the 4 cols ride

the 4 cols ride, a photo by rOcKeTdOgUk on Flickr.

very cold and frosty today so my goal was the treat of a bacon sarnie at Clent cafe but first i had to tackle the Lickeys, the Beacon and the Waseley Hills, it was very muddy despite the frost nd at times the going was very difficult but a pressed on with the thought of fried pork on my mind! negotiating some roots the wheels slipped from under me and i cushioned my fall with my outer thigh on a tree stump (nicely bruised now), without further incident i made it to the bacon stop, refreshed i tried to find a trail i've only ever ridden up (at least 6 years ago,Clent isn't my usual ground) and i found it, but much more intersting was the trail that led off to the left of it. i followed in and enjoyed a great trail of natural berms and drops (one very big) that ended in some stems to a boardwalk over a stream, i then found a uphill trail back to the top and did the trail i'd originally planned to do, so another to tick off m to do list,great fun too ending in Clent village, from there i was able to tackle Calcut hill and an old sunken road to belbroughton, the going here was very tough as the bridleway was completely churned up by horses, i have nothing against horses as they have very right to be there but they do wreck trails. from belbroughton i rode through Pepper wood, into catshill and via the A38 cyclepath back to th Lickeys, did a few trails there before home, 5 hours in th saddle and i felt good, the sun shone the whole way and my demeanor echoed it :-)
ride 11
30 miles
total 188