Sunday 11 October 2015 – The Calderdale Mountain Bike Marathon

Yes, it’s that time of year again, and we have the same crew as last year – me, Robert, Paul and Greg. The picture above shows Paul, Greg and Robert at the start.

Robert returned to his bike after he had taken the picture below and started way ahead of the rest of us. We didn’t see him again until near the finish.

You can see that we dress immaculately for this event – apart from me – I seem to be wearing the same clothes that I was in for yesterday’s parkrun! (Two seconds off a PB, very frustrating.)

The most observant will see that I have (temporarily?) retired my 25 year old Shogun bike from the event this year, in favour of nine year old ‘Stumpy’ that I finally got used to riding during my recent TransAlp trip. I must admit that the ride was much smoother with suspension, though I found myself being more hesitant on the technical descent from Midgley Moor. (Maybe that’s an age thing – there were only seven over 60’s in the 292 strong field, two of whom retired.)

As last year, the three of us started gently at the back of the field, leaving Robert to shoot off and complete the course in 2 hours 55 minutes, his fastest time in thirteen attempts.

The field quickly spread out – well, it shot off ahead of us, and I was again able to enjoy the fast descent to Mytholmroyd at my own pace.

Shortly after that descent, the first checkpoint is reached, near Hebden Bridge. I waited for some time for Paul and Greg to appear (I thought Paul was ahead of me but I’d inadvertently passed him). Eventually they turned up.

We agreed that I’d go ahead at my own pace in the fast, dry conditions. Perfect weather for the event.

The marshalling and signage and checkpoints were superb as always. There’s no need for a map on this event, and no chance of leaving the route unless you ignore the signage.

I waited for a while at Grain Water Bridge checkpoint. Cold drinks, bananas, mini Swiss rolls and jelly babies were the favoured foodstuffs of the day, so there was no need to carry any food or water. 

I continued over Midgley Moor without incident, though others all around me seemed to be practicing their somersaulting techniques.

As last year, I was encouraged up the final hill by Robert, who had come back down to Luddenden Foot to meet us.

3 hours 29 minutes was my time at what seemed a very gentle pace – a nice morning’s ride, and Paul and Greg pedalled in shortly afterwards, taking 3.44 and 3.47 respectively. The full results are here.

You’ll see that in contrast to last year, when Greg relaxed into a ‘Lazy Moment’ at the finish, this year he was moving so fast that his image is blurred!

After tea, soup and chilli, we adjourned as usual to the Church Stile Inn for beers. Then it was back to collect certificates and buffs (this year’s alternative to t-shirts) before wending our way home. 

I can only repeat that the support is amazing for the modest entry fee of £15.75, especially as it’s a fund raising event for a local scout group. A big vote of thanks to the organisers, marshals and support point volunteers. They should be proud in that their standards are much higher than those of many commercially organised events.

Here’s the route - 42.5 km (27 miles), 1000 metres ascent, 2-6 hours. Brilliant paths for mountain biking.

This is the eighth time I’ve cycled in this event since starting ‘Postcard from Timperley’, hence the fairly brief report.

The other reports can be found here, and the route description and results summary are here. The CMBM website is here, with this year’s results here. I’ve just put 9 October 2016 in the diary…

See you then…?

Youth Hosteling Memories

Sue and I had the pleasure of attending Stockport Walking and Outdoor Group’s 60th birthday party on Saturday. It was a joyous occasion, enjoyed by many of the current 150 members and by many ‘old’ members, few of whom we knew as we are recent newcomers to this group.

The group was one of many set up by the YHA after WW2, and unlike many of its contemporaries it has continued to thrive and is currently very active. Curiously, one table was occupied by folk who claimed to have joined the club in 1952, some 63 years ago. This minor ‘discrepancy’ was glossed over, though I noticed a few askew glances from folk wondering whether the party had been hijacked by the inmates of a nearby old people’s home!

It got me thinking about my own youth hostelling experiences. On at least two occasions, at Westerdale and at Glenbrittle, I was arriving with groups but the warden wouldn’t be there. “The key is under the mat – make yourselves at home – if you can make it through the snow.”

In those days there were fewer hostel staff and guests always had to carry out a duty. The header image shows Jim and Howard carrying out their duty at Stockinish Hostel on Harris (NG 135 910). The hostel, open between 1965 and 1998, was an old school. When we visited in September 1968, on my first trip to Scotland, there was no sophisticated sanitation. We pooed into a bucket, which was emptied into Loch Stocanais. I wonder whether the locals still have to do that?

Here’s the hostel.

