With the first round of the ATBA series canceled/postponed left Jack and me all at a bit of mountainboarding loose end. Luckily Spud and Evil c had the solution, for a couple of weeks they have been exploring the Pricesss Rizla area of the Chilterns. So it was way over due for us to hook up and ride what they had found. After some posting and few texts we decided to meet at the Plough Inn, Casden
http://www.ploughatcadsden.com/ Which is normally the second spot they ride with a handy pub at the bottom of most the runs. Once Clive had escaped the big smoke and collected Spud we met them in the pub car park. Of cause the other adantvage of meeting near a pub is if you are early you can grab a pre ride sports beer.
On to Pulpit hill, park, pad up and head a good kilometer plus up a track(this is the run back to the cars). Stop hop the fence and transverse across to Pulpit Hill, a sweet mellow run with a giant roller and some banks to jib on the way down. Pulpitt hill is an anceint hill fort so there are plenty of bumps, ridges and ditches to link up some interesting lines. Just drop in off the top and choose your line. After seshing a few lines we thought it was about it to finish the hike up the track through some woods for the long,long ride back to the cars. Because the bottom of this track is an almost a proper hard road surface. We had to let some air out of our tires so we wouldn't be speed checking all the way down. Then it was time to get our curve on back down to the cars. With some nice banks and some burmed corners there are lots of options to play with on the way back down. Just keep an eye on your speed or life might get a bit to 'interesting'. At the bottom we all arrived with grins and endrenilzed tales of which banks were, slashed, jibbed or hipped.
After a quick con-flab, it was decided to leave the runs round the Plough for another day. Since when we were there the pub earlier it was already busy and by now the woods would be full of people walking off their sunday lunches. With people still hungry to curve up more track ways. We headed to Wendover woods to carve up its logging tracks, fingers crossed there wont many walkers to spoil our fun.
Wendover in some senses is a lot like a very mini Scotland with long tracks running down through pine woods. With the added bonus of your standered Chiltern typography of steep beeches woods on a chalk base. After paying up and parking it was straight into Rippers Gash.
Named after our own Jack Beezer and the rain gully which runs down the track. The track is long logging track which heads down for about a K with big banks either side for added fun. We hit hard and fast and met no walkers on the way, perfect all grinning like idiots again. Then it was the long trek back up, not so much fun. At top the plan was to hit again but just as we going to drop in a big family plus loads of dogs wondered by. Still no-worries we were happened to be standing at the top of the Truffler which leads over a logging road and into Sir Plumb-the-nobbleish (don't ask just be careful when Myles names stuff) which then leads into the gully. This trail combines to types of riding technique and really sorts those who have balls to those own don't. First off it's steep and tree'ey with no odveocse line or path to follow. Requiring you pick a line through the trees while planning all the time were you going to be knocking a bit speed off or cutting back. There isn't much room for error but if you keep your speed right you wont come to much harm. Since Spud and Evil C and ridden much stuff like it and I treat it with tones of respect. Our lines were a bit more falling leaf than point down and slalom through the trees. After the two sections of trees you have a tight right drop down into the gully (which was just the kind of thing my flex'ey axiled noSno
http://www.nosno.com/snosite/index.htmwas made for). Then it is just a case of lock and load charge to the bottom of the gully. Just keep an eye out for any dembrie which is going to require some air to get over oh' and the fallen tree half way down. Hip the bank at the bottom and grin like a mentalist, Oh yeah.
With such big runs we only manage another charge down the gully and then an mellow roll down half of Rippers Gash before we called it a day and headed back to cars some feeling more knacked than others and then home.
Wicked day, gents with riding spots old and new. Just a shame life doesn't give us much time to do it more often.
In a comment in the last post I mentioned Backbone had to be ridden again. I don't think I have carved it up for years. So last Friday Jack and me headed for an early morning hit on Wendover. I say early morning it was early by Crew a al Rem. For anyone else it would probably be the time they plan to at least be in the car park. So there it was I was at Jacks place at about 10ish. Even better Jack hadn't really woken up so his 'rents gave us his brekkie "result!, sorry Jack"
