The Two Crosses

This is a photographic trip through the 2 Crosses on the 23rd of March - I can still feel the miles in my legs! The event was wonderfully organised by the East Lancs LDWA.

The first 4 photos are panoramas and are still in order but not in the order of the main body of shots. Hopefully annotations will help!

 Interesting to see that I was almost stationary for an hour. Photos and eating!

Heading towards checkpoint 2.
This is the little white blob above the pond against the trees

Entwhistle Reservoir, after the food stop, just past half way.
Looking backwards along the route

This is looking towards Tottington. In the middle and slightly to the left.
Peel Tower is to my back, and the path

Further on down the hill. Just over this flat bit is the descent to the bottom of Reddisher Woods

Right at the start, about half a mile in.

The route doglegs around a field

Lots of Mud!

Up towards Affetside. A turn to right at the top.

Just after the PackHorse a turn left and a descent to the Jumbles,
The sign says:
THIS RESTING PLACE WAS BUILT
BY THE RESIDENTS AND FRIENDS OF AFFETSIDE
IN MEMORY OF
MATT COBB
10-6-71 -  12-8-03
ALTHOUGH HIS TIME IN THE VILLAGE WAS SHORT
HIS WARM SMILE AND GENEROUS HEART BROUGHT JOY
TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM
LOVED AND REMEMBERED HERE EVERY DAY

Heading towards the first checkpoint at the entrance to Turton Tower

This would make a great check point!

The route takes us down the road to the stile and then up to the skyline
There was a large plantation on the left when I first did the walk. Now the new trees are starting to grow!

These next 4 pics takes us to Entwhistle Reservoir over a quite steep incline and through a clip point. Its quite long and moderately muddy. The weather here has been very difficult on the top.
Today it was really good although probabl;y the coldest part of the walk.

The route took us round this side of the reservoir. Previously it went through the tree on the left to the checkpoint on the carpark. 

Looking back!

The edge of the dam. We walked along there. There is a pano at the top.

Sensational food!

Kiwi Fruit, Grapes, Apples - Seriously,
Never been at a checkpoint like this

Amazing range of sandwiches too!
Am I in the wrong place?
More like a wedding reception, running buffet....

People didn't want to leave... perhaps they are still there.

Entwhistle Reservoir from the food

The path away from the food

From the dam at the reservoir

Crest on the Reservoir wall

Strawbury Duck - there were a lot of people here.
Entwhistle station is just to the right

Away from the 'Duck, just above a little wicked incline

Entrance to the next checkpoint

Serious mud!

Looking back... The style is halfway along the wall.

Bull Hill is the Lump on the right. The path skirts around the left corner.
This was about 6 to 8 inches deep the whole way to the corner.

Just about the corner of the hill. Looking down into Helmshore.

Windy path down to the checkpoint.

Pilgrims Cross. Straight on to Peel Tower. The red flag means the Army needs target practice.
I don't believe that guff about using blanks!

Past the cross

There were sleet showers moving alongside me in the valley, looked rather nice.

Descent from Peel Tower. The Peelers route goes the other way

Looking back from the same place

The top of Reddisher Woods, steep wet descent

Not sure whether the solitary stone is a stoop.
The whole of this part of Lancashire is criss-crossed with Pack trails.
I just don't see why a trail would be here.

On the way to Greenmount Golf club. These two old gateposts still standing.
A small piece of the old agricultural landscape

A big bird - A checkpoint bird,
you can see where this is going, wouldn't want to pluck it though!

Heading off the estate, built up vegetable beds.
I had a very good friend who lived to the right. He had a great den.

My old school!

The old railway line from the top of the bridge. Only there is no bridge any-more.

Looking back

Lots going on

Managed to "sort of" finish the bike for the Fred Whitton adventure. Decided it's so scary, not looked at the blogs, the pictures or anything - seems not only a long way but actually quite hilly - help! Looking at some of the fantastic and seriously expensive hardware about on the ride makes me feel seriously inadequate too. But...
Have done miles... and spent time on the turbo...  We will see. It will have to be a big April or it will definitely be a trip to Hell.

