START:

It is difficult, but at 7:30am on a cold dark winter's morning, it is possible to fall in love with intangible cold unfeeling tarmac.

She is a harsh mistress the tarmac, never giving more than friction but often taking you to new heart stopping adventures. The Strines takes you through the dales and quiet northern reaches of the Peak District on a relentless twisting adventure of  viewpoint to sunken ford. Shady, spooky forests border her kinky lane and iced up seepage teases your fear response.

There is no finer way to travel than a motorbike on one of the worlds greatest twisters, there is no finer view than the rising sun lifting itself and its low light across stoned walled dales and barns and there is no finer experience at 7:30am than the feeling of pleasure at the thought that you are going to work amongst these dales, that this is beautiful and that you never take it for granted - aaaah joy!

END:

3:00pm at work - the day is warm the light is golden and the gritstone beckons. A full day of sat behind a computer, several relentless months of keyboard presses and there is no excuse - go get at it.

I was not alone.

No less than three other photographers, cameras, tripods and digital flash cards were mingling amongst the bouldering boys at the Stanage Plantation, the object of their papping was a cluster of 8a monsters all having a crack at Mr Fawcett's edge of fame - 'Careless Torque'. Cool. There is nothing to compare to grit on a day like this, blue skies, autumnal colours and golden light.

Tarmac and grit - unlikely bed fellows but it's love none the less.

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