And here’s Howard (RIP) with the Austin Devon estate car that hauled us around Scotland that September. It managed about 40 miles a day before requiring some sort of TLC. It’s pictured in 1969, on the day it was taken to the knacker’s yard, outside our rented house in Drury Street, Levenshulme, a ‘two up, two down’ with a small kitchen tacked onto the living/dining room. No bathroom or indoor toilet – just a tap in the kitchen and a toilet outside in the yard.

We used to take our showers in the Students Union at UMIST – a wonderful place that also had a great refectory, if you didn’t choose to eat chicken biryani at the Plaza Café on Upper Brook Street.

Many of us travelled by bicycle in those days (some things don’t change), picking up unclaimed bikes from the police when ours were either stolen or ‘died’. I remember a long walk to a bike shop one day when my bike’s front wheel’s spokes decided to call it a day. Buckled wheels from hitting kerbs at speed, usually at night with dubious lights, were a common occurrence.

That’s all for now. I’ve emptied the loft and have a house full of boxes (rubbish, memorabilia, photos, toys, etc etc) to ‘process’.

“Another Pyrenean Adventure – Coast to coast along the GR11” – another Sue and Martin production for SWOG

I have well over 2000 pictures from my walk across the Pyrenees earlier this summer. It was therefore quite a struggle to cull them to a manageable number to show to Stockport Walking and Outdoors Group (SWOG) last night.

It was worth the effort though, as well over 30 folk turned up despite the competing attraction of a baking show that saw 14.5 million people tuned in to the most watched TV programme of the year.

With standing room only at Hazel Grove Civic Hall it was great to have such a good turnout. Thanks in particular to a contingent of friends who are not members of SWOG but who made a special effort to attend. It’s the first time I’ve given this slideshow and it did slightly run over the hour that I was supposed to take. I hope that didn’t upset anyone. It was still impossible to include everything I wanted to say, but hey, if you would like more you could always purchase a copy of my new book – ‘Another Pyrenean Adventure’, of which a few copies are being printed next week. It’s a companion volume to my 2013 ‘A Pyrenean Adventure’ book, of which I still have a few copies in stock. Both are available (basically at cost) for £10 including P&P for those in the UK, a little more if you are overseas .

It was a great walk, but I won’t be doing it again!

Pictured – sunset from below Port de Ratera on 11 July 2015.

Friday 2 October 2015 – A Walk – Manchester to Bury

This was a ‘curry walk’. With no curry! A curry-free curry walk.

Most of us met at Deansgate Metro Station, where security for the Conservative Party Conference was getting into position. Phil arrived later, on the approach to Radcliffe.

We first headed down to the River Irwell where it morphs into the Manchester Ship Canal. Here, there’s a statue of Joseph Brotherton (1783 to 1857). He was Salford’s first MP, a vegetarian, and opposer of slavery and of the death penalty.

Across the road, Manchester city centre continues to ring the changes.

Across the border in Salford, times are hard. The Church Inn is one of several derelict hostelries that line Chapel Street.

St Philip's Church does provide an iconic bright spot, as well as other buildings in Salford.

Our route left the streets before Salford University, and we headed through Peel Park - one of Brotherton's heirlooms.

Some of the trees are just starting to turn. This is the start of the Irwell Sculpture Trail, which we followed all morning.

There are numerous footbridges and road bridges across the River Irwell. Some sport decorations that wouldn’t be found on more modern constructions.

In the vicinity of this weir there were many swans, as well as Goosanders, Little Grebes, Great Crested Grebes and Mallards.

Michaelmas Daisies are in flower just now.

This bridge at Agecroft, erected in 1832, carries the Thirlmere Aqueduct to the storage facility in Heaton Park.

Here’s our team for this sunny stroll - Martin, Sue, JJ, John B, Rick and Rob (we were later joined by Phil).

A nearby disused viaduct carried the link line between Clifton and Radcliffe. Our path led to the old railway track, past Himalayan Balsam, whose invasion goes unchecked around here.

We passed a short tunnel leading to Philips Park in Prestwich.

Soon afterwards, a footbridge led us over the M60, after which we followed the course of the old link line that had led over the tunnel.

Cake and a tea break proved most welcome, albeit a bit late to be described as ‘elevenses’.

This is the first sculpture we noticed - Trinity, which focuses on the period the railway line was constructed, the deaths of many of the 'navvies' involved in the digging of the Outwood cutting, and the pre-railway history of the site. The flowers' names hint at the loss of these unknown workers and are a memorial to them and reflect the woodlands that surround the site. Harebell = Grief, Snowdrop = Consolation, Rosemary = Remembrance.

After a long spell of dry weather, even normally muddy paths were dry, but Sue and I still got sore ankles as we were both trying to walk in new boots.

