Haldon at tic!

Popped down to Exeter recently to see my good friend Chris Angell. Not only to check out his new surroundings and dwellings but also I heard whiff that there was some fun to be had in a forest nearby. I'll leave all of the social stuff out because it ain't any of your buisness and because that isn't why your here.
I recieved a text from Mr A no long after he had moved there, saying that he had checked out the local trail and that I will like it. Being a good friend I trust him. So off i went. From Bristol at around 80mph (casual) it took about an hour. Upon arrival the sky was a bit crap. But with some bacon butties and good coffee inside us we got geared up and fought through the Exeter traffic to Haldon forest.

Which is between the legs of the M5, near the ass. http://uk8.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=290000&Y=80000&width=700&height=400&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=&zm=0&scale=100000&out.x=4&out.y=8

By the time we arrived at the start point it was a bit misty with rain. But nevertheless I didn't come all this way with my bike to not ride. Angell took me on a warm up lap round the forests family trail. A gravely path that twists and turns close to the road and then dissapears into the woods. Quite flat and fast in places, with a couple of downs. This run finished at the Hub in Haldon forest, where the main car park and facilities are. Not bothered with that yet we went back to the car. I changed my shoes and we headed off to the red run. Which is a step up from the family trail. A bit more technical, especially in the wet. Angell leaded the way with me with my full-face on bringing up the rear. Almost from the word go you have to have your game face on. As again some of the trail was gravel, which made it easy to wash out. I still hadn't quite woken up yet and as slick as some of the tree roots were, I was a bit worried. But loving it. As Angell wasn't in the distance I expected he felt the same. As I carried on the route was varied and technical at times. Which ment alot of moving around on the bike. My bike isn't light, and after a rough week at work I was already feeling burnt. We stopped at the end of the first section and I caught my breath and stretched whilst munching on some banana and water. Not before long we were off again up a hill on a fire road to rejoin the trail. I led the way for a few minuites, in aid to wake up a bit. But at sign of the first rise Angell zipped past me. We next approached a downhill section which if I remember rightly was a little off-camber and loose soil. It was a little tricky to ride and I found myself staying off course once or twice. After a couple of minuites we had arrived at the freeride section. I'd seen and read about this from the haldon freeride website and couldn't wait to take a look.

http://www.haldonfreeride.org/index.php

The northshore roll-in looked rather slick so we avoided that, but we had a quick play on some of the jumps before heading to the other side of the road where Angell said there was some more fun to be had. After a slight orientation check we found it and headed in..................................