Manage to complete 4 wheels. They all look good 2 are to sell, they will go on Ebay soon. The other 2 are for the "Fred"

My latest purchase is a genuine Brooks saddle. It looks sensational... but feels really hard - only hacked out 20 miles on it so far but really looks the business. Its sort of moulding itself to me... I hope. It does look sort of odd on a mountain bike. I think all the detailed info should be on a "Tools of the Trade page" for the bike.

Now logging info on Strava too.

Its the 2 Crosses tomorrow - there is certainly a very mixed weather forecast for tomorrow. It certainly won't be as cold as it has been. Going with Rik - He will finish miles ahead of me. But I should get a good run. There are places I want to go to on the way home!

The Peelers, 23 Feb 2014

Manage to haul my ancient carcass round the Peelers Challenge event on Sunday. Great event, great weather and even better potato pie - thanks scouts. Pretty low turn out and I wasn't even last, I think I may have been a little quicker than a fortnight ago on the Anglezarke Amble. However lots of piccies done, And a video. Manchester Uni Canoe Club don't even know its here yet - they soon will!

However here is the Garmin Trace - for some strange reason there are spiky bits - even I don't get that lost! I absolutely agree with the average speed! Here is the panoramic approaching Peel Tower. Much of the route was on pack horse trails, there are many.There is a quick link to the canoe bible here. Great Amazon reviews!

Manchester in the very  hazy distance, Bury closer still. The hump on the left has Peel Tower, we went there and carried on to Bull Hill and Helmshore

  I stopped for at least 20 mins capturing the canoe footage. Well worth it, must get an HD camera, or a head cam or something that does a better job than the old Olympus camera

Elton Resevoir

Burrs Weir

Robert Peel

Two Tubs - my old watering hole - 42 years ago!

The Plans

These are the plans for the immediate future:

Walking and Biking:
The Peelers (Tomorrow!)
2 Crosses
Fred Whitton - this is definitely a mistake!

Pendle Way in a day - Rossendale Mountain Rescue Team - done the Rossendale Way in a Day 3 times, so I know what I am doing - tongue really stuck in cheek here... the first one was really, really hard and I hurt one of my feet really badly. Finished with 2 paratroopers and a Geography teacher from Colne, the weather was foul all the way round we were continually getting lost added miles to the distance. The second I was on for 12 hours seriously, but something overcome me, I met a couple who were really struggling and I "persuaded" them to finish, he was in a considerably worse state than her. I knew dark was coming in and neither had a head torch. I stayed with them and guided these two in. The final one, a really good stretch in the middle, went too hard I guess, 12 hours was definitely on, but for some reason completely ran out of energy, sat down, stared at the rapidly disappearing figures in the distance, ate and drank everything I had, staggered to my feet and made it to the next checkpoint, the last but one. I met one of the lads there, who had previously passed me having his feet wrapped up in gaffer tape by a St John's Ambulance man. He was lent a walking pole and he continued the next 6 to the end. He was in a serious state at the end. Blood was oozing out of his trainers.

Rotherham 50 I am told that this is OK A good test for longer distances.
At least 1 audax and 100 mile bike ride
Try and ride 4 times a week and run 3 times a week
The Beaverbrook ride and the Trinity Hospice ride well as the college 3 miler.
Get weight below 90K
Continue to upgrade bike.
2015 Fellsman last chance qualifier!
The end target is the LDWA 100 in 2015 - so got to qualify!

Blogging:
More memorials locally
Upload the new batch of cards - looking forward to extending the Tottington Blog
Build a blog for links to CashnHits. Just going to promote this site.

Internet Work
Bye bye Neobux - Hey you were an expensive mistake
Cashn'hits doing well  $120 dollars so far professional upgrade - whatever that means, 251 referrals  too!

Really get stuck into work:
Because I know how little time there is left.
Photo work - when its gone its gone! As in old buildings and places.

