Amidst the foot and mouth restrictions the following story appeared as an alternative adventure guide in On The Hill magazine......
The scourge that has been foot and mouth is gradually subsiding, and soon we will be free to roam the fells as freely once more. Meantime for those who have found yourselves urbanly challenged read on;
Some of us are lucky enough to live amidst the wilds
of our very green and beautiful British countryside, hopelessly surrounded
by outdoor adventure opportunities. Doorsteps blessed with huge crags and
endless trails, we lucky few are able to simply roll out of bed and in to
the wild heather. But, even for us jammy souls this year has been a frustrating
one. A year when rolling out of bed results in a scrape with a barbed wire
fence, and when our doorsteps are adorned no longer with bristly welcome mats,
but instead with gloopy disinfectant soaked pads, when even our own back gardens
are out of bounds. Yes it's been hell
The bulk of our population however are never faced with such luxury of the
close proximity of the great out of bounds. Most people spend their weeks
stranded in an urban world, enclosed by concrete and cursed by eternal traffic
jams. The countryside is a haven of weekendism to most people. Somewhere to
go forth and appreciate, only until now the year has been a right off for
you too.
A strange twist of fate this, a twist which has caused a reversal of the Osmosis
effect, and sent country folk, such as my good self, in to the urban world
in search of adrenaline opportunities. And to be honest I'm hooked. It sure
won't keep me off the trails of my beloved wet Wales, but my findings will
certainly make me a regular city goer from now on. These finding also provide
great mid week adventure tonics for those of you who don't have Snowdon at
the end of their garden path.
We've focussed on foot and mouth free opportunities for accessible urban adventure.
And by heck there are plenty of them. To bring a complete listing of every
urban adventure opportunity would near impossible. So we've selected a mixed
bag of things to do in the Birmingham and Manchester areas, which should spark
you out of the foot and mouth dormant stun phase, and get you back in to action
with a vengeance. So go forth, and becomes an urban warrior, it's fun!
Birmingham
canal ride
Distance - 22 miles
Duration - 3 hours
Grade - Intermediate
Conditions - The majority of the riding is on grassy single track,
which is quite tough. There is also a whole load of faster and wider track,
and some muddy grass.
Start from the Ocker Hill Visitor Centre (GR 975935).
Cross the open waste ground to get on to the canal bank. Then cross the bridge
and pick up the canal towpath in the direction of Birmingham. Make sure you
look out for the sign, which is in the middle of the junction. It's very easy
to head off along the wrong canal.
Follow the wide track past the locks and factories until you reach Pudding
Junction. Bear left at the canal junction and join the Birmingham & Black
Country Canal Cycleway. Follow the more obvious path, and the signs, directly
on to Birmingham, staying on the main line as you pass Smethwick.
As you come in towards Birmingham City Centre you will see w whole load of
Bridges and Canals going off in every direction, stay on the left-hand bank
and slow right down. This area is part of the city centre, and can get really
busy. Follow the path out of the centre area, then follow the Birmingham &
Fazeley Canal towards Cuckoo Wharf, and eventually on to Salford Junction.
This is right beneath Spaghetti Junction. Turn left here, along the Tame Valley
Canal, following the signs for Rushall Junction. This is a long grind of a
single track all of the way to Rushall Junction, which is the first canal
junction along way. When we rode the route a short section of the path was
closed for repairs, we simply rode the 300 meters of road, which skirted around
the works and re-joined the canal. Turn left at Rushall Junction, and then
follow the trail all of the way back to Ocker Hill, where you need to cross
the bridge, and the wasteland to get back to the car park.
Riding canal towpaths may sound a little on the tame side, but this route is far tougher than you may imagine. Our route is a 22 mile circuit of central Birminghams canal system, which is a great way to see hidden parts of this historic city and to get some of the only inner city off roading available in the country. There are inner city canal networks throughout the country, which can offer a great midweek alternative to road riding.
