Well not sure it that was such a good idea or not but we've just come back from a quick dash to the Lakes...
I got a call from my mate a lurker on this very forum saying come along I'm planning a raid to the lakes... I've not have my usual summer of bunking off so after some careful negotiating with the best number one wife, I got a ticket for the weekend...
Not saying I'm soft but my smashing 1150 adv. would have been the weapon of choice for this trip, but my mate owns "UGGS" old Honda XL600 which he's clocking up miles like no ones business. He got abit moany about not being able to keep up... so after some grumbling and groaning I agrredd to that my HP.
So dressed like a couple of seasoned travellers and keen for adventure we head off for the hills...
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWRP06Kr0LM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWRP06Kr0LM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Matey assures me that he's got ot all sorted cos I'm sick to death of being incharge and just want the easy life...Our mutual mate lives up there and apparently he knows we're on the way.
Friday traffic was as rough as you'd could expect with the normal throngs of people heading all over the place so, we headed out darkest surrey and the tourguide was abit reluctant to get stuck into filtering so I did the decent thing and showed him...after hanging back and being impressed the power of filtering we finally made to the wide open spaces the M40...
then it's the normal slog up towards the NORTH.... sounds much more impressive in capitals...
After what seemed like ages we got to Penrith cutting across country we made good-ish time to matey's house to find the place locked up... "I thought you got this sorted?"
Ermm ... well yeah... erm well he won't be far will he... I'll call..
so after abit of OH and ermmm and I see and well yeah but we're here now...!
Turns out he's expecting us Saturday... PM it's now Friday night and is out for the night miles away... Oh well we'll make the best of it which we did. That just involved drinking like fish in the local pub to reduce the buffeting we've had all the way up there.
Saturday comes along and here comes a snag I've been wondering about, matey wants to ride about the lakes and have a look... but our mate is not a motorcycling chap, my HP's not got pillion pegs and the XL well it might have had'em but it's 20+ years old and they aint there no more. Plus the weather is rougher now than when we left. So after some head scratching and drinking enough tea to sink a battle ship the pair of-em come up with a plan, akin to scrap heap challenge "let make some pegs!" Well of you go boy's was my thought I checked the bikes and had a rumage about for some bits and pieces I thought could be good.
So after a while they came up the pegs...
Neither seem totally happy with finished article and I did think there was every chance that someone was going to be going to hospital before the end of the weekend.
Once they'd finished the design and build plan, we'd ran out of tea and milk so a trip to local post office for supplies was in order. Off I scoot but like a pro... forgot my wallet looked to me like the demon drink was still hanging around from the night before... anyway the chap in the post office noticed I was in some dis-array... and asked where i was staying I explained he said well why not pop in later and pay then...
fair enough I do that...
I got back and our merry little gang went to the skelton show, which had more booze and bulls than your average country fair... I had me a little sit down in some mega tractor/combine/ lifty uppy thing which only cost 100K
So after having a few small largeretts we headed back, for a cullenary delight of Chinese and more booze.
Sunday the day of of Hardnott, Rhinopass (not too sure on that spelling by the way but it's the one that leads to it)
XL-man has had his license for about 6 months perhaps abit more and has clocked the mileage on the XL bunking off when ever possible to have a go at testing himself. The XL's been in more bits than I could ever explain or care to describe (so I feel guilty and responsible for his saftey). Cumbrian man... well he's wanted to do his bike license for ages but never seems to have found his way round to doing it and then there's me (the sensible one)
So after the basic principles of do this and that with a passenger, then addressing the victim aka pillion rider don't do this, don't do that and try to look like your enjoying They looked like expectant fathers... and I'm abit concerned as well come to think of it.
We head off into the park, cumbrian man giving direction and XL man doing the technical bits... things seem find and we find via the wierest route to Ambelside for breakfast. MIGHTY fine one too... After more miles and more lakes and passes all of which have names I'm sure stop to have a look at the challenge. The pass that leads up to Hardnott, the road is bloody rough there's water running down like a river in places.
An odd sort of thought popped into my mind what the hell am I doing there? I could be at home eating cake... "MMMMhhh God I love cake!" so we stop there's couple of blokes on sports bikes coming towards, they stop.
"Doing the pass?"
YEP!
"Be careful it's rough!"
they're grins as big as the opening in their crash helmets.
So off we went things seemed alright I've not been before hence I'm not sure what to expect. I got abit bored and zip ahead to get a picture well just incase we need evidence of conditons for the insurance claim...
There's a few parking/ stopping places and I can see the adventurers coming along. My simple question! "when does the pass start then?" Brings out a whole stack of sniggering and name calling... "YOU W4NK3R! We're on it well the approach!"
Oh...
Not too sure why but they then came up with this plan... "you need to go in front and we'll follow you!"
"How'd you work that out then...?" was my simple response
"Well your a more confident rider! and you'll be able to pick the lines which we can follow!"... it's a reasoned argument I thought...
All that'll happen is you'll see me fall over shortly before you two will also be crashing, when this happens can you try to avoid running me over.
