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Saturday 19th May 2007
The definition of an Epic should really be the subject of bar stool conversation but I am forced to make a decision in the absence of my spin doctors. Is is time , distance , elevation or just plain pain that makes an Epic .Is it the row with the wife after? Really you should at some point have felt like finding a new sport ,it should last 5 hours plus and you should climb at least 5000 feet. Today met none of these standards but as it was billed as a Epic so here it is.
We had 18 bodies at the start including 3 visitors from MTBrider , there were to be more but we were offered various weak excuses to explain the no shows. The route details are on the map and here.....http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=95666&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=2765921
We were for the most part blessed with good weather except for a horrendous shower of horizontal hail on Knockshee.It was so severe we had to get off the bikes.
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Paddys Day Epic 2007
The day was marred by the news that our would be Welsh visitors had their van and bikes burnt out in Carlingford see..http://www.mtbrider.com/mtbr/showthread.php?t=11237 .It would be interesting to hear from the Irish tourist board on this latest promotion.
However about 14 of us set off from the Glen at 9ish and headed at a fair pace straight to Leitrim Lodge where we lost eddy , Gene ,Gene and Liz to the delights of the Castle Bog . The rest of us headed to the hen track for Mr Mc Mahons Mourne wall tour ( joking) After a short(ish) piece of hike/push a bike we were rewarded with a lovely downhill to the Spelga road .I suspect we are the first to ride this mountain. Then up the road to Ott track with still no sign of Ivan who must have been chasing us all day. Up to the mourne wall again and down towards Lough Shannagh ,this bit of trail was amusing viewing as bicycles repelled any attempt to stay aboard. Then the infamous Banns road strewn with rocks and requiring intense concentration to stay aboard. The hard-tailers have my respect here.
After a brief tea stop at Grants shop in attical it was off towards the dreaded Glenloughan lane to Finleve. By the time I reached the top of this I would gladly have quit ..and I wasn't the last. The legs were empty, it was cold , visibility was poor and there was a howling gale.But thats what epics are about and restored by jelly babies and lucozade sport we headed to Fallow although in the mist we nearly headed somewhere else! The thought of the tunnel climb and the climb to the mast led to mumurings of rebellion but Rowan suppressed all talk of an early return and drove us on towards the tunnel and the mast. Amazingly he took the pound for climing from the fence to the mast without getting off , thats quite a feat even without 5 hours in your legs. From the mast it was all downhill to cloughmore stone , back road to fiddlers drop and home by the low burma. A great day but I expect to get out of intensive care soon.
51 km , 6700 ft of climbing/descent say no more.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=95666&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=2261860
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The Cooley Classic 3/6/06
The weather couldn't have been better and the trails were as dry as a bone. We started ( a little late..sorry Kevin Anne Eamon and Pat!) from Carlingford and set off wheeler style towards Omeath turning left and upwards just before Daveys pub, Eventually hit the mountain well warmed up. A long tough climb to the mast . First casualty was Seamus who broke a skewer ( a first) . He walked off into the distance heading for Anne and Eamons house where he picked up a spare. Meanwhile we descended the black run and the lovely swooping single track almost back to the road. I then picked up a torn tyre side wall admirably repaired by Rowan. After a short altercation with Farmer Brown and twin track negotiations led by the Girls we proceeded only to find the trail blocked further on. Turning back towards the Lumpers and then back onto the fire road towards the long womans grave where we met the unstoppable Seamus. Crossing the road and back onto the mountain side we weren't long hitting meabh's gap and the lovely descent to Carlingford. A great spin , some defintely suffering more than others! Very "Real" mountainbiking indeed.
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" A Savage Spin" Saturday 15th April
A hastily arranged epic in preparation for bonnie scotland.
McMahon contracts ( a wholly owned subsidiary of Cooper & Sons Lend-A-Tool) was busy with his sun house /room/extension ,it better be good!,Sky had a sick note , Gene didn't and Mark had buggered off to Salou!That only left Eddie , Paul , Seamus , Henry and Liz to fly the flag.
It was great day and can only be descibed in the immortal words of absent friends as a "savage spin". Ulster way to Leitrim Lodge. Seamus conquered the grassy knoll at last , eddie tried a rear somersalt and failed miserably.Onto the road and up the s-bends to spelga car park for a breather/jelly baby. Then Round Butter mountain , across the road and up to the mourne wall for lunch. Then the difficult descent to lough shannagh and the rocky banns road. By this stage everyone had had a fall and the legs were starting to fade . A tea break at the garage in Attical and then off down the road , turning right at the whitewater brewery. The dreaded lane to Finleve took its toll on Henry ,Liz and Eddie while Seamus and Paul got a second wind and flew to the top. That only left the great descent to fallow and home sweet home!
