Blackhouse Hill Revival from Canterbury, Kent 240515

[PatC]

I'm running the above 100 km grimpeur on 240515, 10 o'clock start convenient for ECEers or those travelling by train.

Full details can be found on the AUK calendar page.........

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-84/

[citoyen]

Ooh, that looks like a pretty tasty route! Sorry I won't be able to do it - although I know someone who might be interested so I'll pass on the details.

What's the Rough Common hall like - are the owners accommodating? I've thought about it as a possible HQ when I've been toying with the idea of organising a ride myself.

[PatC]

What's the Rough Common hall like - are the owners accommodating? I've thought about it as a possible HQ when I've been toying with the idea of organising a ride myself.

It seems reasonable, not cheap though, but around the 'going rate'. I've found that with halls you don't necessarily get what you pay for- some have cottoned on to the fact they can charge £10 per hour whilst others are happy to charge £30 per day.

[Martin]

is that little lane at West Hougham the one that's a clone of Cob Lane, only longer?  ?

[PatC]

What Meggatt Lane?

It's a tough one but I think you may be referring to the lane that climbs out of Alkham on the other side of the valley?

[Martin]

What Meggatt Lane?

It's a tough one but I think you may be referring to the lane that climbs out of Alkham on the other side of the valley?

that's the fella, did it on a 200 that went from Hythe to Sandwich, not the Man of Kent luckily. So I'll be ok on my 34 x26 compact? 

[PatC]

It's steep but not super steep, does go on a bit longer than you would think though.

[cotteredcrank]

Thanks Pat and helpers. That was reassuringly lumpy.

I don't know how you managed it, but the fly by of two Spitfires as I climbed out of Folkstone was impressive.

For anyone thinking about doing this event another time - go for it. Train friendly start time, we written directions and nothing too steep. It is also a Grimpeur Du Sud eligible event

[Martin]

missed the Sptifires  although they were probably home for tea by the time I went past!

a great ride PatC has some great routes up his sleeve and stitches them together superbly; who would have thought there was a decent way to get out of Folkestone up that mega climb without using the main road?

thanks Pat Tracy Colin & Mrs Colin 

next up in the GdS for 2015 AAA Milne 4th July; another of my irregular "perms turned into calendar events", might be a one-off as I have something in Surrey in the pot....

[PatC]

Thanks for the comments.

I think the Spitfires were something to do with the events being held in Thanet to mark the  75th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuations.   

The steep lane out of Folkestone is Smallpox Lane, the site of the smallpox isolation hospital which was built under the hills. Bizarrely enough it's the cycle route out of Folkestone.

You would have also got a brief glimpse of the Folkestone White Horse at the top of Blackhouse Hill ....

http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/hillfigs/folk/folk.htm

[JossW]

That was great, thanks. More than made up for being a DNS on the Beast. Nice route, plenty of rolls, flapjacks etc. Why I got into audaxing in the first place!