Yorkshire Dales Meet – Hawes 15/16 Oct

A glorious sunny Saturday morning, great prospects for a mountain bike trek around Dodd fell.

Jago Christine and Nick were the meet attendees staying in Hawes Youth Hostel

Arrangements made to meet at Hawes car park 10.00am prompt or 11.00 if not! Obligatory café stop to fuel up for the ride and away we went; a circuit of Dodd fell approx 30k and an ascent of 650m. A steady 7k along quiet roads to warm up then the 10k climb up the Cam High Road, steady at first then steepening near its summit- excellent, we were all pleased with our efforts.

  

 

From this high point we dropped down to meet the road to Gayle. We soon meet our turn off and sweep around to the South of Dodd fell on a good track; the West Cam Rd. This then follows the Pennine Way where a bridleway heads North via a rutted track complete with deep pockets of standing water and mud!! ……………….. Christine seemed to take a liking to these!!

The track then descends passing between and over limestone blocks, Firm ground soon passes and we encounter the boggy moor waiting to claim its victims.

The final section lead down into picturesque Gayle and finally into Hawes where the café awaits for well deserved tea and cake.

– A cracking ride!

Spain, 30th Sept -8th Oct

Our Spanish trip to see Dave and Carolina.

After a steady days birding we had a days climbing at Alcalali, plenty of steady routes 4+ and 5’s to work up a sweat in the 30 degree heat!

Chris managed to second the thuggy 6a Stohlwitter – see below

2 days were spent at Sella. Our first day consisted of a walk up and along the ridge Penon de Sella, a circular walk from the village which took about 4.5 hours giving fantastic views.

It was fiesta week at Sella and we were rewarded with lots of fireworks, loud bangs, flashes, huge rockets and violent explosions well into the early hours-GREAT!

The whole village was out in force as the main square was taken over by 2 rival local Pelota teams. We could not make head or tail of the rules but it seemed all the village were out to watch and support. It basically involves one team serving a small leather bound ball -slightly larger than a golf ball –from one end of the narrow entrance to the square towards the waiting opposition, they have to return the ball which can come off walls roofs widows etc. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the game which went on for hours.

Our second day at Sella was spent climbing on the main local crags at the usual grades 4, 4+, 5; six in all, dashing for shade at every opportunity in between leads.

Returning back to Casa David & Carolina in Gandia we had a trip inland to the edge of the Steppes, an elevated area where cereals are grown on the fertile plains. Here we had great views of Little and Great Bustards, firsts for my Europe bird list.

Our last days climbing was on the Penon at Calpe. Our preferred route was Via Valencianos (5+) the classic and popular climb on the South face. We had hoped to climb partly out of the sun but as it happened there was thin cloud cover which made the temperature ideal for the duration of the route.

The route has a couple of easy scrammbly pitches then the awkward crux pitch, which is now polished to a glass like finish! Chris managed this with relative ease, unfortunately I managed to crush the camera and damage the screen-bugger.

3 more decent pitches followed of 4 and 4+ which lead to a magnificent position astride the ridge overlooking Calpe harbour and then the final summit push. A fine route to finish off.

A great week with special thanks to Dave and Carolina

Our Guides on the Valencia coast