MOORS TO SEA PART 1

It's Tuesday morning 15/09/09 and I'm off on day one of my tour of the variable route that is the Moors to Sea Cycle Network as the name suggests there are quite a few options on the choice of routes to take, basically its east from my home to Whitby, south to Scarborough then back north through the centre of North York Moors back to Cleveland. I was a bit later getting started than I hoped leaving Ingleby Barwick at about 10.30am for the ten mile or so ride to Great Ayton, and the official start of the tour. My plan was as outlined above, but plans often go off kilter and in this case I got to Egton about eight miles from Whitby and turned south instead of heading east to Sleights. I found myself in Egton Bridge and rather than endure a long push back uphill I decided to modify my plan and continue south to Pickering via Rosedale Abbey from there going north to Whitby and then back home by my outward route. All went well and I had a good days cycling through pretty Yorkshire villages, along quiet country lanes and lonely bridlepaths and forest tracks. Weather dry but cloudy and pleasantly warm, a smashing day on the bike. By early evening I was in the depths of Dalby Forest, which alas offered few places to pitch my tent for the night, narrow tracks with steep verges and impenatratable trees! so as the light faded I got more concerned and rather fancied I would be bivi-ing out in my bivi-sac without the benefit of the tent. However just as the light was fading I came to a place in the track which was just wide enough to allow me to pitch and as is always the case the most unpromising of camping spots can provide a first class night's kip, and so it was. Still I had pedalled about 63 miles so was a bit tired and ready for it. My picture is the Millenium Cross above Rosedale Abbey. (I think this is the opposite side of Rosedale Abbey from the famous Chimney Bank, it is however a fearfully steep descent)!