Lon Las Cymru - Solo lightweight camping tour across Wales - Sat 15th-Mon 17th August 2020

I finally summoned up the courage to go on a mini tour on my own last weekend. The forecast wasn't too bad, as we know forecasts are subject to change.

Over 2 and a bit days my goal was to try and test myself on 2x200km days (one to be a DIY 200km audax to restart my 2nd RRtY halted in March due to Covid) with Monday spare to get to Bangor and a train home. To ride and explore more I have to be able to be self sufficient.

My plan was the Sustrans Lon Las Cymru route across Wales starting from home early Saturday (south Bristol) through Chepstow via the Old Severn Bridge, up Gospel Pass then Elan Valley/Rhayader climbing up to the remote Clywedog Forest/Reservoir to wild camp the first night after 205km. Sunday was the long climb and magnificent descent to Machynlleth and out to the coast to loop up to Barmouth, Harlech and Porthmadog then looping through Snowdonia/Pen y Pass (and hopefully a campsite) before a dash to Bangor on Monday morning for a train home. #WalesNeverFails 

The original plan:

It was wild and brilliant and challenging and pretty tough and an awful lot of Type II fun was had in the pretty atrocious rain and as soon as it was over I vowed I would do more solo multi day rides. On Saturday evening I had been in the middle of a gravel track in the remote Elan Valley with hardly any water. Water was all around me in swampy streams, but there were sheep everywhere so it was not safe to drink a drop. I was supposed to be through Rhayader for supplies and up to Clwedog and I had no idea if I could find somewhere out of sight enough and suitable to camp. I was never going to cycle again then.

I did get some water, and found a (not ideal) camp spot and survived. It left me with too much for Sunday so I dropped back my ambition to just the original Lon Las route to Bangor without a side trip through Pen y Pass.

The weather was pretty horrific, I was soaked before I was out of Bristol and over the bridge, having left home at 6.30am on Saturday.

After a very brief outside café/Co Op stop in Usk it was dry for Gospel Pass the easier way from Abergavenney but I thought it was harder than from Hay, I was carrying a tent, sleeping bag, sleep mat and a stove on my lighter weight set up, but the steepest bit is right at the top of the easier way. I have conquered Gospel from Hay a fair few times but up from Aber was a first, and once past Hay I was onto unknown roads for me until I was through Machynlleth.  I made it up Gospel with no walking though...

..and the descent to Hay on Wye was fantastic.

I got a bit lost in Builth Wells and eventually found the river path out of town. Once past the canoeing centres it got much more remote and I climbed up to the Elan Valley, a dozen trials bikes buzzed me descending. A while later they passed me again, fewer of them but ascending in the same direction and they disappeared again. I paused to eat something and then found the route turned into a gravel greenway. 

Nothing too technical and I carefully made my way along until I rounded a corner and found the bikes parked ahead of me with their engines off the other side of a closed gate. It was a shock, I did not know what to do, if I turned around I imagined the rest of them closing me off. The parked ones all started their engines and one by one carried on along the Greenway, gouging it up. I waited until it was silent. I had no choice but to continue through the gate and just hope they were trying to find space to illicitly gather and have a smoke and I was the inconvenience not a target. 

I walked to avoid falling or being knocked off if being a target was my fate. I also knew I had run out of time to make camp near Clywedog that night, and I had very little water left. Eventually I came to tarmac again, I could hear a few motor bikes in the distance accelerating up the main road the other side of the valley, I was fairly certain I was OK now. Another routing mistake (walking round a field looking for a track 50 m too early) and eventually I trundled into Rhayader and found a Spar and bought the all important water and another meal deal. I had to move quickly as I was committed to the main road, suspecting the route I was supposed to be on was more off road by the river that would slow up progress and I needed to get away from town (and water) to find somewhere to camp. The road was hideous, so fast and steep sided but I noticed a left turn signposted for Route 8 to the river and took it. I managed to find a field where the hay had been cut and ducked behind the hedge. It was dusk and once I was off my bike realised I was shaking. I had not eaten enough in hours and bolted a sandwich before putting the tent up and crawling in utterly relieved. Things improve after a night's sleep but randomly 3 tractors shot past and started hay making in the adjacent fields as I was drifting off at 10pm. I was so sure I was going to be rumbled but they finished around midnight and I was left in peace. The farmers knew what they were doing, the rain started up soon after.

