Ride Blog – Nan Bield Pass – 08 Jan 17

My wife was working in the lakes so I decided to join her and take my winter hack. A Cotic BFe 275 with Shimano XT / Zee drivetrain (1×10), Zee brakes and 160mm RS Pikes. There a several classic Lakeland rides on my riding bucket list and Nan Bield Pass is one of them. Today was a great opportunity.

We were staying in Ambleside so I made the journey to Staveley and battled along the narrow singletrack road to Kentmere and beyond. At this time of year and with the prevailing weather conditions there aren’t that many people out and about, so I was able to get parked at my preferred start point by Stile End. After devanning and kitting up I headed up the track past Stile End’s little complex of farm buildings up and over the brief starting climb with double track descent down into Sadgill. A pretty basic descent broken up with a couple of gates, you could have a bit of a play by skipping about and jumping off some of the little features in and around the trail if you so wish.

Once at Sadgill you need to get your head (and legs) into climbing mode as a 4km long, 400 vertical metre climb awaits you. The savvy mathemeticians will know that is a 1 in 10 incline and the first 2km only climbs 70m! I couldnt ride it all, I doubt anyone would in these greasy conditions, the man made bits of the trail give you little traction  under rubber, you would certainly have no chance to stip if you were to ride in the opposite direction! The target was Gatescarth Pass where the first proper descent began. Towards the top you get a reel feeling of remoteness. At this point I had been in the clouds for a good 20 minutes, but there was a brief respite as the clouds around me cleared briefly and I was able to survey my surroundings. Stunning open mountain areas, like a giant moonscape. As I reached the top of the pass I actually had sun on my face for a few brief minutes. As it became overcast once again I began my descent towards Haweswater. A typical lakeland bridleway double track, with plenty of switchbacks, loose rocks of various sizes littered the track so picking your line was essential. Towards the bottom you could pick up some speed before a gate brings you to a premature halt. 100m or so further on is the bottom of the trail and the car park at the head of Haweswater. Drink your weak lemon drink, now! And eat your block of malt loaf. You’ll need the energy for the next phase of the ride!

 

 

2.3km and 410m of climbing with your bike on your back! The trail, which is supposedly a bridleway, is too steep and technical to ride, not wide enough to push your bike beside you and even with your bike on your back is tricky to navigate in cycling shoes! It was all made worthwhile though for the views back down the vally to Haweswater. It flattened around Small Tarn (an uninventedly named small Tarn, a small lake sat in the high ground) but was at its steepest in its final stages before you finally reach Nan Bield Pass. At the top of the pass there is a stone shelter to protect passers by from the typically strong and cold southerly wind that whips its way up the Kentmere valley. Three quarters of the way up the final climb, just below the cloud base, I had taken a photo that would make a great GMBN sumbission, looking back past Small Tarn to the head of Haweswater in the distance, seconds later the cloud descended and engulfed me. It stayed that way until I was well into the final descent.

I had hoped to take a photo of the final, iconic descent for this Blog’s cover photo, showing the series of switchbacks followed by an elongated trail stretching off into the distance, but it just wasnt to be. I put my spare jacket on, consumed an SGS energy gel (with caffeine) and had a piss. All in double quick time. It was bloody baltic and I just wanted to get down ASAP! Straight into the switchbacks I went, but they were tight and steppy, plus the loose slick rocks were greasy in the foggy conditions. I wasnt man enough to try and ride it all, opting for the marginally safer option of dismounting and walking down some sections. As disappointed as I was, I had to recognise that I was on my hardtail, I was alone, I had no phone signal and there was no bugger else about. If I had had a big OTB I would have been in a bad way, freezing cold and miles from help. Eventually I managed to find some flow and let the brakes off. The rocky chutes and trails were soon swapped for grassy (and boggy) sections, which made identifying the trail in the fog pretty damn difficult, especially with eyes watering. A well trodden rocky trail son re appeared and I continued on, a couple of small climbs broke the descent up until a short climb took me back to the van.

So as far as early January rides in the Lake District go, today was pretty awesome. I ticked off a bucket list ride, I navigated in high mountain terrain through dense fog, i carried my bike for over 2km uphill and rode some challenging technical trails. 10 miles in approx 3 hours. During busier times you will likely need to park up in Kentmere or Stavely which will add a fair few road miles to the start and finish of the ride, and a bigger group will need to account for varying riding speeds and mechanical issues. It can quite easily be a full day out!