Wheels and Wheelbuilding - self trained. Modify the new wheels and sell the new built ones. Just completed 3 more wheels great feedback and made a profit - roll on LazyWheels



That's it for now, say hi if you see me!

Turbo time

Bashing out many miles on the turbo - made bearable with the phone set up playing a selection of really dated music. Anyone remember "Alice's Restaurant"  - good for 2 miles! All the miles are logged on Mapmyride. Saying that a fair selection of Road in there too.

In a moment of madness put in an application for the Fred Whitton - The turbo will have to be set to extreme hill and see how I cope. Not missed a day so far - day 14 - The Target is at least 34 days!

So I do feel fitter and the heart rate has come down. The first real test of the year is the Anglezarke Amble - 2 blokes from work say they are doing it too!

Got an LX crankset at a ridiculously cheap price - That's going on - save a couple of 100 grams.

Half term!

Well its half term, edging ever closer!
For once in my life I elected to do the short course on the Anglezarke Amble. I felt awful climbing up to the top of Rivington Pike. I realised at that point this was not going to be good - I was wrong!

Heading to the top of Rivington Pike - all of 1.5 miles and I was feeling done in.
I coughed and sneezed all the way to the top until I coughed up something that resembled a seaslug - felt a lot better after that

Standing in front of Rivington Tower. This is made up of 9 shots stitched in Hugin

Slipper Low dog training - very impressed and totally unexpected!

Trotted past - the dogs were exceptionally well behaved!
We were exceptionally smelly by now!

Great Hill from the Slipper Lowe end. Went straight up here in one charge. However it was very windy. 80+ mph. Found a guy at the top in the shelter shivering, dragged him to his feet and we managed to get to the next checkpoint. Just over the top of the hill the wind picked me up and dropped me on my backside 5 yards away - Oh how we laughed-  not

Looking back Jubilee Tower which was on the route is far, far away!

The checkpoint straight after great hill and the  last checkpoint before the end.
Managed to add orange juice and hot tea together in my mug, too embarrassed to throw it away so I drank it ugh! No permanent damage though - made quite good time on the last section.

 As soon as I elected to go short I regretted it. I had to back in Blackpool by 7 looking and feeling my best. I didn't think I would make it. I don't believe it would have added more than 2 hours to the trip round. The wind was intense but never felt it was going to be a problem. Climbed all the hills OK after Rivington so the other stuff would have been OK - Roll on the Peelers!

2014 and all that.

Well, really good to get one of the crappiest years ever over and done with. Out with the old and in with the new! Miss you Steve and Lee

Several intentions this year. At least 3000 miles on the bike (only 9 miles a day!) - get the wheelbuilding going again and being considerably more tidy. There are numerous small intentions too!

4 or 5 events lined up starting in February, Silverdale with Bowland and Morecambe, Anglezarke Amble - (done at least 5 times before) , The peelers from Bury Twice before, possibly Derwent Water, the 2 Crosses - (6 times before). Seems that my son and Girlfriend have hatched a plot to do a serious bike ride at Easter - 400 miles or so (and drag me along) and then the "Fred Whitton" if I get an entry 50-50 at best.

However since the arrival of the truly wonderful Garmin Edge 500, using the Turbo takes on a brand new dimension.

I also got another bike (Giant Talon) from the Cycle to Work scheme, which is being heavily modified for big hills - looks like being a big year.

Got to go. I have a shed to tidy!

Well got to get the impetus going again.

Not so much not working at the blogs, but having so many iron's in the fire. The old bike has gone! Hopefully to a good home. I have the Defy 2 still but that is about to go to - Didsbury and then a trip around Cuba accompanied I hope by my newest acquisition. A Giant Talon 1 - the last of the 26ers. Wonderful bit of kit. Pictures to follow. Work has been manic. It will be really good to relax into a steady flow of work and not keep on dealing with sickness, audit and rotas. Endlessly.
The new blog at Wordpress slowly creeps along. Don't suspect the numbers will be anything like as good as the blogger ones.

My latest toy will be a Garmin 500 with all the trimmings - a report will be in Tools of the trade as I battle to understand it.