then after shoving some food in our faces rather hurriedly, we whizzed back along the canal to Tod with dry and warm feet.
We had a drink in the Bear, mine was hot apple juice with a cinnamon log in it. Lovely. Then Chris went to do her stewarding for the Valley of Lights parade and I cycled back to the car, did my triple checks on the bike and then home to wash it off. All my gear was incredibly filthy so this seemed to take a long time.
The night cycle ride where we get to show off our bikes is on Thursday.
I didn’t take any photos as I was too cold.

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Hollingworth bike circuit 18th November 2012

Chris and I did a two hour circuit from the visitor centre car park. It was lovely and sunny but chilly. Lots of dogs taking their humans for an airing. We went to lots of reservoirs including Norman Hill and Piethorne and a little one the map just called Resr.
It was my turn to fall off but it was a soft landing in a cold, wet, muddy puddle. I must have been looking especially weedy as 3 kind men helped me get the bike over 3 different gates. This was a permissive route along bridle ways so the huge locked gates were annoying.
We got back to the cars and got the bikes loaded up. At this point I told Chris I’d got the knack of getting the bike on the car!
We had a drink in the visitor centre cafe, very nice espresso. Then we set off, as I drove towards the car park exit the bike fell away from its central strut. We both stopped and I created a nice little traffic jam because those leaving the car park were unable to mount the pavement.
Chris held the bike steady, mainly with her head and another kind man came and yanked the bike out of its stuckness fortunately leaving Chris’ head intact. I was a bit stressed at this point and although I managed to thank him, I was upset because I’d seen the bike’s back wheel bending so it didn’t sound very gracious.
I moved the car and let the traffic jam go. Then we put the bike in the back of the car. I drove home and got the bike washed. The back wheel was badly buckled so I got it back on the roof rack. I know where I went wrong as I’d failed to tighten the central support strut properly.
I later went to collect Carol from Halifax in the car and the bike was fine on top so I have learnt how to do it properly.
Today I took the bike to the shop and it will be ready on Thursday and fortunately not too expensive a repair.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hollingworth+Lake+Rowing+Club,+Lake+Bank,+Littleborough,+United+Kingdom&aq=2&oq=hollingworth&sll=51.455402,-2.605639&sspn=0.019147,0.060339&t=p&g=Berkeley+Square,+Bristol,+UK&ie=UTF8&hq=Hollingworth+Lake+Rowing+Club,+Lake+Bank,+Littleborough,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.631509,-2.10268&spn=0.007634,0.012875&z=15&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

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Widdop and Hardcastle Crags

I got the bike on top of the car relatively easily. We parked in the upper car park at Hardcastle Crags and set off along the road turning off before the steep zig zag section.
Went up to the first Gorple reservoir and then to the second. Here we decided to return to the first and fork to get to Widdop.
Then crossed the road and along to Walshaw Dean. Turned right along past some farms and a tiny hamlet. Chris came off her bike as we crossed the path to give way to some cyclists coming up. She hurt her ribs and her hand was sore but she soon got back on. Then we headed down down to Gibson Mill. Here we had to stop to sample Nat Trust cake and tea. It was ok, my first time in the mill. Now need to return to see round it.
Then a short walking section to get back up to the top car park.
Managed to get the bike back on the roof but less gracefully this time.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Widdop+Reservoir,+Calderdale+District,+United+Kingdom&aq=1&oq=Widdop+re&sll=53.632733,-1.945001&sspn=0.01822,0.060339&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Widdop+Reservoir&ll=53.792387,-2.105684&spn=0.01521,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

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Save

Crinkle Crags 14th October 2012

After a reasonably early but chilly start (had to scrape the ice off the outside and the INSIDE of my car windows), Chris and I got to Langdale, parked up in practically the last spot in the National Trust car park, saving £6.50 and set off at about 11.20.
Across a big flat section full of sheep, black, white and punk; cows, horses… to the charmingly named Stool End Farm, turning left to go along the side of the beck and then across to start the climb up to Great Knott.

We stopped below the Knott on the col for a quick pre lunch snack, Chris on pork pie and me on energy bar and organic fruit and nuts that were mainly nuts until I supplemented them. Then up past the Knott and our first close up of the Crinkles, at this point they seemed quite fun and exciting.
We scrambled up the first Crinkle, and even then we wondered how many there were, Chris reckoned 4 and I was thinking 5 or 6, having consulted Wainwright during our coffee break on the drive over. However my consultations were more about how to get round or over the Bad Step and I now know there are 5 crinkles. Very hard to pull out of the map as the distances are so small, even with a magnifier.
We lunched just before starting crinkle number 2 and picked the coldest, windiest spot on the walk. We watched a large group trying to get down the Bad Step and worked out that we would just skip up the side as totally unnecessary to do the Step. That said, it would be a good place to practice rope work.

By then, we’d got tired of Crinkles as there’s an awful lot of up and down and very little distance covered. A mere 3 more to do but we battled on and got to Three Tarns where we decided to return down The Band and not down Hell Gill which had been the original plan. We were both tired and needed a relatively easy and straightforward route. The path seems to have been improved since I last did it as I remembered quite a lot of hands on sections but these weren’t there any more.
Finally got back to Stool End and Chris took off on the tarmac, back to the pub for the facilities and a beer for Chris.
We whizzed home and I even got back in time for Downton Abbey! Oh dear, how very tragic!

Bark Island just before I left home

Crinkles to centre right

Playing with phone

Over to Pike o’ wotnot

How not to do the bent leg thing

No, that’s still not right

Like this!

Crinkles here we come

First Crinkle, I thinkle

Still smiling, not yet crinkled out

Big views

Homeward bound

Pike o’ wotsit and the Langdales

Feeling a bit crinkly here

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