Sunday, November 20, 2005

Blue Dawn at the Blue John


When?
Sunday 20th November (7.59am start!)

Where?
Blue John Cavern, near Castleton, Peak District.

Who?
Gatecrasher Steve

Which way?
Blue John Cavern > Quarry > Oxlow Rake > Cavedale > Casteleton > Blue John Cavern

Is it published?
Probably not (it's a bit short).

Tracklog file? (What’s this?)
Coming soon!

Highlights
Cavedale descent.
Picturesque climb through trees at Oxlow Rake.
The broken road climb (maybe!).

Memories
I got up to feed our 10 week old son at 5.30am but then found my partner got there first. Feeling wide awake, rather than go back to bed I had some breakfast, packed my ruc-sack and headed to the hills.
I was on my bike before 8am, just as the sun was coming up over the hill. It was a crisp, clear, cold morning (-2 Celcius in Manchester) with a ground frost, so the ride was blissfully mud-free for this time of year.

Route details
Distance: About 7 miles?
Duration: 2 hours
Ascent: ?
% off-road: About 50%?
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Fitness difficulty: 2/5

Directions
Map coming soon!

What else?
Castleton has plenty of pubs and tea shops.
The Blue John Cavern is open to visitors.