19 June - a trek to Mont Northala

I'm proud to report the success of a brave attempt to scale Mont Northala today, possibly the icing on the Queen's Jubilee cake.

Base Camp was established at The William Webb Ellis, Twickenham, where the advance party of Bob, Tony, Lillian, Simon, Pam and Graham consumed their rations and considered the task ahead.  We were joined by a large number of rugby supporters who were perhaps just there to get C&M ride attendance points, or maybe getting hydrated ready for a different challenge, England vs the Barbarians, kick off at 3pm - vital advance preparation.

Lillian, Chris, Pam, Simon and Graham at the last C&M
attempt to scale Mont Northala, in 1924

Bob and Tony stayed at base camp, while the remainder were joined by Chris for the next stage of the expedition, a very welcome surprise addition to the team.   Crampons were fixed, and we set off into the urban jungle, navigating by following the Grand Union Canal and River Brent to the high ground of Ealing's Bunny Park, where we nearly got lost in the maze but decided not to go in, as we were all taller than the hedges.

After a long, arduous and rough trek we were at the rarefied atmosphere of the A40, where we conquered Marnham Fields and Northala Fields to reach the base of Mont Northala, a beastly, treeless conical mountain of rubble made when the old Wembley football ground was demolished.

Mont Northala

There was only one way up, well, two actually, but the other one was ridiculous.   Pam bravely volunteered to wait in case we never returned, and dreadful news had to be relayed to relatives and the waiting world.   We donned our oxygen masks and started up the spiral slope leading to the top.   We had all forgotten our ice axes, and it was tricky with only slender tyres to give us grip on the rough scree surface, but we all made it.  The views from the top were stupendous.  It was like standing on the top of the world.   Well, the top of Greenford, anyway.   Unfortunately we were all too oxygen-deprived to take any photos.   The descent was nearly as tough.   Chris decided to descend using the ridiculous route, manhandling his bike over sheer drops, but we all arrived at the bottom at the same time.

The triumphant adventurers return

Wild celebrations:  Bandits on Bicycles at the Battle of Britain Bunker

There was only one place suitable for celebrating our magnificent achievement: Uxbridge.   Well, two places.   First, we rode to the Battle of Britain Bunker, and, because we were late for lunch, we then went to the Rusty Bike Cafe, where enormous toasties were consumed by several hungry explorers.   By that time we were also going to be late for tea, so I threw caution to the wind and made up a direct route back to Shepperton, which worked out OK, and we arrived at Nutty Lane, a very appropriate place to end our expedition, just before it closed.    A grand day out in excellent company.