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!

Tour d'Ecosse Day 12 Armadale to Ardnamurchan Wednesday 13th July 2016

Tour d'Ecosse Day 12 Armadale to Ardnamurchan 98km 1900m ascent
Cumulative: 988km 12626m ascent Ferries 10 Islands 14 Bridge 1

Finally, a Highland Coo or two.

No more of these wishy washy taking it easy "rest" days. Back to bumpy lumps today.

Before we whizz back down to Armadale we say good bye to the horses in the field next to Flora Macdonalds Hostel, we left by 7.45 to catch the 8.30 to Armadale - Mallaig Cal Mac.It's been a few days since our last ferry, this is Ferry #10. We buy another Hopscotch ticket, this time Hopscotch #7 for the princely sum of £8.90 each for three ferries on Skye and Mull today and tomorrow.

Horses at Armadale's Flora McDonnald Hostel

The Skye to Mallaig ferry was uneventful, and thankfully I was feeling fine today. Today there were a lot of sharp ascents, starting in Mallaig. The first few miles were along the A830 aka "The Road to the Isles" from Fort William to Mallaig. It wasn't very pleasant with traffic, even though it was light we were not used to whizzy cars and lorries and were relieved to turn off at Lochailort onto country bumpkin roads again, even if a side trip to our old haunts in the Glencoe area and cycling across Rannoch Moor would have been appealing. Another time. We were much happier. Back to our own private roads with the odd local friendly van, car or tractor/quad bike. It's not raining!

Loch Ailort

Ardnamurchan geology

Loch Ailort

We came across a great looking community shop and cafe in Glenuig, at the start of another ruddy great long hill! As is the norm in the Highlands the opening hours were limited, and seemed to alternate afternoons and mornings. Of course Wednesday was an afternoon day, and it was well and truly morning. We're good at hitting closing time. so a quick diversion to the pub in the village for a coffee, and again it wasn't open until midday. No coffees before the big slog up Glenuig Hill. Steve has commented that I'm cruel taking pictures of him expiring at the top of hills so I am just taking descending pics today...

The whizz down the big hill that was Glenuig Hill

We were in our stride and just beginning to get peckish after another serious climb and descent we came across a restaurant utterly in the middle of nowhere just after Dalnabrek. Mingarry Park is a recently modernised resto with rooms near Acharacle.  Home made soup and a roll and a panoramic view of the hills, a great place for lunch and it looked a lovely place to stay too.

Watching a stag from our lunch table

We watched a stag whilst we ate.

It was very fortunate we had found a good substantial lunch as the hills kept on coming at us, In fact this was our hilliest day of the whole tour, nearly 2000m in total said Strava, although Ride with GPS had said only 1500m when planning. It got a bit warmer and the sun peeked out as we passed through Acharacle, yet another sharp hill before flying down into Salen.

Oh my goodness never come here, it's stunning. Very hilly but the ride along Loch Sunart is jaw dropping. It may have helped that the weather has improved and I took my arm warmers off this afternoon. Just look. It was one of those days that got better and better and better.

Loch Sunart

Steve had stayed in the Salen area in a cottage for a childhood holiday and it was coming back to him although he couldn't remember exactly where he had stayed. We went up and down, round the headlands, watching the odd boat in Loch Sunart with Mull in the distance. The biggest hill of the day is yet to come. We brace ourselves coming through Glenbeg. We're going on up again. Another alpine style climb contouring Ben Hiant.

Delightfully named Loch Mudle

But this was our reward. Spectacular views towards Mull and only 10km to go, mostly downhill.

At last...the descent to Kilchoan

which was fast

and fun, and we deserved it!

Nearly there. Kilchoan bound.

The usual faffing around finding our B&B in Kilchoan, another one we booked through Sawdays and we had high hopes for and boy we were not disappointed. We had made a couple of phone calls during the day to change our time for dinner, as we were eating in. So convinced it would be well gone 7 before arriving it was in fact just 4.30pm. We had made good time and immediately got a ribbing from David, the owner, who met us effusively and said we obviously had not done enough miles and perhaps we would like to visit the famous Ardnamurchan lighthouse before afternoon tea! Meall Mo Chridhe is a gorgeous ochre farmhouse on a small holding, up the last steep pull of the day that I gallantly did not walk up. David and Stella have done an amazing job converting and modernising their farmhouse, and kept the smallholding running alongside the top notch but homely B&B and finally I got to see lots of highland coos or cows. I already knew I never wanted to leave and we hadn't been inside yet.

