Microadventuring, mini tours etc

Did a quick “micro adventure” last night. It’s amazing what you can fit in between office hours. I try to do a couple of these a year, but last night’s efforts were pretty much perfect. I need the stars to align to get away with it, and yesterday with my family packed off to the grandparents for the first week of summer holidays, the weather set particularly fair and a big project just wrapped up at work, I was in the clear for a night under the stars.

I need to use a bit flexy working to get most out of these, so in to the office at 8am on Monday means I can leave at 4. Hopped on the train at Vauxhall and I was off at Leatherhead by 5. It’s a good starting point for a trip into the North Downs. Five mins pedalling and you're onto a bridleway out towards Bocketts farm and then normally on to Polesdon Lacey and up Ranmore that way. This time I took detour to explore Norbury Park. It was nice. Best section was some nice flowing single track down a slightly naughty footpath to get over towards Tanners Hatch and the climb to Ranmore that way.

It was great out though. Really quiet, so you can get away with the odd footpath here and there. Im just always sure to be over polite if I meet anyone. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. No need today, it was probably too hot for ramblers anyway.

From the top of Ranmore it starts getting really good. I love the blast down over the railway before heading to the Abinger Roughs and dropping out near Abinger Hatch. It’s a gentle road pedal from there to the bottom of Holmbury, then up the track to the top and a breather while admiring the view.

I was getting thirsty (I had plenty of water, the other kind of thirsty) and was hoping the pub in Peaslake still opened on a Monday....I also had the descent via “Barry knows Best” to look forward to. It’s the great thing about riding in the North Downs. It feels like a real cross country ride with lots of as the crow flies distance, but there are still a load of proper mountain bike trails to link up with berms and little (or fucking massive if you really search) kickers. It means you get the best of both worlds.

I was just getting into BKB on the way down till the hiss/sealant spaff of a pinch flat saw me somewhat delayed. Was quite pleased with my tyre worming though and was back on my way in no time. More pressure needed. Lo and behold, the pub was open too. Time for a pint and something salty before the last climb of the day.

It was a cracking beer too. Just the right abv for this heat/the exertion to come but still tasty and gluten free, if that’s a thing for you. They also let me have a bottle of something cold with the cap left on for later.

Anyway, after a nice sit down it was time to crank up Pitch Hill, have a little play on El Capitan and Curly Wurly (trail names) before hopping over to Winterfold Hill and a camp spot I’d been eyeing up since a family walk a month or two back.

As the sun set I freshened up as well as I could and fired up the stove for a meal of freeze dried beef hotpot By “adventure food”. They’re not bad really, but the chicken curry (with added chilli powder) is still my favourite. I was glad it was cooling down as I set up my hammock, the stunning view over to South Downs helping clear the head further still, all aided by the cold beer I’d grabbed as I left the pub. Perfect, just me and the birds.

It never got really dark. First time my efforts at sleep have been hampered by having the moon in my eyes, but the land of nod did not elude for long. It didn’t stay for ages though. By 5:30 It was getting light, the birds were up and I was happy to snooze a little while watching it get beautiful.

I had two options from here. Lazy breakfast and pootle down to Guildford to train in from there, or get a move on, pack up and crank over 4 hills to Westhumble and head in to the office that way.

Given my early bird/dawn alarm it would have been rude not to take up the offer of option 2. Which was good as so followed two of the best hours on a bike I’ve ever had.

The trails are so dry they are running better than ever. It feels slightly naughty riding them so early, on a school morning, imagining my work colleagues just waking up to a shitty commute into town, here I am blasting through stunning countryside on some properly good bike trails.

The descent off Pitch Hill was as good as I’ve ridden it, back up Holmbury, down the “Yoghurt Potts” then a cracking bridleway blast to the bottom before the long slog up Leith Hill from Upfolds Farm. I actually love this climb. I gauge my fitness by how fucked I am at the top. Today was a good day, that coffee back at camp and oaty breakfast bar clearly giving me the umph I needed.

I didn’t pass a soul as I summited Leith tower. The views both South to the Downs and North to London town were perfect. Next it's down the newsish trail that links the top to the original Summer Lightning descent. After that there is even more fun downhill all the way to the main road at Wooten, by definition the longest descent south of London.

The last climb is my other favourite, particularly in the morning. Contouring up Ranmore as the sun is still rising over Dorking is a cracking view, nearly there now! From the top I had a new to me bridleway down to Westhumble and an appointment with the 9.04 to Vauxhall. I had 20 mins to burn and the cycle cafe wasn’t open. No bother. Sparked up the stove on the platform and enjoyed a coffee in the sun on my todd.

The train duly whisked me in to town, a quick pedal to the office, shower and shave and I sauntered into my 10:15 meeting bang on time still grinning like the cat that got the cream. Was pretty fucked by 5pm though. Fortunately the office cleared out quick, so so did I.