# Kielder and the stream



## Thompson (28 Aug 2011)

This was my second ride in Kielder, the first was fantastic and so I was very excited about it. There was a group of six of us (I was the youngest by atleast 20 years) but the company's good fun. 

Through out the ride there was barely a flat moment and so although it was only 24ish miles, the legs were burning. However we did have to walk for ten minutes as we were sent through a VERY over-grown field at the back of this persons house. Plenty of nettles to keep you focused. We were also sent through a field of very angry cows one of which looked as if it was about to charge at us, luckily it was heavily pregnant and just stood still.....right infront of our exit gate. I was third back and the first two kept charging toward the angry cow, luckily causing it run out the way. We were also sent through a field with a horse in (when I say field, I mean some grass next to a very steep grassy, rocky decent leading to a stream (not the one in the title) which had burst its banks. (blocking the gate, so we had to wade through). Also a field of sheep, nothing to tell there.

The stream in question came before all of the fields mentioned above. Me and this guy were a few seconds ahead of the rest and we were busy descending a rather rocky and bumpy path. We saw the small stream which had also burst its banks and the guy stopped, I heard him shouting 'STOP! It's too deep!' so I slammed the breaks on so as to stop with my front wheel touching the water. The rest caught up and started joking that we were wimps by not crossing. They must have saw in my eye that I really wanted to go through and started seriously saying 'don't do it' but the guy with the map is quite mad and decided to push me to do and gave me the idea to go faster by cycling back up the hill and getting 'A good run at it'. The rest crossed the bridge to the side and a lass took aim for a picture. I positioned myself half way up the hill and heard map guy advising 'stay to the right' however he meant his right which was my left. So I went on my right. I went speeding down (only 15mph) and dove straight in the water, got half way across, and the front wheel completely submerged (before this the water wasn't fully submerging the bike) and the wheel was stuck, I was flung over the handle bars head first into the water. Luckily my arms were out stretched and so the water only went as high as my neck. The water was icy so I jumped up, only to find that I can only see one wheel of my bike. The rest was so deep you couldnt see it.

To cut this shortish, I was drenched for the remainder of the ride, we got two pictures of me swimming, and I now have a clicking chain.

Fantastic!!!


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## Thompson (30 Aug 2011)

http://thompson93.moonfruit.com/ pictures!!!


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## rich p (2 Sep 2011)

Excellent stuff Thommo, you're hardcore going for a swim as well!


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## Globalti (3 Sep 2011)

Hmmmm.... nice pic.... looks like you got lost in the fog as well.


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