Getting there:
We started the ride from the Ocker Hill Centre, which is between Wednesbury
and Tipton. During office hours you can park safely at the centre, which made
it good for us. The centre is not well signed, but is just off the main A461
at Ocker Hill, right behind the new housing estate. This is 200 meters from
the traffic roundabout. Alternatively you could take the train to New Street
Station, in Birmingham, and pick the route up from the Gas Street Basin, which
is just behind the National Convention Centre. For train times call 0345 484950.
Maps/details:
The O/S Landranger of Birmingham is adequate for the ride. But better still
is the British Waterways Map of the Birmingham & Black Country Canals. This
map is a detailed colour map of the entire regional canal network, with junctions
and attractions marked on it. There is also a specific Birmingham & Black
Country Cycleway map available, which covers the section between Wolverhampton
& Birmingham. These maps are available at a nominal cost from either the Ocker
Hill British Waterways Office, or by post. Tel. 01902 409010.
The Waterways Cycling Code
Permits:
Officially you need a permit to ride on canal towpaths. These are sometimes
free, and sometimes not. For the latest info, and a pass call 01902 409010.
Watering holes:
There are several pubs along the route. We called in at the Fiddle & Bone,
which is just as you get in towards Gas Street and the city Centre. This is
a trendy canal bar, where you can also get a welcomed cupper.
Manchester velodrome
Unless you were somewhere deep in Bolivian
custody you couldn't help but to have seen last years Olympic Games from Sydney.
Presuming that you did. Then you will probably remember Britains first gold
medal of the Games, which went to Jason Queely the track cyclist. This was
the first in an unprecedented procession of medals earned by our cyclists
on the indoor velodrome. For years Britain has had top track racers, with
the likes of Chris Boardman and Greame Obree being especially notable.
All of a sudden we became, possibly, the worlds best track-racing nation.
Why? Well, a huge factor in this process was the construction of the Manchester
Velodrome, which was built a few years when the city was bidding for the Olympics.
This facility has enabled our national team to train indoors on a world class
track, rain or shine (as if.) The track is situated to the eastern side of
Manchester City, and is about as good as it gets as far as these things are
concerned. Entering the space ship like building you meander through a series
of tunnels to emerge at the track centre. This can be an intimidating, yet
inviting experience, You'll find yourself surrounded by a huge great oval
basin, like a massive parquet wood lined wall of death, all sloping steeply
in towards you. Stand at the foot of the banking as the riders hurtle around
and your eyes will pop put. Fixed wheel bikes, without breaks charge around
the track, and the boards roar and rumble with appreciation as nothing but
good old gravity keeps their narrow rubber tyres glued to the insanely steep
track walls.
Now, that's just from the outside. The good news is that this facility is
not solely for our Olympic elites. No, you can do it too, and without the
need for hi-tech equipment either. The track week is divided in to various
sessions. Away from the racing you can take taster sessions, which include
instruction and equipment hire. From there you can progress to skills and
improver sessions, and eventually, if you wish, on to racing it's self.
The experience and exhilaration of this purist of all kinds of cycling will
definitely have you hooked, and gagging for more, so be warned. This genuinely
is something everybody should try, at least once.
Details
Taster sessions are held on most days of the week and last for about 1 hour,
and include bike hire - all you need is your helmet and a sense of adventure.
These sessions are quite popular, so booking well in advance is advisable,
mainly to make sure you get the rights sized bike.
For details of these, and other sessions go to www.manchestervelodrome.com Or call 0161 2232244.
Tamworth
Snowdome
Emerging from the 20 odd degrees of unseasonably sociable
Midlands sunshine we entered the sub zero environment of the Tamworth Snowdome.
This was about as bizarre as things come. Tee shirts and shorts were rapidly
masked over with full on winter ski gear, hats and gloves as the great piste
awaited us. Yes here on the outskirts of Birmingham, mid summer, we were about
to ski, and on real snow too.
Sure I'd heard of the place, but until we actually entered the dome I hadn't
quite managed to get my head around the concept. I couldn't quite see how,
or why, this should be so. But either way there it was, a 170 meter long ski
slope, indoors. Grinning with child like excitement I opted for a pair of
snow blades, leaving Lincoln to woo the crowds with his board hopping half
pipe skills (which were more like half-pint).
