KMC Members: Sue Brooke, Pete Hughes, Katie Horgan.

Sue & Pete arrived Saturday pm and had an explore before the meet leader arrived around 4pm. We did the desultory blue route then headed to the campsite. 4 tent pitches and a similar number of caravans with a very friendly and helpful proprietor. The pub did us a good evening meal and we headed back to the tents. Being the North East, it was dry but cold! Sunday was overcast but dry and we headed back down to the forest to tackle the red route - quite enough for the meet leader's skills but I'm sure Sue and Pete could have happily sailed around something more technical and longer. However, tea and cake in the tearoom beckoned and we succumbed. The consensus was it's a nice place for family rides but the reds weren't like Welsh ones (bike trails not dragons, there aren't any in England) - which probably means the blacks aren't dead tough either. We were all pretty impressed by the completely nuts downhillers, though.

All in all, not up to KMC biking standards but it was nice to revisit old haunts!

Although this is advertised as a day meet, it can easily be a weekend. Hamsterley Forest (grid ref 092313) is located in the depths of County Durham (M62, A1M, A68). Set in the Bedburn valley, it has steep climbs, long downhills and some good longer distance routes - the Doctor's Gate route looks good. I haven't been since they started redeveloping the already good mountain bike routes. Now there's an Extreme Downhill course, a multi-user skills area called The Loop and a range of different ability routes, as well as a Trailquest - orienteering on bikes. It's also a beautiful forest to explore on foot - you can play in the river and build dens in the woods - and the cake in the Tearoom is excellent! The plan is to drive to Hamsterley Forest with or without bikes (£20/day to hire in the Forest). It takes about 2 hours 15mins to drive there, so you can come up for the day or head up the day before. I have reserved space for three two man tents at High Shipley Campsite for the Saturday night (grid ref 115343 - £15 per night for tent, car and 2 people), so let me know if you'd like a space. Check out www.hamsterley-trailblazers.co.uk for alternative accommodation and info as well as www.forestry.gov.uk and click 'England' then Cycling'. Hamsterley is the third on the list. If you do come up on the Saturday - morning or evening - the pub in Hamsterley village does good, straightforward food. Otherwise there's the Moorcock in Egleston.

As for the forest itself, it'll cost you £3 to park (they call it the Forest Drive, don't be fooled, it's a parking fee) but you can cycle in from the village or the campsite. If I end up in a car with anyone, I'll also have a Forestry Commission staff sticker...free parking! Let me know if you're thinking about coming, there's even some climbing in Weardale (check out www.climbonline.co.uk/weardale_in_winter.htm and Millstone Rigg looks pretty good/near) and Teesdale, although I haven't tried any of it! Goldsborough Carr, Holwick Scar (although it's extremely sensitive and has a lot of access restrictions). It's an area that has something for everyone and is a bit of a hidden gem - I have to declare an interest - I used to be a Ranger in the forest!