# Season of Mists



## ColinJ (22 Sep 2008)

Hi All.

Don't listen to the rumours which have been circulating - the very hilly _Season of Mists_ audax will be taking place this year as usual, on Sunday 5th October. Since it is one of my local events, I thought I'd do my bit to help promote it. 

Cancellation rumours started after the control cafe at Coldwell Activity Centre closed. I contacted the organiser, Chris Crossland, and he assured me that the event will take place as planned. An alternative control will be organised at Coldwell. Don't worry - a refreshments table will be situated somewhere outside the centre!

There have also been problems with a landslip on the brutal little climb at Thursden, just beyond Coldwell on the way to Widdop Reservoir. No worries there either - the road is narrowed to singletrack, but still passable. It is going to close shortly _after_ SoM so it can be rebuilt before the rest of it tumbles down the hillside . 

The event starts from Hebden Bridge and we will head out over the local hills into the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, before returning by a different, but equally hilly and scenic route. Last year we had glorious weather, and let's hope for the same this time! The weather pattern seems to be similar to last year so perhaps we will be lucky again?

The main event is 100 km in length and not for those who dislike climbing - there are over 2,500 metres of glorious hills crammed in, and many of those are steep. 

Here's a map showing my GPS tracklog from last year's event:






And the elevation profile:





There is an easier sister event for those who might find SoM a bit intimidating. _Mellow Fruitfulness_ is 50 km in length, and has 1,200 metres of climbing.

I know that _Noodley_ and perhaps _longers_ are planning to do it, and I got my entry in last week. Do any other forum members fancy having a go?


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## Noodley (22 Sep 2008)

I can confirm I shall be appearing. Hostel at Mankinholes booked, to allow me a wee leg warm-up ride to the start.


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## ColinJ (22 Sep 2008)

Noodley said:


> I can confirm I shall be appearing. Hostel at Mankinholes booked, to allow me a wee leg warm-up ride to the start.


I'll be riding up and down the valley for about 30 minutes before the start of the event. The initial climb up to Heptonstall is a bugger with cold legs...

Oh, I've just found a nice photograph of Thursden valley showing the road before the landslip occurred:


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## vernon (23 Sep 2008)

I've not heard any rumours of cancellation. Besides, the Audax web site would have it marked up as a cancelled event. Perhaps the rumours are confined to the immediate environs of Hebden Bridge.

I have no designs on doing the 100km ride but will be satisfied with being the heaviest (and last) finisher of the 50km ride.


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## ColinJ (23 Sep 2008)

vernon said:


> I've not heard any rumours of cancellation. Besides, the Audax web site would have it marked up as a cancelled event. Perhaps the rumours are confined to the immediate environs of Hebden Bridge.
> 
> I have no designs on doing the 100km ride but will be satisfied with being the heaviest (and last) finisher of the 50km ride.


Actually, it _was_ someone local who told me about the cafe closure at Coldwell! I called in there to check for myself and sure enough, there was a sign in the window saying that the cafe was closed 'until further notice'. I don't know what had happened to cause it. I hope that it reopens soon because it's somewhere I've called in at a few times over the years.

The problem with the road is rather obvious when you cycle up or down it but there is a sign saying that it won't be closed until October 6th for repairs (the day after SoM/MF) so we will be okay, apart from having to grovel up the thing that is!


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## Noodley (23 Sep 2008)

Nice pic Colin...I may think otherwise whilst going up the road. 

I'll be interested to hear of any closures after the event as I plan to return in November to ride a few perms.

(edit - just spotted the route map. Looks like it takes in some of a longer route I plan riding next year - I'd better pay attention after Burnley!)


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## Tynan (25 Sep 2008)

that is a lovely picture and I remember the local area from my Uni days at bradford, you can keep those hills though

best of luck fellas, enjoy


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## ColinJ (26 Sep 2008)

In my opinion, the landslip was caused by the weight of the massive boulders which had been placed along the edge of the road to stop joyriders dumping burning cars down into the valley. At one time it seemed to be a favourite pastime of chavs from Burnley and district. I once saw a collection of 6 burned out cars and a trashed van down there. It all seems to have been in vain, because they've been at it again further up the hill - there was another wreck there on Wednesday. If joyriders weren't to blame then there must be a hell of a lot of incompetent drivers round these parts...


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## Noodley (26 Sep 2008)

ColinJ said:


> ...the landslip was caused by the weight of the massive boulders cyclists
> 
> ...there was another wreck there...



Yep, overweight cyclists in a wreck - sounds like I'll fit in well


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## ColinJ (28 Sep 2008)

ColinJ said:


> It all seems to have been in vain, because they've been at it again further up the hill - there was another wreck there on Wednesday.


I should just point out that the wreck in question was the burned-out vehicle down in the valley bottom, _not_ the burned-out overweight cyclist on my bicycle !


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## longers (28 Sep 2008)

I'd like to do it but have plans for that day. I'll look out for the spring version.