An escalator like belt replaces the traditional open-air chairlift system.
Once you arrive at the top you're faced with a top line piste, which drops
down and turns a 90 degree left hander along the way. The inside of the bend
has a drop off, and just before you hit the bottom there's a small jump too,
making the slope suitable for both beginners and experienced skiers and boarders
alike.
We slid around on the white stuff for a couple of hours, before hitting the
ski bar - yes I said ski bar. We'd had our fun, now we could watch (apres
piste style) from safely behind our pint glasses, as a whole horde of nutters
hit the slope for a toboggan session. Later that night the borders would get
to jam it out on the jumps and half pipes. Strange, but true, and well worth
a look is our official verdict.
Details
The Snowdome is situated next to the leisure centre, just out of Tamworth
town centre. The dome is open daily, and sessions are divided between the
various disciplines. These include; snow blades, ski, snowboard, and toboggan.
There is also evening snow disco nights, family and kids sessions. Lessons
and equipment hire are available on site. Rates for usage vary dramatically
- depending on the time of day. During the week you ski all morning for just
£18, which is about the same cost as a 1-hour evening peak time session.
For further info go to www.snowdome.co.uk Or call 08705 000011
The
Rockface, Birmingham
To be totally honest I'm not exactly the worlds greatest
aficionado of climbing walls, but having my ear to crag, and eye on the web,
the name Rockface seemed pretty prominent, thus we decided to give it the
once over. To start with the Rockface is slap-bang in centre of Birmingham,
making it easily accessible to the whole of the West Midlands region, which
suited our purposes admirably.
First impressions are always important, and the Rockface won us over immediately
on that score. There was none of that scraggy, cliquey, old school cult feel
about the place. The guys have really gone out on ledge here to make clients
feel welcome. The set up is bright, warm, trendy, and the scram is top notch.
In fact a visit here could simply be a good chance to socialise with like-minded
people.
So, with the coffee and baguettes out of the way it was time for us to hit
the walls! The Rockface is Europe's premier indoor climbing facility, and
it doesn't take long to see why. There are two separate climbing rooms, each
with an amazing number of routes on them, stretching up 20 meters at their
highest. There are plenty of technical overhangs too, and a fixed natural
wall. One route even scales a drainpipe, and has a toilet half way up! Though
it's not for practical use. The centre also has a nice bouldering corner.
Something which really sets the Rockface apart from the rest is it's indoors
caving system. The system weaves and climbs up and around the walls in the
smaller of the two climbing halls. A whole rabbit warren like network of pipes,
planks, crawling corridor and steps combine to make a unique and top system.
This makes for an ideal introduction to caving, or for training purposes for
urban-based cavers.
All in all this is one top climbing wall, and one that goes that crucial extra
pitch. If you're going along I suggest that you make a good evening of it,
maybe even get a group together and have a crack at the cave system.
Details
The Rockface is situated on ABR Row, which is a bout a 2 minute drive south
off the main Aston Expressway, or a convenient ten minute walk from the central
New Street rail station. The centre opens from 10-10 during the week, and
until 8 PM at weekends. There are 2 mail halls, a bouldering area, the caving
system, a café and a bar. At most times you can simply turn up and climb,
though if you wish to take a course, or use the caving system then you must
book in advance.
For details go to www.rockface.co.uk Or call 0121 3596419.
Other climbing walls in the areas
Birmingham; Munrow Sports Centre, University of Birmingham. Tel 0120 4144117
Birmingham; Gem Sports Hall, Aston University. Tel 0121 7723739
Birmingham; the Ackers, Smallheath. Tel 0121 7723739
Stourbridge; Crystal Leisure centre. Tel 01384 442543
Walsall; Bentley Climbing Tower. Tel 01922 616165
Wolverhampton; Molineux Rock Gym. Tel 01902 771485
For info on other climbing walls go to www.thebmc.co.uk