It was very wet on Saturday night and I had a soaking heavy tent to stow Sunday morning, and rejoined the route by the Wye. I was totally alone in the brooding and very wet Clywedog Forest but I was very happy, it was stunningly remote but a hard working forest, cloud swirling around before an emotion releasing descent ramping into the long steady satisfying climb preceding the most swooping <out of this world> descent ever on a smooth road to Machynlleth (and it's Co op for yet another meal deal and a take away coffee.) The descent and the hot coffee were out of my world. Finally it stopped raining. As Ian Walker says in his excellent book "Endless Perfect Circles" (about his own world record breaking ride across Europe) "it never always gets worse." I had kept that mantra in my head the night before and it was true. 

The weather wasn't everything. The foodie highlight was fish and chips in Barmouth mid afternoon on Sunday (my only hot meal in 3 days) with balmy weather to eat them on a bench in surreal crowds. The coastal loop into Barmouth I had ridden before, it's just delightful as you hit the coast and turn north and then alongside the rickety wooden railway bridge practically touching the train. Jaw dropping vistas of moody sea and sky. The anticipation of the fish and chips, as I was back on known territory to Barmouth.

Brutal hills to Harlech followed straight after Barmouth and brake pad screaming descents too, the scenery was outstanding. Minute lanes, sheep, waterfalls and hillsides and very many gates. 

Gates are a pain with a loaded bike on your own, everyone needs a gate butler. I never did master a slick technique.

It took me 2 hours to find somewhere to camp out of sight accessible and dry enough on Sunday night, but I found a just acceptable spot hidden behind a wall as it got to dusk again.  I had to lift my bike over a gate, paddle through liquid sheep poo and share with sheep. The tent was still soaking and I did not dare light my stove to warm some dahl through (in case of discovery) so ate more mini pork pies (I maxed out calories on 4 meal deals in total!)  and slept very badly as the rain hammered down. The rain drowned out the munching sheep who always surround a tent to keep the occupant awake with their very loud chewing. My new tent kept the rain out (Alpkit Soloist) but condensation was a problem.

My plan for Monday, post tea and a packet latte, I'm getting better at this, was to get to Bangor preferably for a morning train. The weather forecast was drizzle until 9 then supposedly dry but it was biblically wet from the outset and never let up, I was fairly wet getting out of the tent, soaked through by the time the tent was packed. Away by 7.30 and chasing down a pretty good bike path to Caernarfon and a respite from hills, but many more gates.

Given the standing water everywhere it was a relief the surface was good. Caernarfon Castle rose bleakly out of the murk and I got extremely lost trying to get out of town but avoiding the fast crazy road to Bangor that all ways led to, I could not see my Garmin at all in the solid rain, glasses long since discarded. All the little social distancing signs are blue like the Sustrans signs which doesn't help. 

I discarded my carefully transported litter into a near empty bin after this photo, never a full one. Ashamed I'd had to buy water in plastic and not recycled.

David Lloyd George needs to come back and take control I think, he was looking a tad damp but still authoritative.

Eventually I found the Morrisons at the start of the path to Bangor but the dropped kerb at the sign to the path from the car park was not dropped, I found this out as I flew through the air backwards onto my well padded bum whilst yanking my right knee badly as it detached from the pedal. I landed with an almighty splash as the car park was flooded and the water was up to kerb level, hence why I didn't realise it wasn't dropped until too late.

