A Towering Success? 2 August to Leith Hill

Well, people can't say they weren't warned.  But still they came, for a ride that was a bit different, braving the parched heat even at elevenses to sit outside at the the Tiger Lily Bus Cafe.  No tigers were in evidence, nor, for that matter, any buses.  Just a lot of sunshine, coffee and chat, and not a lot of shade.  Terry set off for home while ten of us headed for the shady lanes and the hills.

Enjoying the shade

Leith Hill is a serious hill, the highest in the south of England, and must be treated with respect.  So we respectfully approached it via Shere, Peaslake, Holmbury Hill and then Pasturewood Road.  Diane decided she'd had enough excitement on her first group ride with us for a while and peeled off around here - it was great to have your company, Diane.  By the time we arrived at the bottom of the track up to the tower, we knew we had climbed a big hill. 

Shere

Pond Lane

Radnor Road

Everyone seemed to manage well on the half a mile of stony track to reach the tower, and we found an idyllic picnic spot, in a glade of large trees within sight of the tower.   Andy and Christina climbed to the top of the tower (at a bargain reduced price of £4.05 during the August VAT holiday) to enjoy the amazing views.  A guide lent Andy his binoculars, through which he could see a wind farm on the Channel.  Andy was planning to take a photo of the rest of the group assembled down below but this didn't go as planned.  For one thing, it was like herding cats trying to rouse the group from their shady position to stand in the heat for a photo, and for another, Andy found that he got vertigo looking down from the tower, so the guide eventually attracted our attention and took a photo of us.

After all the climbing, the descent of the Leith Hill Greenway was even more of a test.  We skipped the first very rough section, instead going round on the road to Coldharbour.   Then we descended a long section of the off-road Wolvens Lane down to Wootton, about three miles but it seemed longer, with a few more sandy stretches than when I recced it a month ago.  At Wootton, Niall opted to take the road home while the rest of us headed for a bit more off-road across the valley and zigzagging up the other side towards Denbies.  Unfortunately I missed a crucial turning half way - or possibly fortunately, because it got us back to the road more quickly near Deepdene station, and we completed the ride along the road.   Most people headed for home and Rykas was packed with long queues for service, so Martina and I had a quick drink in the Stepping Stones pub before heading home.

Thank you everyone for coming on this adventure, for surviving and even perhaps enjoying the heat, the hills and all the off-road, and thanks for all your lovely photos.  It's nice to have some willing friends to try out "new" places and routes, even though as Andy reminded me, the C&M has had lunch at Leith Hill Tower before, under Graham Hill's leadership.

C&M's last visit

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride?

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride? I know some of you have had to deal with situations whilst on our weekly rides and it can be a pretty scary experience. Knowing basic first aid is an important life skill and can be a life saver if you are faced with a medical emergency in any aspect of your life.

The  trainer is an experienced nurse Jen Craven who runs Wimbledon First Aid. As a cyclist herself she perfectly understands our needs and tailors the learning to situations we may encounter on a ride. The course will run for a morning and you will be awarded a certificate which is valid for 3 years.

We are hoping to get funding from Cycling UK as we did last year, but there may be a small charge if they do not fully cover the cost.

There are up to 10 spaces available - to sign up please contact me juliembuckman@btinternet.com or 07803 005516. Closing date for applications Friday August 7th.

Here are some thoughts from Sue F who attended last year:

'Jen proved to be a great trainer and placed a lot of emphasis on not immediately diving into a situation, but pausing to assess first using the DRABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation) mnemonic. We returned to this when discussing almost all medical emergencies. Jen knows our riding territory well and had an excellent idea should an accident occur around a blind corner: place a bike with a bright coloured jacket draped over it to warn any oncoming vehicles or riders that there was a casualty on the road. 

Perfecting our CPR skills occupied a good part of the course. Jen uses dummies that light up when you are using the correct technique. Many of  the group found it surprisingly exhausting giving effective CPR for a prolonged period of time.

She  highlighted the importance of locating a defib quickly and having the locator app What 3 Words and medical info on our phones for a helper to find should we be unable to give this information. I have  now set up the Apple Health app with emergency contact numbers and any medical issues that can be accessed quickly from the locked screen. 

Being faced with a medical emergency can be challenging, especially if it happens in a remote and isolated location. Following the course I think we all felt more confident to deal with a potential situation and give some emergency care. I felt I learned a lot despite having done First aid training in the past. Techniques (particularly CPR) have changed considerably over the years so even if you have done some training this course is great refresher'.