by
Tullio
Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:19 pm
7 of us headed to the Dales for our March MTB club run. The forecast said grey in the morning clearing to patchy clouds in the afternoon and that's what we got, sort of.
Deb planned a route starting at Kilnsey over Mastiles Lane to Street Gate, then North, over High Cote Moor, to lunch at Arncliffe. We made good progress up Mastiles Lane but then turned directly into a strong, cold, headwind for the rest of the climb even having to pedal down some bits. The pub in Arncliffe is 'quirky', to say the least, with a menu of 3 items, 1 beer (served from a jug) and the grumpiest Landlord you'll ever meet. A pub of true character!
After lunch we headed along Littondale then straight over Old Cote Moor, a 400m climb being about 50% pushing due to the gradient and slimey mud. At the top we were greeted by sheep, great views and...snow! Time for some extra layers. The descent was fabulous, nearly everyone taking a gentle tumble at some point, as the skies cleared to give way to sunshine.
To finish we headed back to Kilnsey via a 6 mile road bash.
Great route, thanks Deb.