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11June 2005
While the others basked in the sunshine on Castle Bog Rowan & Mark waited for the arrival of Baz, Simon and Paddy from Belfast who had asked for the route for the May epic a week earlier to use it as training for the Rat Race in Edinburgh. Instead of giving them the map Rowan decided to give them the guided tour as 6 more hours in the Mournes on a day like today could not be turned down. Everyone set off along the Ulster Way towards Leitrim Lodge and after Simon disposed of the remainder of Friday night’s alcohol we were off looking forward to what lay ahead. Spelga, Butter Mountain, Lough Shannagh, Banns Road (where almost everyone had an unscheduled meeting with the ground) and Attical all followed. Paddy was feeling the effects of the long day and decided to take the road home to Rostrevor while the rest tackled Glenloughan and Finlieve. Tiredness was beginning to show on everyone by this stage and we were all glad to see the downhill from Fallow back to Kilbroney. A quick descent of the racetrack and along the wall and the day was over. A great day out for all and I’m sure the Belfast lads will be back for more.
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NOVEMBER 2004
This epic took us the long way round the mournes.Batts wall,Leitrim lodge , Hen Track , Left over to Spelga, Hares Gap , Brady pad and down Annalong Valley ,Thankfully Mark had left the van at the Blue lough car park. Boy were we glad to see it. It rained nearly all day , visibility was dreadful for most of it . Great navigation by Eddie.Not an easy day but a true epic.
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March 2005
Today’s plan was for all of us to travel over to Carlingford in our new team van (see last picture) and attempt what was to be our first Epic in the Cooley Mountains. Upon reaching a very foggy car park in Carlingford questions were being asked whether it was wise to begin an Epic on strange soil with the weather being so bad. Any doubts were laid to rest and off we set on a quick 10km loop of the village. Our route then took us up along the Tain trail at the back of the village, into and out of the forest on the Omeath road and on towards the Mast high above Omeath. The climbing really began as we turned left in Omeath and headed past the Graveyard towards the Long Woman’s Grave (she had a grave of her own as she couldn’t fit in the Graveyard). The mist got thinner as we climbed and by the time we were half way up to the mast we were in glorious sunshine and the views across Carlingford Lough towards the Mournes were amazing.
After a quick bit of grub at the mast (510 meters) we set off down the Black Run, Seamus and the new bike had a go at cart wheeling, and from here we traversed the side of the mountain trying to find our way onto a trial that would eventually lead us to Slieve Foye. A few gullies, hills and curses later we found ourselves on a trail that hopefully would lead us in the right direction. We were then joined by another biker, Darragh, and after flying down an amazing descent off the side of the mountain we ended up at the Long Woman’s Grave and were back on familiar territory. A long climb to Maeve’s Saddle followed and the fast rocky descent back into Carlingford was a great way to finish the Epic off in style.
Thanks to Gene for the soup and Darragh for the directions –where are we going for our April Epic? Did some mention Wales, Builth Wells and two Epics in one weekend???
Stats: Distance 45km, Time: 3hrs 45 mins, Average: 12.2km per hour
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October 7th 2006
Wow ..a great day. NTSR had not left anything to chance for the visitors. Rowan had sorted the weather , dry with some sunny spells. Michael Fish would be proud. A guest appearance with Santa and Rudolph was also on the agenda and Santa tells me that if Tango and Cash are very good boys they can expect a big surprise at christmas!
13 started the day at the Fairy Glen but it was to be a war of attrition and numbers started to fall when Anne and Pat left us at the top of the Hen track , They had forgotten their life jackets which were to prove essential due to a slight problem with the navigation.
Eddie arrived in the NTSR sponsored Q7 at Spelga with welcome refreshments . well done that man. Then it was off towards Ott Mountain and across the Mourne Wall . We didn't pick the easiest route towards the shelter at Lough Shannagh but we all got there eventually.
Then it was down the rocky Banns road , soft tails were the order of the day here. Stopping at Grants shop in Attical we lost Liz, Ciara and Connor. And then there were 8.
Off at a good pace towards Glenloughan lane ..what a climb Torin was starting to feel the pain but struggled on bravely to get to Fallow where he and Brian headed home. And then there were 6.
Tempting though it was to join them we headed to the tunnel where as if by magic Eddie O appeared ..and then there were 7!
The climb to the mast was a real test and proved too much for tired legs. But the reward was a lovely descent to The Big Stone ,Viewpoint , Conns track and out to the Badgers Claw. back to the Glen after 7 hours. Rowan , Henry , Mickey , Sky , Tango and Cash there to the bitter end.
Details of the route and the 7300 odd feet of climbing at..http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=27577&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=1474875
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