Glentress Oct 08
Arriving at the café in moffat just before 10am on Fri, it wasn’t long before we were tucking into full scottish fry up breakfasts and once again the woollybacks took over the town.
Innerleithan
From there we headed off to book into the hotel to dump the bags and head to Innerleithan. However we did have to make sure Jonesy didn’t head straight for the bar. Having never been out of Leigh before he was a little giddy to be as far away as Scotland.
The weather was ‘damp’ but warm and actually excellent cycling weather.
The ride upto minch moor (which will be known from now on as Minge Moor). From the top is the usual swooping ride then a new fantastic red section with jump, table tops etc down to crop circles. From there down to the rock garden where we assured the lads who hadn’t been before that the black bits had gone and it was staright forward. We lied and took them down, Pands, Jonesy, Lee and Rick whooped with delight, or should that be threatened to kill us when they caught us. Admittingly both the Turner boys did good clearing the whole thing then going back to do it again and again and then once more just to prove a point(Yes you read it right, I have just given a compliment to the Mcdonalds twins Ian and Si). After the rock garden we went up to find the extra loop that Johns mate showed us last year and included that before going to Caddon bank and Eric, Si, Myself and Julian clearing ALL the jumps.
Down to the car park where all but the weakest riders(GK) rode through a river that was running through the car park, so deep that the full wheel was under water.
Back to the hotel and a fight for hot versus cold water in the showers before settling down to some beers and food. During the meal we had an unprecedented awards ceremony. The prizes were a bell which Roger won so hopefully cutting up people would be a thing of the past and a set of pink tassles which went to Pands for riding like a big girls blouse. The food at the Glentress hotel was excellent as usual and at around 9pm the taxi’s were ordered for Peebles.
Peebles
In Peebles we started at the usual Bridge pub but this really has to change as I am sure they were all playing domino’s in there. Neil felt right at home and had to be dragged out kicking and screaming up to the County Inn were after the initial standing around the Aftershox corner became available and the first round of aftershox was bought, Pieman leading the way. Neil and GK tried to pass the offer but bowed to the peer pressure(and abuse they would have got)and joined in. So we got another round in. GK held firm this time as he was already wobbling from the beers at Dinner but again Neil succumbed, probably because it was bought for him…..AGAIN.
After a bit of Queensbury antics and Si meeting up with Kenny Allen again, we moved onto The Keg. Wow, I think this was on par with the ale houses in Newton Stewart. No need to say much more except:-
Al Ready who will now be known as Lofty started on the dance floor throwing some shapes, dancing with anything and I mean man, women, bandit machine, table whilst constantly rubbing his nipples. All caught on camera which we are trying to get on youtube. Night ended at about 1.20am with Shorty trying to find the toilet in his wardrobe.
Sat Glentress Black
Surprisingly most made it for the 8.15am breakfast, amazingly Al was there ready and raring to go. Those who didn’t make it were Chunk and Pands, think they need a bit more practice of Woolly weekends. So with Pands, Chunk and Jonesy to follow and Rick and Lee doing the red run the rest set off.
We set off up the new singletrack climb to the free ride area, what a fantastic change. For once I got there not feeling knackered. Si showed us the 3 jumps so I went off the middle one landing front wheel heavy, Si continued to go over the big jump with TK lieing underneath. Julian did the middle one aswell with the majority having a go at the little one.
After a play we continued onto the Black route and the great climb upto the hut and onto the mast were the fun began. Down Britney Spears and onto The climb to Redemption were on the steepest part my chain got wrapped between the cassette and spokes. After some time GK and Si came along well back from everyone else, Si having a weird look on his face when asking what had he been upto, well lets just say its not just bears who shit in woods. We never did get an answer as to what GK was doing at this time??????
Onto Ewok village which Si and Hendy virtually cleared all the northshore stuff and a couple people opening their ‘stack of the year’ account, Julian the tree hugger and myself landing on my head off the seesaw. Luckily no injuries so on we went.
The rest of the way down went as you would expect, screaming, thrilling, no brains a few more crashes(Eric will try to blame me for his off but I think he got scared when the big DH boys came up behind him).
We headed straight down to the Hub for coffee and cake, 2 pieces in my case with talk about who was going back upto the free ride park. At one point it looked like I was going on my own until GK said he would come, think he was after more crashing footage for the camera. In the end quite a few went back up and found that one of the runs there was fantastic for learning to jump with tabletops, kickers, doubles all easily doable and confidence inspiring. We then took the Blue route down from the Buzzards nest car park cause we knew that the smoothness, speed and jumps on it would round off the day perfectly. Again I those who hadn’t done it before were surprised by how much they enjoyed it.
Bikes washed and locked up it was time to see who had the hot water in their shower.
At the meal that night a puncture repair kit award was given between Tyre kicker and Hemlock for their synchronous falling off, a set of tyre levers were won by Julian to help prise him off the tree at Ewok village, Al Ready won the other set of pink tassles for riding like a big girls blouse and only using 1.5” of his 5.5” travel and Si won a pairs of cycle clips so in future he could just shit in his pants and noone would know.
After dinner the 3 musketeers were defo not up for going to Peebles and in the end we all got round the tables by the TV area, except Pands who mysteriously disappeared to the room for the night. Now we know he had his laptop with him but don’t know what was on it?????
After not going into Peebles we were still upto 1am reliving the previous nights antics and probably drinking more than the night before aswell. No aftershox in the Hotel so the barmen made us up some ‘dirty shots’. Game over.
Sun Glentress red
A full turn out at breakfast this morning, cars loaded up with our stuff and hotel check out completed, we rode off up to the free ride park. For those who weren’t there the day before we started off with the jumps on the free ride we did the day before. Al couldn’t contain himself and set off over the first jump and round the corner. I followed to find him sat down, ripped trouser and a little blood. Hahaha the soft sod had fallen off the wooden bit. Gave him a plaster to make him feel brave then set off for a play, wary myself of it being slippery.
After a couple of runs we went back to the 3 jumps big, medium, small as Julian had promised himself to bag the big one which he did in style.
Off we set onto the red route before anyone hurt themselves before doing the ride.
Again the Woolly train was underway, this time with 2 members sporting pink tassles on their handlebars. What seemed like a good laugh in the car park turned into embarrassment as they rode past groups of bikers all of whom commented on them and even heckled up the mountain at them.
Upto Spooky woods and the Woolly train got up some steam tearing down through the forests. A few decents crashes but no injuries we followed the red down to where it meets the road leading upto the Buzzards Nest then followed it back up to pick up the Blue route from the car park down. Si reckons the speed we came down that was the fastest he has ever done it and will hopefully look good on GK camera.
Back to the Hub for cake and coffee then to the cars and off home.
Glentress 08 done and dusted for another year. On behalf of the club thanks to all those who attended and made it what it was. More memories we will undoubtedly be talking about in years to come.
Thanks
Ian (pol924)
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