Thank goodness no one saw me and I was so wet anyway it didn't matter, I hobbled the last 15km to Bangor, my knee was searing agony so I put no weight through it and stayed unclipped on my heel, I didn't nip across Menai Bridge as planned, I was more keen on making the 11am train (next Trains for Wales one was 3,  routed via Hereford, being half the price of others routed via Birmingham), which I did. I was anxious I'd not be able to buy a ticket as technically a bike ride across Wales in foul weather is not "essential travel" but I do have a disabled railcard and I am a key worker so I was hoping I wouldn't get turned away, and might have begged if need be. Turns out essential travel only for public transport had been dropped in Wales on that Monday morning and the whole of North Wales was going shopping in Chester, or so it seemed. I dashed to Morrisons for a final meal deal for the train and was back just in time. I dripped, shivered, put on a dry long sleeve merino over my wet short sleeve base layer and then my puffa jacket on top and dry leg warmers. I stank, there was no problem people keeping their distance from me! Most of the shoppers got on after me.

I managed to limp home, with my right heel on the pedal, from Bristol Temple Meads after standing holding my bike on the two trains from Shrewsbury. It had been dry the whole way, my hair had finally dried, puffa jacket stowed, I turned into my village and the heavens opened again, I was totally drenched in the last 5 minutes. I squelched through the front door, very fitting. Apparently I smelt like wet tent.

I did it, on my own. I survived, I evolved plans, I'll do similar again. This was a bit of a try out for something else.... if my knee heals in time. Long distance endurance cycling takes us back to the basics of a working body, eating, resting and avoiding danger. Life revolves around surviving and you tend to forget everything else. Yes I could have a pep talk from a friend as I had a mobile, access to internet, a Garmin to navigate which makes everything a lot easier, but basically it's you vs the elements and topography. As much a mental game as a physical one and I was stretched to the limits on both. The feeling of euphoria (for a very minor expedition compared to others) is still with me. I imagine others get high on drinking/drugs/gambling/closing a deal etc which do nothing for me, but then my career has been abject failure. I get high on reaching a goal and the stunning wildness of the outdoors, it's all very primitive. In some ways I get even more out of it when the weather is dramatic. Nearly everyone I know thinks I'm bonkers, because yes I get a ton out of stretching myself. I don't have to put myself through it but I do.

Thank you Wales.

#WalesNeverFails #Type2Fun

Day 1 Lon Las Cymru Sat 187km 2583m 

Day 2 Lon Las Cymru Sun 147km 2139m 

Day 3 Lon Las Cymru Mon 44km 263m 

378km 4985m

PS Co Op/Morrisons beat Spar meal deals hands down.

Wells, Mells and Old Rail Trail 100km Audax Saturday 11th March 2017

This year Audax Club Bristol, aka ACB, are organising some new Great Western Randonnées showcasing the West Country. The first one is Wells Mells and Old Rail Trail 100km with 1.5 AAA points for climbing. My entry was in back in January and I saw it as a lovely day out after the tough test of Gospel Pass Audax last weekend. A walk in the park. A stretch of the legs. Only 100km. OK there are some hills lumps in there. Also the small matter of 15km each way to start and finish.

Painting of St Alfred's Monument (by local artist hanging in Red Lion Pub, Kilmington) Pic Russ F

For various reasons I mapped my route on Ride with GPS at nearly midnight on Saturday night, I find my Garmin works better at route finding if I trace any provided routes, so I am far less likely to get lost, and breaking into sections means I know where the controls are. Flipping heck we're going as far south as Dorset and into Wiltshire. This is the official route:


Stage 1 Whitchurch to Wells 26km 347m

I managed to leave home by 8 as planned, slightly concerned about finding the cycle path on the new Bristol South Link Road. The signposted gate was open from Festival Way near Ashton Gate at the cow crossing place, and other than negotiating a couple of farm gates, as the route is also for cows to get to their fields, it was all quite straightforward. A nice wide separate cycle path, steady climb, far easier than the haul through Ashton Gate and Hartcliffe Way. Not too much urban sprawl after this bit 15km done and we haven't started yet. I am having problems with my gearing again, stuck in the small ring, not a big deal would be a none starter today if I were stuck in the big ring again.