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## Noodley (2 Oct 2008)

I am out of this  

The Lurgy has attacked and I am currently wallowing in self pity and snot.


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## ColinJ (2 Oct 2008)

Noodley said:


> I am out of this
> 
> The Lurgy has attacked and I am currently wallowing in self pity and snot.


Hard luck Noodley, especially since it's beginning to look as though it might even have stopped raining by Sunday!

One of the few advantages of spending 99.xx % of my time by myself is that I don't tend to pick up the bugs that loads of people seem to come down with. You watch - I'll develop 24 hour 'flu now that I've said that...


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## Noodley (2 Oct 2008)

ColinJ said:


> I'll develop 24 hour 'flu now that I've said that...



That was my only hope, that it was 24 hour flu. It hit me today whilst I was in court and by the time I got back to the office I was a sorry state. But I was to be travelling down on Friday and riding with longers on Saturday before heading to Hebden Bridge. So I had to make the call tonight. 

I have re-arranged with longers for the first weekend in November and plan on riding the perm version of Season of Mists the same weekend.


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## vernon (5 Oct 2008)

Originally Posted by *vernon* 

 
_I've not heard any rumours of cancellation. Besides, the Audax web site would have it marked up as a cancelled event. Perhaps the rumours are confined to the immediate environs of Hebden Bridge.

I have no designs on doing the 100km ride but will be satisfied with being the heaviest (and last) finisher of the 50km ride. _




 ColinJ said:


> Actually, it _was_ someone local who told me about the cafe closure at Coldwell! I called in there to check for myself and sure enough, there was a sign in the window saying that the cafe was closed 'until further notice'. I don't know what had happened to cause it. I hope that it reopens soon because it's somewhere I've called in at a few times over the years.
> 
> The problem with the road is rather obvious when you cycle up or down it but there is a sign saying that it won't be closed until October 6th for repairs (the day after SoM/MF) so we will be okay, apart from having to grovel up the thing that is!



I did the ride and very enjoyable it was too. It turned out to be the most scenic, in every sense of the word, of all the calendered events that I've completed this year. As always the post ride catering was beyond reproach and I'm likely to have another go at the route as a permanent. The climb after Coldwell was hard and I had to resort to some pushing. my prediction was borne out. I was Lanterne Rouge for the 50km route.

I'm just wondering about the road closure. It will be impassible by motor vehicles but I bet there be a wide enough passage for bikes.


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## ColinJ (6 Oct 2008)

vernon said:


> I did the ride and very enjoyable it was too. It turned out to be the most scenic, in every sense of the word, of all the calendered events that I've completed this year.


Ditto for the longer event. After a damp, dreary start the sun appeared and then we had a glorious day. The Ribble valley looked lovely in the sunshine, as did the (endless succession of steep) hills.



vernon said:


> As always the post ride catering was beyond reproach


I'll second that!



vernon said:


> The climb after Coldwell was hard and I had to resort to some pushing. my prediction was borne out. I was Lanterne Rouge for the 50km route.


I managed to get up it on my bike but my legs were just about shot after that. Fortunately, it is an easy run back to Hebden Bridge from Widdop.

I was among the candidates for the 100 km Lanterne Rouge, but unfortunately my title was snatched from me at the last moment . I'd just reported in at Salem mill when someone rang the organiser to say that they'd be arriving later. 



vernon said:


> I'm just wondering about the road closure. It will be impassible by motor vehicles but I bet there be a wide enough passage for bikes.


You're probably right. If you were riding in the same direction as we did yesterday, it wouldn't really be a problem to try, even if you had to turn back. OTOH - if you came from Hebden Bridge, you'd have a huge detour to do if you had to go back the way you'd come.

I acted the Good Samaritan yesterday at the top of the Nick o'Pendle. I'd winched my way up there and decided to stop at the summit to stretch my back and enjoy the view. After a couple of minutes, a chap (later found to be named Jim) came over the brow of the hill pushing his bike and holding what looked like a dead black snake coiled round a stick. In a slightly forlorn voice, he asked "Can you do anything with this?" Why did he think I needed a dead snake? As he got closer, I saw that it was in fact a dead oily chain. This was a job for Bicycle Repair Man! Since BRM wasn't available, I decided to volunteer my services instead...

I'd practiced using my chain splitter recently when shortening a new chain for my Basso. I put my newfound skills to good use and had soon taken out the broken link. 

It wasn't long before Jim's bike was ready to ride again and we set off on the descent together. Even though the sun was shining, it was really nippy on that side of the hill, dropping down into a cold wind. 

We stayed together for the rest of the ride and it was nice to have some company for a change. I usually tend to ride alone on audaxes because I'm slower than most, but slightly quicker than the slowest.

Jim insisted on paying for my cake, Coke and water at the control cafe in Waddington. Later on we encountered a couple of his mates and joined up with them for the ride round to Coldwell. 

