Cheers Mr G

Twelve of us set off from the damp misty Coldharbour car park in the direction of the Summer Lightning trail head. To avoid the latter half of the main trail which can be a bit sloppy at this time of year I decided to take the slightly steeper, rootier Summer Lightning DH trail. Reaching the bottom it seemed to be a popular choice and will definitely feature more in future rides. Next we headed for the Leith Hill tower with most struggling for grip on the final steep rooty push to the top. Here we met up with Mr Swan who was sensibly admiring the view with a cup of tea. From the tower Steve took a brief stint at the front to lead us down some sweet, slightly slippery singletrack (Cheers Mr G). We headed down High Ashes into Holmbury St Mary for our second climb of the day up Holmbury Hill taking in Twig Trail, I Should Coco and BKB. Making good progress we decided we had enough time to sample some trails on Pitch Hill before the tea stop at Peaslake. This meant another very steep climb but both trails Curly Whirly and Supernova made it worth while.

 

Cheese straws/Pork and Leak Slices/Cake/Tea/Coffee consumed we headed back up to Holmbury Hill viewpoint for a run down Yoghurt Pots and Secret Squirrel. We then made our way back up the High Ashes bridleway for the final climb of the day. This was definitely a tough slog and I for one was starting to feel it. Reaching Leith Hill tower for the second time was a relief. It was now just a case of following the Summer Lightning top section back down to Coldharbour and find a seat in the pub! After a good 20 muddy miles with roughly 2,200 feet of climbing it was a deserved drink.

 

Phil

Event / Article Type
MTB-Experienced Coldharbour 23/01
steve23.01