Chocolate Log

A health inducing loop of the Surrey Hills with a penchant for breaking riders and kit in mysterious circumstances. You have been warned.

Map

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Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Ride Details

Distance:	Around 28 miles (not measured it yet)
Grade:	Challenging All technical stuff has bailout options, distance may upset smokers.
Time taken:	4-6 hrs
Summary:	The 4 Lumps in question are Ranmore Common, Pitch Hill, Holmbury Hill and Leith Hill. This ride takes in all the best views in the area, and is not hugely difficult to complete in 4-6 hrs with plenty of flapjack and Ribena stops. Ranmore is chalky and the byways up there are very badly cut up by 4x4s so bring mud tyres if it's been raining! The other hills hold up really well even in the worst conditions, and hide a network of amazing trails.
Pics:

Map Notes

Start at Nirvana Cycles, Westcott (and buy something too, it's all good stuff).

1. Head out straight over the green opposite the shop and up the hill. Keep on the track until you see the bridge just before a gate, just before the bridge there's an 'unofficial' track that ducks into the trees on the right. This will sweep quickly round over the bridge and bring you out onto the road, keep going up and all the way across the top of Ranmore Common.

2. There are two quality descents to choose from here, White Down is absolutely evil in the wet because of it's bare chalk surface.

3. Head down on the rough track past the cowshed and then follow the bridleway up onto the hill. This is the scenic route. If you really need to save time just go down the B road running parallel with this track. When the track hits the road, turn right, stop at the pub for some top quality food and ales, then continue up the road and turn off following signs to the Youth Hostel.

4. Some of the fireroads and interlinking trails to get here can be a bit confusing, but just head south-west and you'll come out somewhere near the underground reservoir (usually there's piles of timber and a big muddy mess here). What used to be a fairly well concealed trail known as Reservoir Dogs, Barry Knows Best, or John Singleton is blatantly visible just across the road. Follow this scorcher down to the bottom, out onto the road and down to the local flapjack and teas shop and Pub 2 in Peaslake.

The route up Pitch hill is easy enough to follow. Stay on the main fireroad all the way up, bearing left at the fork about 3/4 of a mile up. The very last section is actually a footpath but it seems to be well trodden by horses and as long as your polite to the walkers I don't see it posing a problem. This leads up to a great view from the bench at the top.

5. From the top, head east and immediately take the right fork downhill. This is a great little blast round a corner and left onto the fireroad. Follow this down and over a couple of nice little bumps (great fun for launching off). The path gets a little rougher, then smooths out again. At this point keep an eye out for a trail on your right. Take this winding little singletrack and then, just before the trail starts descending you've got to make a choice:

Technical Challenge - turn left, upward and back out onto the fireroad and take the next right down the really gullied track. Be careful where the gully spits you out, especially if it's wet - see my pics of this route for one of it's many victims. This is called Plan-B as it used to be the easier alternative to a really evil gully rockfest singletrack that is now:

Easy Route - follow this wide mud (or dust) trail in a long curve down to the farm and out onto the road.

I'm not copping out, the rest of the route is dead easy to navigate! Although if you know the area at all then a diversion on Leith Hill to do Summer Lightning on your way down is definitely worth it. Careful on the descent from the tower though - it's a popular family destination, so don't be a prick.

Tag along on a Nirvana Cycles ride for more local gems.