I took about 90 minutes longer than last year (partly because of doing the chain repair, and partly because of waiting for Jim's mates on the later climbs). I actually enjoyed the ride more so I think that I might make a point of going slower when the weather is nice. No point in hanging about when it is cold and wet, but I wasn't in a hurry to get off my bike on what might be one of the last sunny rides of 2009.

I'm looking forward to Spring into the Dales 2009 now !


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## Noodley (6 Oct 2008)

Glad to hear it was a good day out. 

I hope the road is fixed by the first weekend of November, or at the very least passable...


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## ColinJ (6 Oct 2008)

I forgot to mention the comically bad steep lane down into Roughlee! It is very narrow and it has the surface-from-hell. It was pretty bad last year, but this time it had clearly been eroded further by flood water. It was so bad that some pedestrians were cracking up watching us descend. Potholes-a-plenty, gravel everywhere, and a river running down the middle of it! It's actually so bad that it is relatively safe. You would have to be completely insane to go down it with anything less than 100% caution. 

It would be quite a challenge to ride *up* it. I might have a go at the Season of Mists route in reverse some time next year and I'll see if I can do it without putting a foot down.


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## vernon (6 Oct 2008)

ColinJ said:


> Ditto for the longer event. After a damp, dreary start the sun appeared and then we had a glorious day. The Ribble valley looked lovely in the sunshine, as did the (endless succession of steep) hills.



It was a cols start for sure. I was quite surprised to see my breath condense out as I climbed up the main street in Heptonstall.



> I managed to get up it on my bike but my legs were just about shot after that. Fortunately, it is an easy run back to Hebden Bridge from Widdop.



I got off my bike for the descent by the scout hut because I was not convinced that I'd be able to restrict my speed without overheating my rims.



> I was among the candidates for the 100 km Lanterne Rouge, but unfortunately my title was snatched from me at the last moment . I'd just reported in at Salem mill when someone rang the organiser to say that they'd be arriving later.



I'm quite happy to be Lanterne Rouge. I have an occasional riding partner from Hyde CC who comes over for some of the less hilly Audaxes and we conspire to claim joint Lanterne Rouge and are most miffed if someone else snatches defeat from us.



> We stayed together for the rest of the ride and it was nice to have some company for a change. I usually tend to ride alone on audaxes because I'm slower than most, but slightly quicker than the slowest.



I sometimes mange to get conversations in at the cafe stops. Even so they tend to be brief as I tend to arrive as the rest of the riders are about to leave 

I'm still feeling good about the ride. It was the most comfortable bit of grimpeur riding that I have done. Just need to shed five or six stones to be able to contemplate the full 100km ride. The assembly of my Dave Yates' Randonneur id providing me with a further incentive to shed some lard - I'm fitting taller gearing in anticipation of weight loss.


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## vernon (6 Oct 2008)

ColinJ said:


> I forgot to mention the comically bad steep lane down into Roughlee! It is very narrow and it has the surface-from-hell. It was pretty bad last year, but this time it had clearly been eroded further by flood water. It was so bad that some pedestrians were cracking up watching us descend. Potholes-a-plenty, gravel everywhere, and a river running down the middle of it! It's actually so bad that it is relatively safe. You would have to be completely insane to go down it with anything less than 100% caution.
> 
> It would be quite a challenge to ride *up* it. I might have a go at the Season of Mists route in reverse some time next year and I'll see if I can do it without putting a foot down.



I don't think that was part of the shorter route but I was surprised by the amount of water running over the road surfaces. Although I am contemplating doing the ride as a permanent, I'm not sure that I'll do it in the winter.


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## ColinJ (6 Oct 2008)

vernon said:


> I don't think that was part of the shorter route but I was surprised by the amount of water running over the road surfaces. Although I am contemplating doing the ride as a permanent, I'm not sure that I'll do it in the winter.


No - Roughlee is just before Barrowford on the return part of the 100 km route.

I went out with a friend of mine in January a couple of years and we did a route that I call *The Trauma of Trawden!* It's about 46 km, and takes a different route over the local hills, returning via Coldwell and that killer climb over to Widdop. It was a fantastic winter day - very cold, but lots of blue skies and sunshine. 

All went well until we got to Thursden. We crossed the cattle grid and began the climb but there was absolutely no grip and we had to make emergency dismounts. Closer inspection revealed that there was a river of black ice all the way down the hill! Because of its orientation, the road is in shadow so there is no heat from the winter sun to melt any ice that forms. The road had not been gritted so it was potentially lethal.

We started walking our bikes up along the grass verge but then I saw a car hurtling down the hill towards us. I waved frantically at the driver but he made no attempt to slow down so I screamed at him as he passed and that did the trick. He skidded to a halt just before he got to the black ice and leapt out of his car, looking like he was ready to pick a fight with me. "Oh yeah, oh YEAH!" that kind of thing. I just pointed at the road in front of his car and suggested that it probably wouldn't have done him, his girlfriend or his car much good to have hit that at speed. He went all sheepish after that "Oh, er, thanks mate - yeah, could have been nasty, that!"


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