September 1 - 3, 2006

The English Sea to Sea Ride

Day 2

Happiness is …

As was usual for this day, the next climb started about 100 yards after the pub – we rarely spent long on the flat. At least the rain had stopped, and amongst the trees there were clouds of vapour rising from the warm ground as it started the process of drying.

When we reached the next (and final) village of the day, its name – Stanhope - rung a bell with me. Hadn’t the Discovery guys, when asked yesterday morning what was the steepest climb on the trip, said the road out of Stanhope?

 

Following the advice of the Discovery team, we’d decided to forego the alternative off road section from Rookhope across a grouse moor, and stuck to the road. (I may be wrong, but from their later accounts it seemed that the final pairing of Mike and Neil had taken the off road route and found it a challenge). The road climbed again, with a short steep section levelling off to reveal a smiling Phil clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels. He offered it round, declaring that as we’d hit the Waskerley Way the day’s climbing (and indeed the trip’s climbing) was done, and the place of the evening’s rest was but a few level miles ahead. There were a few doubts expressed, but with both the clouds and our spirits starting to lift, it was smiles all around as the JD did the rounds.

 

Phil would have been dead right in declaring the climbing done for the day ….. had we actually been on the Waskerley Way. More serious doubts were expressed as the road started to drop down again …. quite a long way down, in fact ….

Happiness is a warm Jack Daniels

The rain had started again by the time we reached the top and started to descend past the old mine workings up there, but it didn’t last for long. Fortunately this time it stayed off – we’d seen enough rain by now. The road dropped down gently to Rookhope. This was a pleasant descent that didn’t require a firm grip on the brakes, unlike a number of the earlier downhills.

Clearing weather

(apparently)