I've arranged to meet Lynette and Pete at Whitehall Garden Centre where the start and finish controls are. The normal routine of picking up the control card, a little self seal bag to put it in and greeting fellow audaxers from BRCC (Russ, Julian, Lynette, Pete, Robert and Yann) and other familiar faces from previous audax.  The Weston Wheelers were out again. It is lovely to feel part of the audax "club" now. Everyone is open and friendly and not at all cliquey like some cycling sportives and events. Everyone is respected for turning up and taking part, never mind what gear or how fast you are. Lots of encouragement, and mechanical help if needed from fellow "daxers."

We're all under way at 9, it's nice to be out of thermal trousers and wearing shorts and leg/arm warmers today although it is overcast. We are lucky with the weather, no rain today.

The first ten kilometres are quite sociable as we head south to the familiar territory of Chew Magna and down the west side of Chew Valley lake. Familiarity means you know the first serious test of the day, West Harptree Hill and I am deliberately plodding. I know from experience that trying to push anything early on is a disaster for me, it takes me hours to warm up to my best.

Thankfully up West Harptree with no walking and it's a pleasant yomp across the top of the Mendips before the sharp drop down to Wells. It's Saturday market day but with plenty of other riders about and the Garmin working well, there were no worries about getting lost, just temptations to stop at the lovely varied stalls as we were walking in the throngs. I find the Love Coffee stand in the market melee. Coffees purchased and consumed, and a gold star sticker in my control card. Hang on, the guy says everyone was getting one, I thought I was extra special! Time 10.30

Love Coffee on Market Day in Wells Pic Pete H

 Stage 2 Wells to Kilmington 33km 534m

Now we are going out of familiar territory. We walk through the Bishop's Palace by Wells cathedral and pick up the bike path through the town city in a south easterly direction. Lovely lanes but we skirt Shepton Mallet and push on to Bruton with Redlynch being our most southerly point, racking up some more stiff climbs, and we turn north easterly towards King Alfred's Tower.

King Alfred's Tower Stourhead

Some cheery soul (ACB organiser!) had chalked encouragement on the road, mentioning something like gradients of 15%, "come on audaxers you can do it."It's a very tough climb, and a fair few cars and riders on the lane.I bottled at the nasty final kick and managed to walk up. Heroic Lynette cycled the lot. What a great spot, but flipping Alfred did get a few swear words flung his way. A pause for group congratulations, picture taking, chat, admiring of scenery and gulping water and bananas.

Yann Pete and Lynette at the top of that blooming steep hill

Lynette and Pete posing

King Alfred'd Tower

Pete Lynette and I, we made it half way round. Pic Pete H

We were relieved to coast down to the Red Lion Pub at Kilmington, nearly missing it. Pete was having such fun up front he shot off and ignored two women hollering his name, for some unknown reason! The pub looked very nice, the food looked good but unfortunately so many people were ordering we thought we could wait a very long time. A fossil stamp on our control cards, more cereal bars and bananas. I have not been able to shift onto my big front ring all day, Yann kindly has a go at fixing it, but diagnoses something like grit jamming in my internal tubing (ohh err missus) and we leave it as being stuck on granny ring all day is not a problem today! It was a bad move to wash all that Welsh mud off Doris yesterday. A group decision was made to push on to Mells Café. Time 13.05

Stage 3 Kilmington to Mells 19km 222m

Woo hoo, swoopy downhill bit. Well for 1/2 a mile. What a lovely part of the country. We wound our way up a steady climb and then a nice easy run into Mells, past Nunney Castle. Our cunning plan worked well as we had left many people, who had arrived at the pub ahead of us, in the pub waiting for food, and the lovely community run Mells Café attached to the Post Office and village shop, had empty tables and only a couple of others waiting. Get in.