Ok...! So off I jolly well the weather on the northern side was poor the road a shallow river once I crested the top and had a moment to glance at what was to come through my rain covered visor... I just thought OH KCUF!
All I saw was carnage there was a car where I wanted to be, the water on the road was loads more than where we'd just been and that was bad enough. While I crept the bike down on one of the 3-5 hairpins the whole bike just washed away under me and all I could hear was "I'm scared!" from the two behind me...
Some bloke in car had managed to get himself all out of shape halfway down and the smell of burning clutch cut the air.
We'll we got down it by some degree of luck the other two where buzzing away talking to each like "furbies!" about 30 seconds in.... and you'll get the idea... don't bother watching too much of that it's just odd...
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4ye1xHgDho&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4ye1xHgDho&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
So we had a walk around the fort found a dead sheep which had seen far better days... it rained and the leaden skies looked rather more threatening than before. So the plan was quickly hatched which way for lunch?
Well... back over the top I guess and to the pub came the reply...
bloody great so I get to go infront again...
You have to have a look and see whats coming down before you have a go, the car with the clutch problem was still on one of the corners. Not moving so now is as good as anytime I thought.
Closley follow by pinky and perky... whole when I managed to look back seemed to be pulling a wheelie... I slipped and skidded about abit but got to the top without too many dramas. Appart from stalling halfway up, having had the bikes serviced they'd replaced the side stand cut off switch which meant I was hanging on the road at some crap angle then having to multiple foot changes to hit neutral, get it running, hit a gear and get out of the way of a couple laughing looneys who where busy shouting "YOU TOSSER!"
Anyway we slipped and slid back down the other side, got to pub for a nice hot coffee and had a look at Grizzdale? forrest but bottled that for this time round. While we sat there dinking coffee a small swarm of KTM's 990's or adventures
came past and what really was icing on the cake the sun came out... as they disappeared towards hardknott...
They did look rather smart in all their finery...
after that we had a round trip to all the bits worth looking at as a recce for the next trip up.
Looney boy and I got back at 03.00 this morning... nice...
The pass is an impressive old lump of real estate and no mistake, probably best attempted in the sunshine. The trip back after about 200-300 miles in the lakes was spectacularly painful almost worthy of it's own colour, There where crashes, rain, new helmet steamed up, should have taken the other one , loads of lorries and I found it hard to get off the bike let alone getting the bloody thing on it stand. when I finally got back.
The apprentice is already talking about doing the end to end before the year is out... and Cumbrian man called me this morning to help him learn to ride...
"Motorcycling! It'll never catch on, Well I hope it won't!"
there's a few pictures
I got a call from my mate a lurker on this very forum saying come along I'm planning a raid to the lakes... I've not have my usual summer of bunking off so after some careful negotiating with the best number one wife, I got a ticket for the weekend...
Not saying I'm soft but my smashing 1150 adv. would have been the weapon of choice for this trip, but my mate owns "UGGS" old Honda XL600 which he's clocking up miles like no ones business. He got abit moany about not being able to keep up... so after some grumbling and groaning I agrredd to that my HP.
So dressed like a couple of seasoned travellers and keen for adventure we head off for the hills...
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWRP06Kr0LM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWRP06Kr0LM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Matey assures me that he's got ot all sorted cos I'm sick to death of being incharge and just want the easy life...Our mutual mate lives up there and apparently he knows we're on the way.
Friday traffic was as rough as you'd could expect with the normal throngs of people heading all over the place so, we headed out darkest surrey and the tourguide was abit reluctant to get stuck into filtering so I did the decent thing and showed him...after hanging back and being impressed the power of filtering we finally made to the wide open spaces the M40...
then it's the normal slog up towards the NORTH.... sounds much more impressive in capitals...
After what seemed like ages we got to Penrith cutting across country we made good-ish time to matey's house to find the place locked up... "I thought you got this sorted?"
Ermm ... well yeah... erm well he won't be far will he... I'll call..
so after abit of OH and ermmm and I see and well yeah but we're here now...!
Turns out he's expecting us Saturday... PM it's now Friday night
and is out for the night miles away... Oh well we'll make the best of it which we did. That just involved drinking like fish in the local pub to reduce the buffeting we've had all the way up there.Saturday comes along and here comes a snag I've been wondering about, matey wants to ride about the lakes and have a look... but our mate is not a motorcycling chap, my HP's not got pillion pegs and the XL well it might have had'em but it's 20+ years old and they aint there no more. Plus the weather is rougher now than when we left. So after some head scratching and drinking enough tea to sink a battle ship the pair of-em come up with a plan, akin to scrap heap challenge "let make some pegs!" Well of you go boy's was my thought I checked the bikes and had a rumage about for some bits and pieces I thought could be good.
So after a while they came up the pegs...
Neither seem totally happy with finished article and I did think there was every chance that someone was going to be going to hospital before the end of the weekend.
