Farleton Repack aftermath

So, having had a nasty crash on the last attempt (broken ribs etc after a fox ran out in front of me), we made a low key re-run last Sunday. In attendance were Mark (Sinnett177), Richard (Mr Ship), Geoff (Mr Rigid) and me.

This ride was all about reliving my first ever mounatin bike ride on a replica of my first ever mountain bike (see here: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... highlight=) - originally done in 1991.

The plan was to go up through the farm at the foot of Farleton fell, do some nice riding around there and then come down along the face of the fell in a re-run of my personal Repack.

Anyway, it's getting late. I'll let the pics do the talking. So after a short night after a session the night before and a sleep in the car, we set off.

The bike:



The first hill. I remember thinking when I first rode it all those years ago - I'll never make it up a hill like that. And I was right! Well, first time round it was fitness, this time round the back wheel fell out (good old horizontal dropouts) :shock:



The view down the Repack as we passed it by on the way out:


Extreme downhilling fern action from Mr Ship. Hats off it was very very steep at one point.



Mint Sauce pic:



Mr Ship sinks:



Bunch of likely lads L-R Me, Mr Ship, Sinnett177 (Mr Rigid taking pic):



The Repack:



All made it safely to the end of the ride - many thanks to Mark and Richard for guiding. Top day out.

I recognise a few of those trails.
Glad to hear you all made it down in one piece although it sounds like you're still having trouble with rear wheels Ed...

Did you send out the hunt before you set off to clear away any kamikaze foxes?

Aye, great day out, thoroughly enjoyed it apart from an early bath in the ford. It is definately do-able though, just not by me!! Got most of the sheep sh*t off bike and rider though

Sunday's ride was fantastic. Even though Farleton is right on my door step I haven't been riding it as much as I should, Sunday brought it home to me how good it is.


Ed and his repack creation at the start, Burton In Kendal.

We started off from Burton In Kendal and bombed down the road to the Pig Farm (not even sure if is a pig farm, but the smell convinces you it is). At the farm we head up over the fell using the bridleway. This is a steep rocky climb, that is achieveable, but when it hits you so early in a ride, it hits hard.


Geoff climbs up the fell with Morecambe Bay as the back drop.

Our route across the top eventually took us the summit and the trig point.


Time to relax whilst waiting for Geoff...


...there he is, not far to the trig point now.


Ed and his repack ride at the pinnacle.


Geoff with the bike that Ed built, good job Geoff enjoys a walk!

We then enjoyed a long stretch of downhill. Initially on fast grassy singletrack and then through the ferns on an uncharted trail.


Fast grassy singletrack, proper old school fun.


We enjoy the view over to Scout Hill before hitting the fern covered downhill.


This fern cover downhill that snakes down the hill awaited us.

The fern covered downhill was a bit of an experiment, myself and Richard had stumbled across it on an earlier ride and I thought it was ridable even if Richard didn't. So with Ed's blessing we gave it a shot and all was going well until we hit one section of very steep muddy decent. I bottled it on sight, Richard too, then Ed and finally Geoff. Here is shot of the section we took later in the ride:


Steep, muddy and with zero run off this was trail centre 'black route' if ever I saw it!

So we'd all bottled it, I guess we'll be sliding down on our arses or finding an alternative then. Well not if your mr_ship on your titanium Nuke Proof, he pushed up the the hill a little and then with a small run up hung off the back of the bike and cleaned the section, fair play Richard that took some stones. The rest of pushed down an alternative route, we Ed amasingly on his arse.


mr_ship locks his rear wheel and slides into RB folklaw

We then enjoyed the country lanes for a hour or so until we hit the bridleway across Scout Hill. By this time Geoffs 1x8 was near unridable as the front ring was slipping constantly, Geoff is a real character though and kept smiling and indeed pushing. Scout Hill was proper old school stuff, following sheep tracks through the bogs until eventually we hit the pub.



The pub is the newly opened Plough, so newly opened I never knew it existed. It was certainly posh as me and Ed looked rather out of place when ordering the drinks covered in sheep shit.

On leaving the pub we were virtually straight back off road and heading for the ford at the river. Now there are two ways across the river, by deep ford or across a dry bridge, you choose and both Richard and Geoff chose wrongly.


Brave Geoff gets wet!

From the ford we climbed/pushed back up Farleton and headed for the downhill course. Seemly the course Ed did bitd was the flat out grassy run that runs down the center, the course I use is rather more technical and involves the limestine pavements at either side. Ed graciously allowed me to guide him down the more technical course with Richard in tow, Geoff with his severely ill Deferf taking the grassy route. I think Ed enjoyed the more technical route as he was grinning from ear to ear at the bottom.

So back through the pig farm and home to Burton. Sorry for not waiting to say goodbye Geoff, I had another ride on at the velodrome just a few hours later and so had to get a wiggle on. I was great riding with you all, i really enjoyed myself.

See you all again soon for more adventures.

Thanks for the write up and the extra pics

looks like fun. i would have bottled that descent too!


nuke proof looks lush