The start in Darlington market square on a cool Boxing Day morning

My first VMCC run started on a frosty Boxing Day morning in 2004 when Darlington market place collected a small but disreputable group of old bikes and blokes.  I was there with my one, precious bike and elder daughter.  This didn't exactly square with my original plan to ride on fine summer days but she had insisted (Don't they start young?) At least the sun was shining, in fact the roads positively glistened!  This was the annual South Durham section run to 'High Force,' England's highest waterfall or fine hostelry of the same name, depending on your preference.

Heading west toward Barnard Castle it was definitely steady as you go.  The frosty fields sparkled in the sun and the not so distant Pennines were white.  Crossing the Tees at Winston took us along the less well travelled byways and need to watch for frozen and slushy patches.  Even so we made good progress but it was the generally unremarkable track down to Whorlton bridge that bought the whole party to a halt.  The 172-year old bridge is the oldest wrought iron suspension bridge in England which makes it interesting.  What really got our attention though was the two hundred yards or more of glare ice and frozen snow straight down the side of the valley.  Not a spot of grit or salt in evidence.  Skis, skates taboggans maybe but not bikes surely?

But our leader, Brian Smith was made of sterner stuff and Angie, riding pillion, had no choice as he set off down that slippery slope.  Despite my visions of a classic heap at the foot of the hill, we made it down and across the bridge.  Some took to the verges but we trusted in Newton's first law and kept it straight, steady and in first gear.  Paradoxically it was John on his modern Triumph that had the most trouble.  Those semi-slick, wide tyres had all the adhesion of Teflon on that glazed surface.

Next was the steep climb up with a really tight hairpin bend for interest.  Fortunately the road was dry around the hairpin and up the steepest section or who knows what we'd have done.  From there on, the occasional slush and odd ice patches held little fear for we who had braved Teesdale's Cresta Run.  Onwards through Barnard Castle and Middleton in Teesdale we wound our way up the hills to High Force.

Bikes parked at High Force Hotel

Martin Peacock's TR6 next to Gerry Kay's A10 & John Robinson's Triumph Legend