Soup, sandwich and a huge pot of tea was perfect. I had got to the stage of needing real food, bananas, nuts and Nakd bars were not doing it for me now. The soup was spinach and purslane. I have never come across purslane before, but full of omega 3 and combined with spinach, meant Popeye and Olive Oyl had a very healthy lunch. I loved it! Not so sure of Pete's opinion mind. Yann kindly let me steal some of his leaves for my cheese sandwich, perfect!

Mells Café Spinach and purslane soup as green as green can be.

Lynette

Yann enjoying his panini and 'leaves'

Back outside and the Weston Wheelers rolled in , we had jumped ahead at the pub,

Weston Wheelers joined BRCC

There is even a bike pump at Mells café. Stop here if you are in the area and support a worthy community enterprise because it's a great shop and café! Time 14.30

Stage 4 Mells to Whitchurch 26km 392m


Not far now, but the last stage was lovely but quite punishing. We were glad to have eaten. This is the section incorporating the "Old Rail Trail" aka Colliers Way Route 24 of Sustrans National Cycle Network. What a find! I had no idea this off route trail was here, not that far from us, and unlike the Strawberry Line the surface is smooth tarmac and not grit. It was also downhill the whole way. We were careful as plenty of groups, families and dog walkers also out enjoying the traffic free path. It will connect up to the Bath Two Tunnels route, if it doesn't already.

After that came the last 3 1/2 hills. A good test of the legs and I failed again at the top of the last one. Legs and lungs on strike. Oh well, not too much shame.

The last few kilometres back to the Final Control at the start in Whitchurch. We beat the Weston Wheelers again by being cunning, not that audax are races or anything. Lynette beat me in the final sprint, grr. That was tougher than Gospel Pass audax last weekend!

The garden centre staff were now packing up. All those people who have spent the day garden centre visiting and gardening, how knackering. I'd far rather do what we did. Tremendous day.

Our final congratulatory stamp on our cards, we thanked Will and the fabulous team for organising and manning controls, Wells and Mells audax 2017 DONE! Time 16.55

Wells and Mells and Old Rail Trail Brevet card complete with motivational stickers and stamps.

Lynette and I rode back home together in the drizzle, well to my house, she did an extra 10km on top again. Ride w GPS indicated 1300m climbing, we did 1900m! A well lumpy day over 130km.


Postscript - The Sunday Recovery Ride

There is this theory about recovery rides, to stretch out after a long ride. I am not so sure. I had decided I was going to do half the BRCC Sunday Club run the day after the audax, as Steve was playing golf anyway. I was seeing it more as muti-day training. After all we rode day after day after day of hilly riding in Scotland last summer, and I need to get fitter, stronger and faster. It took 5 miles warm up to get my knee to rotate properly again.

I load up an amended route and as I am awake head off out to Backwell at 8 to meet the BRCC crew. Lynette turns up on foot, declaring that I am crazy, but Julian is there, he did audax plus extra to make 100 miles yesterday and is doing the full hilly route today. Julian is a machine!

After buying more bananas, and sharing them out as I couldn't carry a whole bag, off we set, at a leisurely pace for the others and a lick for me. 25km chasing round the Yatton flatlands.

The test is Burrington Coombe. Off they all shot, I set a record, for my slowest ascent ever. My right (replaced) knee is very swollen and sore and I have burning legs. I said goodbye to the others heading off to Wookey Hub café, and looped off round from Charterhouse and descended down West Harptree Hill (reversing yesterday's route) to Chew Stoke. I had meant to reward myself with coffee and cake at New Manor Farm cafe on the eastern shore of Chew Valley lake, but in my haste I shot down the west side and couldn't face going round. Not even for cake. That is two cycling weekends on the trot I have not eaten cake. Heroic or what? My legs were not co operating so I went the fastest way home, the drag up to Winford was painful and slow. Last whizz down to Barrow Gurney and along the shocking state of Wild Country Lane and home. Pleased I went out, but not sure I achieved any extra fitness nor recovery! I spent the afternoon in the bath recovering properly.

190km and over 2000m climbing this weekend. not too shabby. I did 66.6% of BRCC ride in terms of distance, height climbed and speed of the others!