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Despite, or perhaps because of the snow, it was a brilliant weekend based at Dent in the Yorshire Dales. The bunkhouse at Whernside Manor did us proud although some of us didn’t get their cars along the snowcovered lane to it. Eight of us stayed over Saturday night with Matthew and Derek (the gate boys, pictured below at Dent station with Kev) joining us for Saturday’s ride Thanks to Richard and Kev for devising some interesting and ridable circular routes. Saturday’s took us up the long steep road climb past Dent Station, then on tracks traversing Brant Side with spectacular views ahead to Ingleborough – Lew (the gaffer) and Ian below

Down to Ribblehead where we had lunch at the Station Inn before heading back over the shoulder of Whernside on the Great Wold track – a long push up but the descent down to Whernside Manor made up for it.
A very reasonable bar meal and some rehydration therapy that evening in The Sun Inn, Dent set us up for another superb ride on Sunday. The forecast snow didn’t arrive, so we drove to Ribblehead with Rob and Steve who joined us for the day. We set off traversing the lower slopes of Whernide on the bridleway through Ivescar and Bruntscar leading on to Scales Moor where we got this terrific view of Ingleborough.

From here the trail got a bit trickier and technical, leading to a superb descent http://www.youtube.com/user/NickBXride before a short road stretch to lunch at Inglesport – quick, cheap and tasty.

A few miles on the road gave us stunning views to the Lakes before reaching Clapham and a long pull up to Thwaite Lane past the Norber eratics (ask Richard) over the SE flank of Ingleborough where we had this view across to Pen y Ghent. Ian enjoying the benefit of the low gears on his new mountainbike, before the fast descent to Selside and a few miles back on the road to Ribblehead. Thanks to everyone for making it such an enjoyable weekend. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions and views. See you all at Delamere on Sat 4 Dec.