Considering the recent terrible weather it was pleasing that we had picked a reasonable day to repeat the twenty eight mile ride that we did last year around the same time.
Seven riders arrived at Sandal Castle car park to take part in the ride and we set off downhill promptly at 10.00am heading towards Puneys Country Park, after only 200 metres we got a taster for what the muddy conditions were going to be like and by the time we had completed the two miles to Pugneys our bikes were already fully mud laden.
Not to be put off, we left Pugneys heading towards Wakefield where we picked up the canal towpath heading towards Horbury where we crossed over the river Calder through the atmospheric fully enclosed, raised walkway to rejoin the canal at the Navigation Pub at Calder Grove.
It was here that the muddy conditions really made the going extremely tough as we climbed through the trees up the single track onto Blacker Lane, Netherton. At this point two of our number decided to call it a day and returned to Sandal Castle which was understandable due to the leg sapping conditions. The remainder of us then proceeded up the farm track onto South Lane, Netherton passing through the small hamlet of Little London before eventually arriving at a welcome fast downhill through Coxley Woods which was then followed by another muddy climb along Carr Lane before turning left up further climb to Chapel Hill where snow was still present before dropping down to the Yorkshire Mining Museum for a welcome lunch.
It was generally agreed over lunch that the ride should be shortened as we were all feeling the effects of the leg sapping conditions. So after a hearty lunch we made a detour from the planned route with some welcome downhill runs through Middlestown and Coxley Valley Woods before climbing back uphill to Netherton again where a fast tarmac decent took us back onto the canal towpath and onto the adjacent River Calder bridge crossing at Addingford.
A short run then took us into Horbury where we then had a flat route on the tarmac back to Pugneys Country Park, it was only a short distance then back uphill to the Castle car park where Sol joined us for the twenty metre ride to the Castle Cafe for a quick coffee before calling it a day and returning to our cars where it was generally agreed that whilst we had actually done eighteen miles, (ten miles less than last year), one or two of us felt that we had actually completed the full twenty eight miles such was the conditions.
Bob Booth
Ossett.
Our thanks to Bob for taking us on this ride and doing the ride report.
More of Roger's photos can be viewed on Flickr by clicking here:
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