Once they'd finished the design and build plan, we'd ran out of tea and milk so a trip to local post office for supplies was in order. Off I scoot but like a pro...
forgot my wallet looked to me like the demon drink was still hanging around from the night before... anyway the chap in the post office noticed I was in some dis-array... and asked where i was staying I explained he said well why not pop in later and pay then... fair enough I do that...I got back and our merry little gang went to the skelton show, which had more booze and bulls than your average country fair... I had me a little sit down in some mega tractor/combine/ lifty uppy thing which only cost 100K
So after having a few small largeretts we headed back, for a cullenary delight of Chinese and more booze.
Sunday the day of of Hardnott, Rhinopass (not too sure on that spelling by the way but it's the one that leads to it)
XL-man has had his license for about 6 months perhaps abit more and has clocked the mileage on the XL bunking off when ever possible to have a go at testing himself. The XL's been in more bits than I could ever explain or care to describe (so I feel guilty and responsible for his saftey). Cumbrian man... well he's wanted to do his bike license for ages but never seems to have found his way round to doing it and then there's me (the sensible one
)So after the basic principles of do this and that with a passenger, then addressing the victim aka pillion rider don't do this, don't do that and try to look like your enjoying
They looked like expectant fathers... and I'm abit concerned as well come to think of it.We head off into the park, cumbrian man giving direction and XL man doing the technical bits... things seem find and we find via the wierest route to Ambelside for breakfast. MIGHTY fine one too... After more miles and more lakes and passes all of which have names I'm sure stop to have a look at the challenge. The pass that leads up to Hardnott, the road is bloody rough there's water running down like a river in places.
An odd sort of thought popped into my mind what the hell am I doing there? I could be at home eating cake... "MMMMhhh God I love cake!" so we stop there's couple of blokes on sports bikes coming towards, they stop.
"Doing the pass?"
YEP!
"Be careful it's rough!"
they're grins as big as the opening in their crash helmets.So off we went things seemed alright I've not been before hence I'm not sure what to expect. I got abit bored and zip ahead to get a picture well just incase we need evidence of conditons for the insurance claim...
There's a few parking/ stopping places and I can see the adventurers coming along. My simple question! "when does the pass start then?" Brings out a whole stack of sniggering and name calling... "YOU W4NK3R! We're on it well the approach!"
Oh...
Not too sure why but they then came up with this plan... "you need to go in front and we'll follow you!"
"How'd you work that out then...?" was my simple response
"Well your a more confident rider! and you'll be able to pick the lines which we can follow!"... it's a reasoned argument I thought...
All that'll happen is you'll see me fall over shortly before you two will also be crashing, when this happens can you try to avoid running me over.
Ok...! So off I jolly well the weather on the northern side was poor the road a shallow river once I crested the top and had a moment to glance at what was to come through my rain covered visor... I just thought OH KCUF!
All I saw was carnage there was a car where I wanted to be, the water on the road was loads more than where we'd just been and that was bad enough. While I crept the bike down on one of the 3-5 hairpins the whole bike just washed away under me and all I could hear was "I'm scared!" from the two behind me...
Some bloke in car had managed to get himself all out of shape halfway down and the smell of burning clutch cut the air.
We'll we got down it by some degree of luck the other two where buzzing away talking to each like "furbies!" about 30 seconds in.... and you'll get the idea...
don't bother watching too much of that it's just odd...<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4ye1xHgDho&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4ye1xHgDho&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
So we had a walk around the fort found a dead sheep which had seen far better days... it rained and the leaden skies looked rather more threatening than before. So the plan was quickly hatched which way for lunch?
Well... back over the top I guess and to the pub came the reply...
bloody great so I get to go infront again...
You have to have a look and see whats coming down before you have a go, the car with the clutch problem was still on one of the corners. Not moving so now is as good as anytime I thought.
Closley follow by pinky and perky... whole when I managed to look back seemed to be pulling a wheelie...
I slipped and skidded about abit but got to the top without too many dramas. Appart from stalling halfway up, having had the bikes serviced they'd replaced the side stand cut off switch which meant I was hanging on the road at some crap angle then having to multiple foot changes to hit neutral, get it running, hit a gear and get out of the way of a couple laughing looneys who where busy shouting "YOU TOSSER!" Anyway we slipped and slid back down the other side, got to pub for a nice hot coffee and had a look at Grizzdale? forrest but bottled that for this time round. While we sat there dinking coffee a small swarm of KTM's 990's or adventures
came past and what really was icing on the cake the sun came out... as they disappeared towards hardknott...They did look rather smart in all their finery...
after that we had a round trip to all the bits worth looking at as a recce for the next trip up.
Looney boy and I got back at 03.00 this morning... nice...
The pass is an impressive old lump of real estate and no mistake, probably best attempted in the sunshine. The trip back after about 200-300 miles in the lakes was spectacularly painful almost worthy of it's own colour, There where crashes, rain, new helmet steamed up,
should have taken the other one , loads of lorries and I found it hard to get off the bike let alone getting the bloody thing on it stand. when I finally got back.The apprentice is already talking about doing the end to end before the year is out... and Cumbrian man called me this morning to help him learn to ride...
"Motorcycling! It'll never catch on, Well I hope it won't!"
there's a few pictures