Meall Mo Chridhe view from the drawing room

This is David and Stella's home, the drawing room is their living room, lined with hundreds of climbing, history and cookery books and David reckons there are only a handful of days a year he doesn't lay a fire. All guests love a fire, and it was lit later on even though it was a fine day! After making sure our bikes were safely under cover in the trailer, and a shower, we were spoilt with tea and cake (not advertised as being included so even nicer a surprise) and Stella obligingly shifted dinner back to an earlier time. Nothing is too much trouble for these two. Stella used to run her own catering company in the Midlands, and she is an astounding cook.

Lord of the manor...not! 

We had booked the cheaper attic quarters, with no view but still with our own shower room, incredible value for money. The room was lovely, charmingly a grown child's room, with bookshelves like our own daughters at home and a raised bed under the eaves, but the price difference nearly paid for dinner and we slept like logs. The main B&B rooms were stunning, and I would come back to one of these tomorrow for several days to explore properly. Staying in a stunning BnB in Kilchoan opposite Tobermory on Mull. Drop dead gorgeous.

Over the sea to Mull

Stella cooked a superb dinner, her take on a tagine. Wine is BYO, and David had even nipped to the local shop as it was going to be closed if we had been any later. What service. After dinner we walked around the farm, up the little knoll at the back to the ruined chapel and graveyard.

View from Kilchoan towards Mull, nearly 10pm

Ardnamurchan late July evening

Meall Mo Chridhe

A highland Cow at last!

Lots and lots of inquisitive Highland Coos and calves

Who are you?

Rusty Coos

This is the last coo pic honest!

We enjoyed the view for the rest of the evening, and had a sobering discussion with a lovely couple from Glasgow who had eaten in the village but were staying for 3 days, and now wish they'd eaten in for all three nights. We are still shocked and in mourning for the disastrous shock that is Brexit, been trying to forget about all the ramifications. nobody we know or meet can understand it. Why? We didn't let it spoil our stay and after lots of travel, exploration and mountain chat, and overheating in front of David's enthusiastic fire, we retire for a very good night's sleep in the raised bed under the eaves. We're still disagreeing as to the best day. I think today was it. The best day of our Tour d'Ecosse so far.

Nearly 11pm Meall Mo Chridhe

Touring Tips in Scotland

1 Open your eyes.

2 Drink it all in.

3 What goes up must come down again, eventually!


 

Tour d'Ecosse quick links:

Planning
Day 1 Isle of Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre
Day 2 Inner Hebrides: Isles of Islay and Jura
Day 3 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Jura-Tayvallich to Oban
Day 4 Oban to Outer Hebrides: Barra and Vatersay
Day 5 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Barra Eriskay South Uist Benbecula Grimsay North Uist Beneray and Harris
Day 6 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Harris and Lewis to Callanish Stones
Day 7 Outer Hebrides: Butt of Ness to Stornoway and Ullapool
Day 8 Ullapool to Gairloch
Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula
Day 10 Bealach na Bà from Applecross to Plockton
Day 11 Plockton to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale
Day 12 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale to Ardnamurchan
Day 13 Ardnamurchan to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull to Oban to Loch Melfort
Day 14 Loch Melfort to Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Day 15 Tarbert Loch Fyne to Ardrossan THE END!

Tour d'Ecosse Day 11 Plockton to Armadale - Isle of Skye Tuesday 12th July 2016

Tour d'Ecosse Day 11 Plockton to Armadale - Isle of Skye 51km 638m ascent
Cumulative: 890km 10726m ascent Ferries 9 Islands 14 Bridge 1

The Skye Bridge

After Bealach na Ba yesterday, it's just a short trip to Skye today, that should be easy. A rest day really.

The Original Skye Boat Song

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward! the sailors cry
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar
Thunderclaps rend the air
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore
Follow they will not dare

We last visited Skye, in the Inner Hebrides, in May 1989. I remember the date as we were expecting our first daughter in the November and we finally climbed Inaccessible Pinnacle, or more fondly In Pin, in the Black Cuillins, on a Bank Holiday weekend when 4 months pregnant. We had had several failed attempts the week we were in Glenbrittle on honeymoon in 1988, when the Cuillin ridge had been shrouded the entire week. We abseiled off the top in a blizzard. Our friends had a dog and I think they thought I'd stay with the dog and wimp out of the climb, um no. We definitely had to wait for the ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin then.

We're not planning much on Skye this trip as it seems the roads are pretty busy and it's more of a mountaineering island than a cycling island. Well really there just wasn't time to do everything.

Black Cuillins

This was our other scheduled short/rest day (Vatersay was the other) after the exertions of the last 3 days especially. My stomach doesn't feel good, I have to stop before we get out of Plockton. We plod along to Kyle of Lochalsh, I'm not keeping up with Steve but great views towards Skye and the Cuillins.

