Peak performance

Was pencilled in to do a lakes ride but my chauffeur didn't fancy it so we hit the peaks instead, think I've ridden the peaks more than the lakes so far this year. Parked up on rushup edge again but this time headed down to roych clough, slightly dodgy moment when a rock my arse went skyward just as I was riding off a drop but made it down OK and for the first time cleaned the climb out, I've normally got quite a few miles in my legs by the time I tackle this, as did Johnnie chapeu to us. Another mtber passed us on the way to mount famine and we did a bit of back and forth through gates. Got chatting at the turn off to coldwell clough, Steve was briefly going the same way as us so we did the coldwell descent and he talked us into finishing the descent to kinder road. We were headed for Jacobs and Steve decided he'd join us and showed us a shortcut (which wasn't actually there but hey ho) We chatted climbing up the grassy hill by kinder res and got to oaken clough having bypassed most of the horrible rocky climb, result.

I've never ridden down jacobs ladder so this was new, of course we were swapping crash horror stories on the approach to this big rocky downhill but we managed not to jinx ourselves or  make each other so nervous that we crashed. We all made it down smiling, not bad at all, not as awesome a descent as it is a climb, but it's a pleasurable way of losing some altitude. Gentle coast into edale then the climb to hollins cross, a stupid mistake caused me to dab about 3/4ers of the way up, pity reckoned I could have cleaned it. From here we took another new to me downhill into castleton, not the bit steep rocky descent oh no that's reserved for walkers instead we get a grassy rutted old thing, typical peaks trail designation. It actually got a bit tastier further down, not bad after all. Steve bought us a pint in castleton, was turning into a nice relaxed day of riding, weather was holding out too. Another trip up the broken road, stopped for a play, did the first drop, landed it OK but was so tense adue to having an audience I think I may have caused some internal damage. Johnnie looked at it but decided not to, me and Steve rode off Johnnie caught up telling us he had managed to sort his head out and rode the drop without an audience, good work. Another couple of drops ridden, Steve wasn't mentally prepared for playing silly buggers but said he was inspired and he'd be back with friends and a first aid kit. Next was the climb up rushup, Johnnie was suffering a bit by this point but I just kept going and he followed, about halfway up he asked if there was no easier way at which point Steve pointed to the (very flat) road below us, "yep, see that?" I normally keep quiet about bailout routes until we are atleast 3/4ers of the way up the final climb or someone shows indisputable signs of their will and spirit having been utterly crushed, but Johnnie stoically continued on, if he was cursing me under his breath I didn't hear :-)

Last descent down the roman road, laughs all round, Steve split there and we hit the traffic for a very slow drive home. Another good day from an iffy forecast, suntan topped up, marvellous.