"A" Group Wed 28 Sept Ride Finale

Mark had set a challenge to finish off today.s ride by climbing the backside of Box Hill if you will excuse the pun. Have pointed out the outline of the track from the Golf Course out of Brockham I felt that we should meet the challenge and said so! No one else was interested and so rather stupidly I went my separate way alone. I did have an idea of the route from years ago when I was much younger, stronger and had a first class MTB recently stolen!
Having followed Marks advice I found what I thought was the gap in the hedge to take up a footpath which I believe was the North Downs Way. After some serious and challenging climbing I came to a junction. To the left was a fork down some steps which did not appeal. Ahead strait up the hillside under trees was a formidable steep climb with loosed chalk. I decided neither rout was for me and retraced back to the end of the Tarmac. I turned left up towards a house and there on the right was a very narrow gap and steep footpath which seemed to head more in the right direction. I plowed ahead only to be attacked on the left by Brambles on my arm and stinging nettles on my calve. The track was very narrow and on my right was a menacing barbed wire fence. I was tired after the days ride and the strength in my arms was ebbing. At this point I was not defeated by the climb but the shear concern of gashing my right arm on the barbed wire, so on two or three occasions I put my left foot down and had trouble restarting with now real width space on the track. So I part road and part pushed the bike until I came to a "T" junction with a wide tractor like track and a very easy gradient. So I thought this was it and I somehow recognized it from years ago! Onwards and upwards untill I came to some steps up a steep embankment to the left indicating the North Downs Way!? Bugger that I thought and carried on up the farm track. The the next challenge a five bar National Trust gate with a warning sign the cattle were feeding, Not only that there were numerous Cow Pats beyond the gate and even one actually on the top of the gate hanging down either side! Must have been a very acrobatic cow!
I managed with a great deal of difficulty to swing my heavy Raleigh over the gate leaving me to then climb over avoiding the dung! The gate had been padlocked. There were two further gates up ahead the middle one being open but the last padlocked again. Never the less I was making good progress or so I thought until I came to a seat with a lovely view back over the A25. I thought should I stop and admire but decided to carry on to immediately come across a sharp left turn up a steep and tricky track. I could have gone strait on but it was down some fearsome steps and too challenging for me with my bad knee and heavy bike. I thought anyway this looks like it will go up to the top of Box Hill. Well I rode steadily up the track until I came to a sharp left turn again back down the hillside down some fearsome steps. I worked out in my mind that this would take me down to the same steps I had seen earlier - South Downs Way! So I did an about turn down to the viewing point and then realised I would have to go all the way back and be defeated.
I started to go down the steps and then two walkers with a dog explained where I was and so very gingerly and in quite some pain I went very slowly wheeling my bike down the steps. There must have been 50 of them with lots of nasty tree roots. At this point I started to curse myself, why had I been so stupid and pig headed to set myself this challenge when everyone else chickened out even Mark?
Eventually I got to a track, quite steep that would eventually lead me to Tarmac. I tried many times to ride it but it was quite steep and very rutted with lots of tree routes. Eventually it flattened out and I rode to the West of the Top of the Word caravan park emerged onto Tarmac, turned right and went to the appointed tea stop. Good Cafe good bikes very friendly with some superb Boardman top end bikes (ex demo) with up to £1000 off. I was seriously tempted but not my size. There is a very nice Ladies model with hydraulic disk brakes which looked ideal for Janice.

Well I hope you will all forgive me for making this a Blog instead of a comment but I can say you all made the right choice! Maybe Mark you and I can follow your intended route on the way to the free wheel contest at Dorking if it's not wet. I have to say the tracks were very dry but I would love to retrace your intended route to learn.

While in the bike shop (former Duaphine Sport) I met some riders who will take part in the two-up Hill Climb TT at the back of Dembighs starting at 8am on Sunday 2 Oct. This event was always time keepered by Frank C. God rest his Soul!