Stanage Edge Loop, The Dark Peak, Derbyshire. Jan 16

The weather had been cold for a few days. Very cold. And snow was promised for the weekend. Better still it was due to snow on Saturday but Sunday was expected to be dry. We headed over to stay with friends in Matlock an Saturday evening and the frost was beginning, but it didnt start snowing until nearly 10pm. We thought the weather had shifter and we might have a miserable day ahead of us, but as it turned out the snow had stopped by the time we rose from our food induced coma’s.

We woke to crisp air and crunchy snow, loaded the vans and headed to The Inn at Fox House. A popular location for walkers, climbers and riders to park up for the day so they could finish with a beer and food, we knew it would fill up fast, so arrived early. Our wives dont really ride, so they had chosen to go for a run. Leaving Spike and I with the opportunity of a quiet day out without having to listen to white noise from the long haired colonels.

 

The plan was to hit the Stanage Edge descent and make a loop out of it by passing by Lady Cannings Plantation, Bamford, Hope, Brough, Shatton Edge and Hathersage. We werent sure how the snow would be under rubber but were pleasently surprised when we found it to be quite grippy with good traction. There were a few people out so the snow was being packed down by boots and tyres alike. As we headed North towards Lady Cannings it was nice to see the range of people out and about on such a beautiful day.

I had read a lot about Lady Cannings Plantation, the very first crowd funded MTB trail in the UK. Headed up by Cy from the bike manufacturer Cotic and opened by Steve Peat himself, it is a blue graded trail just over 1km long but is said to be flowy and fun. I am yet to ride and today wouldnt be the day I did. Sadly the trail was struggling to drain the recent deluge and was being ruin due to the amount of traffic riding it whilst it is in disrepair, so the trail team had enforced a closure to allow it to dry out before they can go about repairing the surface.

 

We passed on by heading towards Redmires reservoirs, which incidently will be the location of the next crowd funded trail (RADmires) which has recently started raising funds. The freezing wind was picking up and was whistling towards us as we climbed up and around the reservoirs. We had only ben out half an hour and already my toes had lost their feeling! I tried all sorts of tricks, like pedalling on the uplift (clipped in) and wriggling my toes like crazy, but even with two pairs of socks they werent going to warm up until I was out of the cold. The rest of my body was toasty warm due to the amount of layers I had on, and the fact that we had been climbing since we left the carpark.

Eventually arrving at Stanage Edge we were caught behind a group on hardtails who had to pick our way past, which didnt allow us to attack Strava times, but the trail was reassuringly grippy so we could push on where possible. Spike actually managed a Top 20 time, crazy considering the conditions! We were keen to get over to Hope for a coffee and cake in one of the many cafes, but I insisted on a brief photo stop and to take in the beautiful wintry scenes. It was pretty much all downhill into Bamford and a couple of short climbs to Aston eventualy led us to Hope where we could strip off the cold and wet (with sweat) clothes and enjoy some treats surrounded by more riders. It was pretty miserable putting the damp clothing back on half an hour later, but neds must. Sadly it wasnt long after the stop before we were climbing again. Not giving the rich flapjack time to settle!

 

Shatton is a pretty apt name, as that is exactly how I felt. Burping latte and flapjack whilst grinding out a fire road climb in icy conditions, is not my idea of fun. It certainly didnt look this steep on the map! It didnt help when a couple of Land Rovers heading off for some Green Lane fun forced me to pull over and dismount. Getting back on the bike was a chore so I had to push for a while. My legs were glad of the change in cadence but my toes were refreezing after the briefest thaw in the cafe. Spike is much fitter than I am, so he was just a dot in the distance, a bright blue and orange dot.

once we were up we had to circumnavigate the summit before dropping down towards Hathersage, unfortunately a wrong turn had us heading the wrong way so opted to push along a footpath, big mistake! It was a single track footpath, not wide enough to push the bike, so in the shoulders it went. It was also well trodden so boggy and slippy! Wearing clipless shoes made it like walking through margarine, in clogs! Eventualy we made it into Hathersage and picked up the main road that would lead us back to Fox House. This section WAS as steep as it looked on the map. I just stuck my head down and grizzed out the five mile climb home.

