With John's ongoing training for the mountains in spring, he wanted to repeat a climb of Watlington Hill today. He took his old road bike, and I took the easy option of using my ebike.
It was a grey start to the day, and just 6 degrees. As we drove through Sonning, we noticed how high the river is atm. Just one step visible, before the water floods the lawn at The French Horn. (now closed for good.)
With snood on and gloves liners too, I felt warm enough as we set off. Those would both soon come off as we started to climb.
As we turned right to join the road to Bird in Hand Lane, a big flood across the road, and we had to ride on the wrong side on a bend, hoping a car wouldn't come. One had just come through, with a lot of wash from the flood.
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| On the road to Bird in Hand. A gloomy morning. |
In Sonning Common, we continued straight through to Gallowstree Common.... a change from Kidmore End. We passed an OTT christmas display at a house on Horsepond Road, before we turned right into Wyfold Road.
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| Horesepond Road |
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| Horesepond Road. Not sure if all belongs to one house, or if one neighbour is as mad as the other! |
A gradual climb to Stoke Row next, passing the pigs on Busgrove Lane, Didn't see any pigs today, but could definitely SMELL them.
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| Busgrove Lane view opposite the pigs. |
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| Liked the bright green moss again the brown leaves, and the wiggly fence on Busgrove Lane. |
Continuing to Nuffield, the sun was trying to peak through the clouds as we rode along Huntercombe End.
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| Hunterecombe End. Will the sun break through? |
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| John catching me up at Huntercombe End. |
The gradual climbing continued, passing Cookley Green and ignoring the Christmas Common turn, we took the next left, onto Britwell Hill Road. As we arrived at the top of the big hill to drop down, the light was hitting the land at the bottom.
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| Top of Britwell Hill. Quite hard to photograph, with a big contrast in dark hedges and light ahead. Tried a couple of different settings. |
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| John had stopped at "the tree", as we often do. |
Photo by John as I continue on down the hill to Britwell.
I couldn't picture how we would get to Watlington from here since I've never done that. We turned right onto the B4009, which is 50mph, and also has a climb. Not ideal, but it wasn't too busy today. I did stop for one photo of the view to my right, with a dramatic sky, but the contrast was too much so I ditched that one! This view at the same point, but facing away from the sun.
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| B4009 Britwell Road, almost in Watlington |
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We arrived into Watlington, as I expected, at the point where we normally branch off to Cuxham. To Spire and Spoke for tea and cake, and then the climb up Watlington Hill.
I've only ever come down it, and know that the bottom section is the steepest, as you round a bend. John suggested I used full power from the word go. It's 14% gradient, before it almost levels out to around 2% for a section, where I stopped to photograph him coming up behind me. (I couldn't stop on the steep section, or I'd never get back on. 😄)
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| The 14% gradient now done, around that bend behind John. |
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| He passes on this almost flat section, but around the next corner its 10% most of the way to the top. I might try it in the spring. 😉 |
We have reached the high point and all very easy now as we descent through North End to Turville Heath.
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| the view between North End and Turville Heath. |
In Turville Heath, we dropped steeply down Ballhams Lane to the Stonor Valley. I love this little scene of the farm building with the winter tree structure, so pulled over to capture it, as John carried on a head of me.
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| Balhams Lane |
Just a couple of minutes later, I reached the bottom of the hill at the T Junction, where I was fully expecting to see John waiting. (which is what would normally happen). But no sign of him. So, I guessed he must have just carried on down the Stonor Valley Road. No problem, I would catch him up soon.
But I didn't catch him up, and with a good view of the valley road ahead, I decided to pull over and stop at the Stonor Farm to wait a few minutes incase he had gone off for some reason. I thought, I know, I can check his Garmin position. But no signal. Ok, I'll call him... no signal. I sent a Whatsapp incase the message might get through.
What to do? I went back up passed Stonor once more, and into Balhams Lane, but no sign of him Where IS HE?!!! I decided that he must have just continued all the way to the end of the valley road (a couple of miles at least). But when I got there, still no sign. This was getting stupid.
I waited there, since I couldn't think what else to do, and just then my phone rang. Phew. He was about half way down the valley road. It turned out that not far from where I had taken my photo of the farm building, he had also pulled over for a photo. I didn't see him, and he was unaware that I had passed him. What a ridiculous situation. He had also waited at the bottom the hill, thinking I was still behind him, and when I didn't appear, he had climbed back up the hill to where he knew I had stopped, thinking I might have had a puncture. 😓
Finally, back through a very quiet Henley to Harpsden Valley, and John wanted to climb Chalk Hill. Another climb I have never done, and I think it was harder than Watlington Hill. With power of course I was fine, but not desperate to do that one on my normal bike. Well done John.
An uneventful final couple of miles back to Emmer Green. We still had to go through the flood, but at least we were on the left hand side going round the bend this time!
