Report for B Group - 19th January

John's report

It was a delight to be back to the Christian Centre coffee shop in Dorking after a long break away. Thank you and well done to all those who joined the B ride from Dorking, even though you knew we would be climbing up to Coldharbour. For anyone for whom this was their first ascent of Leith Hill – well done and I hope you are looking forward to your next climb.

The first group set off with all present as arranged to ascend Leith Hill. We made good progress and then descended carefully, aware that there is often a good deal of surface water and gravel. We were fortunate that there had been no overnight frost and continued on our way across the lovely countryside to lunch in Westhumble. Our group split after lunch and in fact although a couple of riders got close to the tea stop, no one actually ventured in.

Thank you to Tim C and Clive for sub-leading and to Geoff who back marked my group. Now that groups are a more manageable size back marking is not so vital, but it is still very reassuring as a leader to be able to glance around to see the back marker wave to indicate all is well!

~John A.

Clive's report

Ian decided to get a head start on us so had a few minutes lead before the remaining group of me, Sue and Alan set off from the church café in Dorking with a determined resolve to conquer the towering Coldharbour Lane that lay ahead. With gears accordingly set to their lowest possible ratio we began the ascent shortly after leaving Dorking. Did anyone walk up? I don’t know, I didn’t see a thing, honest. Anyhow, one way or another, everyone reached the summit where we were reunited with Ian.

It was all worth the effort, though. We were rewarded with fantastic views of the Surrey plains below us as we cycled along Coldharbour ridge, and the long fast descent towards Ockley where we stopped for a photoshoot outside St. Margaret’s Church.

Alan, Ian and Sue at St Margaret's Church

 
Having reached the plains, that we had seen from on high, we made blistering progress through Capel, Newdigate and Brockham to arrive at the Stepping Stones pub in Westhumble, with a pretty good appetite for lunch.

I had started the day with the good intention of going on to the tea stop at The Old Moat. But because that would take me almost directly past my house in Leatherhead I decided to call it a day, along with the rest of my group, and head home after lunch.

Thanks to John for devising an enjoyable route through some of the very best of what Surrey has to offer and to my group Sue, Alan and Ian.

~ Clive

 

Tim's report

Our little group of six mustered at the St Martin's Church Centre in good time for our departure at 11:00. Maggie had arrived with Paul but declined the invitation to ride up the hill with us. Grant's arrival wasn't a big surprise but we were also pleased that Steve Wiltshire turned up just a little too late for his A Group departure. So he and Grant both joined our team. Thus eight of us headed off up Coldharbour Lane with one or two wondering if we would make it without getting off to walk. As it had been about six months since we last ascended this monster hill we neared the summit imagining that somewhere around the next bend was one more brutally steep section but surprised ourselves with our almost premature arrival at the Anstie Lane turnoff then The Plough.

We rollercoastered along the top, passing Windy Gap and at Campfield Place took off down Leith Hill Lane to pass Ralph Vaughan Williams' old home, and once safely down proceeded through Ockley, Capel, Newdigate and Parkgate, and so to Brockham and Westhumble, our lunch destination.

We received our usual friendly welcome at The Stepping Stones and ate well. John's team was on the verge of departure when we arrived but Team Clive was still relaxing.

 

Thanks to Anne for taking this photo

 

Thanks to everyone in the team for your company, to Colin for back-marking and to John for his daft idea of leading us all up to Coldharbour and Leith Hill in the middle of Winter.

~ Tim