 

I was totally licked by the time we got back to the van, changing into dry clothes was emotional as I felt muscles aching and straining. I was relieved to finally get in the pub and enjoy a juice next to the blazing fire. All in, we had a grand day out. 27 miles in 3.5 hours was exactly what I needed. Great training and preparation for the upcoming race season.

 

 

 

 

2015 Winter Training Project (Part 1)

It’s a rainy November Monday morning, i’m sat on the toilet following another weekend of excess eating and inactivity doing what the long haired General wants to do, rather than riding my bike. As I look downwards I notice my gut is folding into some unusual shapes and it dawns on me just how much weight I have put on.

I used to be fit, in 2006 I learned of my impending deployment to Iraq and knew I needed to improve my fitness. I was running twice a day and by Christmas that year I was in the best shape of my life. On my return to Blighty in May 2007 I was muscular and lean, I was no Adonis but I could out run and out lift the majority of my peer group. I completed my All Arms Physical Training Instructor Course and life was good, I was highly motivated towards training and passing my knowledge on to others, but it quickly went down hill when; playing football I twisted awkwardly and damaged a poxy little ligament in my lower back, like an idiot I thought it best just to rest it a few days and man up. My lack of appropriate action meant that it still, to this day, hasn’t healed properly and my back always feels weak and stiff. This massively limits what I can achieve in the gym and in the outdoor activities I love so much. Fast forward a few years following peaks and troughs of activity as my motivation and body allowed, and in 2013 I developed a ‘grumbling’ appendix that had to be removed, although it was done by keyhole surgery it set me back once again with time off training and outdoor activity. So in the nine and a bit years since pre Iraq training I have put on over 3 stone.

How I was back in 2007. Decent shape and build.

I am sure I am not alone, I expect the majority of my readers will struggle with the same despise of their own form, but lacking the real and significant motivation to do something about it. Well here I am, acutely aware of my situation and genuinely motivated to change myself for the better. To aid my motivation and potentially help you guys, my readers, i’m going to document the process I go through to get fit for the 2016 Enduro race season and hopefully it will encourage some of you to do the same. So, to that end, I have joined the local Leisure Centre gym, which has had a recent refurb with over a million pounds spent replacing the worn out equipment, extending the main gym hall and creating a new spinning suite. It looks stunning. My journey will begin on 9th November with it culminating on 29th February 2016 a few weeks before the first BES round, a total of 16 weeks or 112 days. I will need to continue throughout the season in order to stay on top of my game for a successful race season, but over the winter is really where the hard work lies.

My initial plan as it stands is to reform my eating habits, train hard on my bike(s) and train harder in the gym. So here goes, my starting stats make for grim reading;

Day 1 – 09.11.15

Weight: 219 lbs (15 st 9)

Body Fat: 20.7%

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I’ve got a proper ‘Dad Bod’ going on, except I don’t even have any kids! My goal is to get my body weight to under 190 lbs but increase my strength. So I will need to build and condition muscle whilst cutting excess fat down to around 15%. I’m not going to get too obsessed with the weight, as long as the body fat is being reduced my body weight doesn’t really matter. I easily build muscle and muscle is much more dense (and hence heavy) than fat.

My plan is to start off relatively slowly. Cutting the crap out of my diet, so no fast food or chocolate, crisps, etc. A couple of light gym sessions in the first week to get the DOMs (delay onset muscle soreness) out of the way and then ramp up to 3 or 4 gym sessions a week and a big outdoor Road or All Mountain ride at the weekend. I will cross train between cycling, running and rowing for cardiovascular exercise and body weight exercises and Olympic lifts for strength, mainly concentrating on legs, core and back. Only time will tell how the plan will come together and what will need amending as I progress forward. Although I have a lot of training knowledge already, i’m going to utilise the on site personal trainers and their up to date PT acumen.

So last night’s session was an induction, so the staff showed me around any unfamiliar equipment and then I set to getting myself set up on the spin bikes, finding a comfortable arrangement of seatpost height, stem length etc before conducting the FTW fitness test, which gives me some base setting for when I use the bike in future. Nothing too strenuous but gave me a 35 minute spin out to ease me into it, good job really as I need to be able to walk in the morning! Tomorrow will be a full body resistance session to get some muscle soreness going and out of the way. The first week back is always the worst!

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