7/8 Return To Birling Gap

ee by 'eck, you think yer 'ard lad!

Paul and Ivan needed to get back home for about 12;00 so we decided to do our local favourite off road ride, 'Birling Gap'. Setting off very early meant that we were the first to arrive but as we were offloading our bikes we heard a call and John Cordner from the weds chaingang appeared, out riding on a carbon cyclo cross bike. It turns out that John quite often gets out for a early morning blast in this area. Glad to have some company John rode with us as far as 'Butts brow'. From here its the incredibly bumpy decent down to Jevington, this is the one stretch where I am envious of those with full suspension. Surprised that my bike was still in one piece we pressed on up the long climb to the top of the 'long Man' before another rapid bumpy decent down to Alfriston. From here rather than tackling the Downs head on, we skirted around their base and then ascended the remarkably steep looping road to  Bopeep car park at the top of the downs. Then began what is arguably the best descent in the area, the four mile decent down to the Golden Gallon. With the ground so dry we completed this scenic decent in record time. Next up was Friston Forest. last time  we were there, to get through the forest we had to fight our way through nettles and overgrown branches but this time we bypassed all the difficulties by sticking to the family trail (Dave HH would be disgusted!) After a short road climb to the top of the forest we were spotted by none other than Dave HH. Dave had hoped to join us but he his still in recovery mode from the neck injury he sustained at Bedgebury some weeks ago. Dave is however hoping to make it on the Brighton trip on Sat 7th. Fantastic views of the channel were our reward as we dropped down over some grassy tracks back down to Birling Gap. Completing this route in two and a half hours meant we got back home early as planned, an excellent route.