A fantastic day out on the bikes today. Great company and perfect conditions with it not being too cold or too warm and a very light wind. Great to see and ride with Phil again (
@Oldfentiger) who joined us for a large slice of the route. Some terrific climbing including some iconic hills such as ‘Nick of Pendle’ and ‘Waddington Fell’. A total of over 8000ft of ascent for the complete route.
Many thanks to Colin (
@ColinJ) for planning the route variations that involved starting and finishing at Todmorden. We began with the long steep climb up Cross Stones Road and beyond to the Long Causeway. My total mileage was 76 including the additional 12 miles to and from Todmorden. It’s about 5 years since I did the official Seasons of Mist Audax but the relentless amount of climbing and descending is rewarded by simply stunning scenery and views as we crossed through high moorland and scores of attractive villages in the valleys.
The lunch stop at the café in Slaidburn proved a very welcome oasis and it was warm enough in the Autumn sunshine for us to eat and chat outside.
I took a few pictures at the summit of Waddington Fell but a combination of my decrepit mobile phone camera and my inept photography skills meant that only a couple came out. Sorry Phil, the one I took of yourself riding to the summit of Waddington Fell was one that didn’t materialise.
Feeling nicely fatigued tonight but very satisfied.