Thursday, October 13, 2016

Peak District Videos...And Meeting Mountain Bikers

I watch a lot of videos online which are filmed in the Peak District. The main types I watch are the commercially produced ones featuring specific locations or attractions, hiking videos, family days out...and my favourites, mountain biking videos, especially those featuring fast and dangerous steep downhill sections. To be honest, some of the walking videos are a bit boring.

I frequently see and meet mountain bikers when I'm walking, and apart from a couple of thoughtless idiots racing down a hillside above Ladybower Reservoir, the vast majority of them have been pleasant, courteous, and thoughtful, and of course very good at what they do. I'm a ballet fan, and a lot of their moves are very balletic, and interesting and beautiful to watch; not just the technicalities of the riding, but also precariously balancing on rocks, jumping from one rock to the next and how quickly, efficiently, and elegantly they are able to lift their bikes over stiles or get off and open, and then close, a gate. At times it looks as though it's all been choreographed.

If I see them approaching and I'm able to reach a gate I'll hold it open for them, staying a few seconds to watch, encouraging them to keep up their speed and maybe even put in a spectacular leap for me...it's all part of the fun of a day out on the moors for me.

I can't be this positive about all the different groups that I come across in the countryside though, maybe I'll write about them in future blog posts. 


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