Date: Tuesday 6th March 2012
Route: WP, Meavy, Burrator, Sheeps Tor, Deancombe, Norsworthy, Boneshaker, Leather Tor Bridge, Leat, Rescue Car Park, Peak Hill, Yennadon, HQ.
Riders: Keith, Sam, Dan, Colin & Greg.
Depart: 19:40
Arrive HQ: 21:30-21:45
Distance: 13 miles
Weather: Good

Nothing to do with the ride, but Gidon's day started well when the bus driver only charged him for a child's fare! Then later in the day I was mistaken by a customer for being Gidon's dad!! But despite his youthful looks, Gidon still couldn't muster the energy to join us tonight.

Then riding up the road from Horrabridge, a van coming out of Grange Road stopped, then decided that I didn't exist and came straight at me! I swerved, he braked and I live to tell another story of my aversion to the black stuff. Give me a motionless lump of granite to fall on any day!

Conditions couldn't have been better and with the Meister laid up in bed with "a proper bout of flu, NOT man flu" Greg quickly cobbled together a cracking circular route that reassuringly never took us too far away from the pub!

We started by dropping down to Meavy from where we soon warmed up with the testing climb to Burrator. Through Sheeps Tor village and up the hill past 'Dan's House' to skirt around the lower slopes of the Tor itself. As we dropped down to the stream, all riding had stopped in front, but why? Somehow Greg had spotted a trip wire a foot off the ground attached to what looked like a flare at one end!

We then tackled the steep rocky drop off which was actually as rideable as I'd ever seen it. We met the other local group of Tuesday riders at the bottom, exchanged pleasantries, then moved on. Down Deancombe where one or two of our group were reluctant to ride through a muddy puddle, which gave me the opportunity to overtake Sam for what is probably the first and last time that I ever will!!!

We looped up the bottom part of the Boneshaker, cut back to Leather Tor bridge then picked up the leat above Sha**ers Van. Going up the hill to the rescue car park I tweaked my hip. On reaching the track to go up Peak Hill, the message coming from said hip was to abort, so I took the easy route to HQ in the company of Colin, whilst the rest climbed and descended the Hill and headed over Yennadon.

We regrouped in the pub minus Sam who was a trifle concerned that his headmaster was going to sit in on one of his lessons tomorrow and felt he should go home and prepare! Lame excuse, what is better preparation for a teacher than a few pints of beer!!

Reporter: Keith