Brompton Bikepacking Wild Camp. Hills! But I love hills! and sky, and space, & freedom, wild freedom
[Music] slightly in a rush so I'm heading to Houston basket I didn't see many people because my breast cancer came back unfortunately so I was having treatment for that this year I'm seeing everyone I'm doing the journeys with my five content this ride was to Stockport to go and see my dad my idea was to ride two days to the Peak District it was going to be hilly but I love Hills I don't know why I love them really but I do especially these Hills near where I grew up I planned to ride to the Watershed where two huge river systems divide the Trent which flows East and the mersey which flows West The Watershed is at a place called ax Edge if I manage to get that far on the first day I hope to Camp wild there then I'd ride towards Stockport which is where I'm from and meet my dad and we do the last section together right so I just left Stafford and I'm rolling East [Music] the last time I tried to ride through the heat District I had just finished chemo and actually I wasn't strong enough and I had short so I wasn't super confident I'm slightly nervous today which is silly the reason I'm nervous is because it's going to be about 50 miles today and it's definitely not flat I wanted to climb as high as possible up River on day one I did have a proper Campsite in mind as a sort of backup but if things went well I hope to Camp wild right up on access itself so I'm just gonna try and focus on food and water and not rush and it honestly doesn't matter if I don't make it does it it doesn't matter so enjoy [Music] us it's not that you're dimming no one could say narrow as possible road on the map as usual [Music] hungry so I'm having these which are actually for the evening and I'm having them now but it's okay I've got a spare bag it's a nice day I planned to follow the river Dove which is a famously beautiful tributary of the Trent so down there eventually that way is the river Dove I'm gonna try and go and see the old Dove Bridge which has actually been sort of completely swamped over by a massive dual carriageway all right though oh God done it that wasn't really worth actually the rage was just too horrendous anyway sure so I'm now in the Valley of the dove now I'm gonna head up here the old Dove Bridge was the first of a string of bridges and crossed as I wound my way up River uphill and downdale [Applause] [Music] closer you can trust me [Music] gosh how exciting what sort of bird says [Music] we're good I'm gonna have lunch with my dad tomorrow it's near Macclesfield so yeah that's the plan quite a ride from here it's a fair bit yeah it's a fair bit it's quite a lot of up and down into it [Music] I've lost my defense I've been in trouble [Music] to fall apart oh God how lovely rivers in the valley [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] so now I was in Island village and I had ridden just under 40 miles it's not like climbing a specific path here it's more sort of lots of up and down but I'm doing fine [Music] I'm just taking it slow [Music] ly quite a long one and I was lonely my arms are tired my legs [Music] of the sky Paradise isn't it so I'm here and the source of the dove is actually up here and there's access [Music] now stay with me [Music] no it was about four o'clock and I was on high ground on the west side of the river so the dub I was thinking about where I'd camp I'm keeping an eye on the weather let's stay up ahead almost like it could be gaining on the tops up there and I'm still sort of climbing most of the time I was approaching the turn for the campsite so now I had to decide what to do it to try and Camp up at access it's really bad up there it's just some more so I don't know whether it's like what I can Ireland where it's just sort of Heather and tussex and no good for for pitching a tent or what it's like actually out there and there's just no cover at all it's treeless more but it kind of nice to try the weather conditions seen good today I mean still now anyway we'll see I've got a decision point out crowdy cut so I can see what time it is when I get there um and make a decision what to do [Music] it was a beautiful evening and I felt good so I decided to skip the campsite and Camp Wild I picked up water and I headed towards accent [Music] one more bridge to cross massive descent it's gonna be terrible going backwards [Music] Legend Bridge was my last bridge and here is the source of the river it's five miles uphill it was getting late and I was hungry I began scouting for ways to get off the road and find a spot to camp like a private little gorgeous it's hopeless for camping though because obviously it's fenced on both sides I don't normally go on this late actually it's about 20 past six so it's not late the sun sets like nine o'clock uh so it's fine but it's a food thing but anyway I'm eating nut s ah a I feel like I'm getting some wow that ax Edge wow I decided to stop but where was I gonna camp [Music] all right foreign public footpath but I couldn't quite see where it went it's not really working out quite as I hoped I decided to aim for a wall and try and get over it brilliant oh foreign so I wasn't on Ax Edge but I had an absolutely brilliant view of it this was an amazing spot anything right study I make you a dehydrated dish so this is dehydrated salmon with dehydrated spinach gosh I thought it was silly bringing this coat that actually I'm really grateful for it now [Music] this is how it looks good actually hmm brilliant isn't it brilliant really steep so now I think it's time for tea and biscuits and I've lost the chocolate and it must be here somewhere I found the chocolate so much having these first okay start with oldies I wanted something that wasn't sort of too isn't it it's just fantastic this is wow so that the valley of the dove how beautiful I am so worried about going well there's loads of cows now okay I'm just gonna have to try I'm gonna go down this field I hope it works otherwise I'd come back up and start again thank you foreign a lot easier than I thought I was set off to ride up to Max Edge and over access more the highest point of the ride and the high Watershed of two major river systems [Music] thank you I feel really really high up this little cups of trees is the source of the dove what a thought I had climbed over a thousand meters the day before to get to here and I wondered how I would feel today I'm having some nuts I do I feel fine just um no I feel I feel good so I climbed to ax Edge more the high point from which the Trent river system flows down to the North Sea and the mersey tributaries flow West to the Atlantic [Music] all right I was trying hard to get back [Music] thank you so now I was looking down on the Valley of the river mersey my dad was going to cycle from home in Stockport and meet me for a pub lunch I had two hours to get there and meet him oh wow climbing now again so it's gonna be up there [Music] let's just do that first [Music] oh so now I was at Pim chair which is which is the far end of the grit Stone Towers Ridge and now I could see Stockport well done little bike so now I'm here and I'm going here I've got an hour and a bit to do it if I can manage [Music] Nothing's Gonna Hold Us Down Stay With Me [Music] wow [Music] [Music] this guy let's go and that is the Cheshire plane so now I've got to do it's fine with my dad [Music] I'm never been known for my cautious side you should know that I'm well away I don't want anything left untreated [Music] where this road will take us now
2023-07-19 21:11
