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From the glacial valleys of the Lake District, Best of Backyard heads to the plantation forests and heathland of Cannock Chase. A former royal forest and the smallest site designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK, Cannock Chase is the go to for anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of urban Staffordshire. The sedimentary rock and dense forests not battered into shape by the wind give a very different feel to our previous outing, and a lot of our route will take in the infamous red route that sees so much traffic, especially on a sunny weekend. The rolling hills here are formed by glacial run off rather than the ice hulks that formed the Lake District but it shows just how much effect ice had on our landscape.
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David Dabbs is leading the way today, and will be showing us the best way to link the official trails network with the wide variety of different unofficial, off-piste options available. Without someone knowing where they’re going here, you could easily just go round in circles all day.
Sunshine is in full effect today. Gone are the howling winds and driving rain that comes with it, and we’re almost too warm before we set off. A truly wonderful complaint after a wet and miserable start to the year. From the get-go, we’ve our work cut out to keep tabs on David. Far more of an endurance rider than the enduro skills of Paul McPherson, we can’t believe the size of the chainring he’s running and turning with no real difficulty. Remember when 44t was considered small? Well, we’re pretty sure David would have no issues there.
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Follow the Dog is a stone cold classic. The marks on the rocks that line the opening portions show just how much traffic this trail centre has, and it takes some time to tune into the braking bumps on the descents. Unlike steady chatter into the corners, you seem to get two hefty braking bumps just before the apex, and nothing else.
Carrying speed is key at Cannock. There’s not enough gradient change to be lazy and if you pedal everywhere you’ll be knackered within minutes. A fast bike helps too. Pick a wrong braking spot and you’ll be kicking yourself for the next few turns as you have to work extra hard to get that flow back up.
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We follow the red route to where the trail meets the railway line, before opting to take in some off piste options that seem to litter the hillside beyond. There’s something for everyone here. Fast and easy, tight and technical, the works. It might only be a short descent but we’re back at the top in no time for another go, with slightly better knowledge of what’s coming.
From here, I seem to lose track of where we are. The lack of anything to locate yourself, a hill, a river, means without our trusty guide, I’d have no chance. The long, winding climbs certainly help my screaming legs, but the dark plantations all look alike to me…
We poke out of the woods and back into what we hoped would be the light. Looking back across the valley towards the Pye Green tower, the horizon-to-horizon sunshine we’d enjoyed up until now has vanished into a very threatening storm head. We don’t wait long before dropping into the descent that will lead us back to the railway line, but in the blink of an eye, a blizzard envelopes us, with the wind driving the snow hard into our faces as we struggle to see what’s coming.
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A mixture of massive puddles and the wind-driven snow has taken the heat out of all three of us, so we’re glad when the sun returns the far side of the tracks, with a solid winch and traverse ahead. The return of the bluebird is welcomed as we start on the final leg of the red route so many enjoy.
Back in the car park, David looks ready to go again as our eyes turn to the cafe. My legs are saying no but I think that ride might have only just warmed David’s legs up...
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Words & Pictures: Pete Scullion