HTs 5 & 6 In which I am consumed by the Christmas/New Year time/space continuum

HT 5 - no lunch with the Queen

A flatish Surrey ride which avoided major climbs but still allowed me to ride 45km in the mud, remembering to pack sandwiches to prevent Christmas Day café fails.  Didn't see any cafés.

On the first climb up to the Hog's Back, I went to take a gulp of water from my Camelbak, only to find myself drawing on thin air.  Where the hell was I going to find water on Christmas day!?  Without my camelbak bladder, I couldn't even knock on a door and ask for a top up!

I plodded on, optimistic that the garage would be open and stopped to take my coat off to minimise sweating in case I didn't find any water.  Swung my camelbak off and lo! the bladder was full, lolling out of the side zip, hose unattached.  I clipped it together, bunged it in and was refreshed.

I thought I'd plotted a route past Hampton Court so when I started seeing Surrey Police Surveillance signs, assumed that's where I was (totally wasn't). 

45kms went quickly enough to be home in time for a quick bath before heading over to the Sissy-in-laws to consume turkey and play at shooting foam balls into a plastic crocodile.

HT6 - Attack on a big Surrey ride cut short

In this ride, I attempted to combine the best of rides 4 & 5 into one big loop adding some different inflections in the MTB areas of Surrey.  I left with a full compliment of sandwiches again but in contrast to HT5, also found a shop next door to an Inn serving coffee.

Two wild pees and a deer sighting kept my wilderness brain happy.  Plenty of re-runs of favourite climbs from the last two days plus a sprinkling of new ones.  All ready for route-tweaking.

The "really steep" climb from HT4 was replaced with a much more bike-friendly one in which I resumed my customary 9th place on the leaderboard, instead of QoM, "No other woman has been stupid enough to bring a bike up this".

Also the memorable climb that I decided to "have a go" at and just as I was about to bail noticed I was being watched by a man and his dog so had to belt out the whole thing to the top.  Trep:1 Wobbly rocks:0.

All day I had been concerned about the Garmin running out of battery but decided it was OK as I always had my phone to get me back.

All day I had been concerned about leaving home without my phone but decided it was OK as I could always borrow a phone off one of the millions of people out for a boxing day walk to ring home.

It was only when I missed a turn in Godalming so ended up heading back towards the house at 6:30pm that I realised the two were incompatible and decided I'd better head home so I didn't run out of mapping in a strange area in the dark without my phone to help... let's not even think about the chances of the light going dead!

Home in time for a bath and boxing day curry.