On the site of the former Outwood Colliery, Ulrich Rückriem has created one of his largest stone settings to date. It is composed of ten large stone pieces set over a number of locations; one column marks each of the two main entrances, a group of seven tall slabs are installed on a flat plateau, and the largest slab, 25 feet (7.6 m) in height (below), marks the former railway track. These stones are split horizontally and/or vertically into several parts then reassembled into their original forms.

Before reaching Radcliffe, we left the disused railway to the cyclists, who were becoming a bit of a nuisance (why don’t people buy bells!), and joined the now defunct Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal for the walk into Bury

There were coots …

... and a lone male Mandarin Duck (he should get together with Timperley's lone female).

The lazy Mallards were failing spectacularly to clear the weed. Perhaps they were pondering the reflection of an old chimney.

This wicker work is the centrepiece of a wonderful garden next to the canal in Radcliffe.

Another ‘sculpture’: 'Water Made It Wet' This text work by New York-based artist Lawrence Weiner is located on an old railway bridge over the Bolton Bury canal in Radcliffe and represents the artist's attempt to understand the nature of water itself.*

There were small and large fish, including a pike, in the canal. Here, on the last stretch to Bury, the team is tracking a pike.

Even though the canal is disused, the towpath is in excellent condition, and it led us gently into Bury, past several churches and a fine library building.

Lunch was taken at Katsouris – excellent value and a good substitute for the usual curry, then we went home.

Here’s our route – 21 km, with 200 metres ascent, taking 4.75 hours, which is exactly what Naismith would have taken.

There’s a slideshow with a few more pictures, here. Click on the first image, then click ‘slideshow’.

Sue and I both felt a little weary after this walk, despite eschewing a session at the pub. Something of a surprise to me then, when I managed the 5km parkrun at a good pace the following morning! Under 22 minutes for the first time in over a year.

* – all a bit deep for me!

Happy Birthdays, and a short report on ‘Three Weeks in Timperley’

Here are Jacob and Jessica, celebrating Jess’s second birthday last weekend. A lovely occasion.

Today is this blog’s eighth birthday! The last three weeks is probably the longest period in that entire time without a fresh entry. That’s because I needed a bit of R&R after going virtually non-stop since Easter. Not that I’ve been totally inactive.

I visited Altrincham to check on how the town centre improvements are getting on. Dyslexic staff who instruct workmen to ‘paint a tree’ when they really mean ‘plant a tree’ have helped to keep the costs down.

I’ve been riding my bike up and down the canal towpath for a bit of exercise. Here’s a view of the Watch House Cruising Club in Stretford.

On a more serious note, we got involved in an incident on a bike ride organised by a business called ‘bike-events’. If any reader plans to take part in an event organised by this lot … beware, you might find the event a shambles, with inadequate route instructions, food points, marshals, and other basic requirements.

It’s nice that Jess seems much more at home in our house and less clingy to her mum. We have some ace toys including this Duplo and some clockwork tin trains.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to de-clutter by selling a load of old computer games from the 1990’s, old phones and old GPS units. All quite time consuming – sometimes I think I should just bin everything.

I’ve enjoyed a 30 km bike circuit a few times, similar to this one, mainly on canal towpaths, from Timperley to Manchester, then through Salford Quays beside the Ship Canal to the Barton swing bridge, returning via the Bridgewater Canal towpath. Here are some images taken on that route.

The weather in Timperley has been glorious. Here are some canoeists enjoying an evening paddle.

Sue and I have done a few Saturday morning parkruns (5 km in Wythenshawe Park) for a bit of exercise and a sociable Saturday morning. Uncle Oliver is getting quite used to these weekly gatherings that block his line of sight to the Hall.

He breathes a big sigh of relief when the runners (290 last Saturday) have dispersed to the nearby cafe and he’s left with this tranquil view.

We live close to the River Mersey, beside which the paths offer the same sort of amenity as the canal towpaths, within the broad band of ‘green belt’ through which the river passes, offering a taste of countryside near the centre of Manchester.

Autumn crocuses are abundant beside the Mersey at this time of year.

That’s enough of my gentle domestic existence for now, as it’s time for some baking, book editing, etc.

Perhaps I’ll go for a walk soon, as I used to do when I started this blogging malarkey!

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PS Also during the last three weeks the period for nominations for the 2015 Great Outdoors magazine’s annual awards commenced. After last year’s ‘bloggergate’ fiasco I was delighted to see that there will be no ‘outdoors blogger’ award this year, and that there is no reference to last year’s ‘winner’, voted for by friends despite doubt as to its legitimacy as a genuine ‘outdoors blog’. My postings on the TGO Awards are here. I would have encouraged readers to nominate and vote for either Newtonmore Hostel or Bridge of Gaur Guest House as Accommodation Provider of the Year, but this category also appears to have been discontinued. Alpenstock has my nomination though…