Cuillin Ridge, Skye.

We weave along the coast towards Kyle in very dull and drizzly weather.

Plockton and Kyle Free Church

Before reaching Kyle of Lochalsh proper we stopped at the grottiest of grotty shops to try and buy something for dinner, we turned the corner and ran into a huge Co-Op...that never used to be there either! Thank goodness, bought some light food that I thought I may be able to stomach. Today I was not feeling the love and just wanted to get it done. It was midday already and only 10km under our belts. Today we are not cyclists.

Lochalsh Hotel and Skye Bridge

The Skye bridge was infamous for being the most expensive toll mile in the whole of Europe. Opened in 1994, the toll was £11.40. After serious local revolt, and prison for some, the toll was abolished in 2004. Since 2008 tolls on all bridges in Scotland have been abolished. We flog over the bridge in the traffic towards Broadfoot and take a hanger left towards Sleat, Skye's southern peninsular. It's quite bleak moorland, and it didn't feel flat like the map contours said. it was nice and quiet though.

Heading from Broadfoot towards Sleat

I was making a right dog's dinner of today. It genuinely felt every kilometre was hard fought, there was a stiff headwind. It dried up enough to wander down to the shore of Loch nan Dubhrachan (isn't Stava wonderful for looking up places on your route?) Wander was more of a 'bog trot' trying to avoid wet feet. We huddled on a tussock for a while and I ate my Co op falafel salad hoping it would settle my stomach. I knew I had to eat something otherwise I would flake even more! I think a small snooze may have ensued. it really was a hard day to motivate ourselves.

We roused ourselves and pushed on to Armadale, our destination. Past the Clan McDonald Centre where after seeing very few cars there were suddenly coach loads of tourists. We're not tourists of course, ha ha! We flew down into Armadale and turned towards the pier. I really thought we would either do a loop of Sleat peninsular or push on to Aird of Sleat and back at least to extend our day. We didn't want to. So we didn't.

Cal Mac steaming into Armadale from Mallaig

It was dry enough to sit outside, the sun peeped through very briefly. Steve pretended he was on holiday and had his first (and only) ice cream! I had a latte and shivered. Just not me at all!

Coffee and ice cream at Armadale pier

The Flora Macdonald Hostel was not in Armadale, we had passed the turn 5km before ...aggh. Another sodding hill. But that was nothing. we turned off the road towards the hostel and the track ramped up and up, no wonder, it says 22% at one point. Yes we walked that bit and eventually found our hostel. It was (almost) worth it. Great setting and it was relatively early, about 4.30pm. We had our own bunk room again, sharing a kitchen with two other rooms. Elderly hostellers we are. A spot of bike maintenance, and the day's lycra washed and blowing in the breeze rather than festering in front of convector heaters. Large mugs of tea. What a lovely view towards the mainland. Tonight we had fresh tortellini and tomato sauce with a packet of grated parmesan. Never did instant co op food taste so good, well I could eat it and not feel ill. Knitting may have happened! It was a very good hostel.

Bike maintenance

View from Flora Macdonald Hostel near Armadale

A totally gratuitous shot of Doris (my bike) enjoying the flowers

Weather watching

Rest day ha ha...I made a right hash of that. I think we're feeling the last three days eventhough nothing aches.

Don't scroll further....

My stupid burnt legs

Today I rode in shorts, but I didn't have any suncream on (I always put factor 50 on when riding in shorts, even in the rain). It was overcast and 16 degress max. The sun was shining briefly later on. I burnt, and I was quite sore in the evening. Just as well my legs are revolting at the best of times.

So a belly ache and burnt legs day. Again we were incredibly lucky that illness struck on a day when it could be coped with. Tomorrow is another big day to the mythical Ardnamurchan peninsular. Not sure at the moment if I can do it.



Touring Tips in Scotland

1 Listen to your body, and always wear Factor 50.

2 The most awful of climbs nearly always results in a view to drink in. What a reward.

3 Tomorrow is another day.

Tour d'Ecosse quick links:

Planning
Day 1 Isle of Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre
Day 2 Inner Hebrides: Isles of Islay and Jura
Day 3 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Jura-Tayvallich to Oban
Day 4 Oban to Outer Hebrides: Barra and Vatersay
Day 5 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Barra Eriskay South Uist Benbecula Grimsay North Uist Beneray and Harris
Day 6 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Harris and Lewis to Callanish Stones
Day 7 Outer Hebrides: Butt of Ness to Stornoway and Ullapool
Day 8 Ullapool to Gairloch
Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula
Day 10 Bealach na Bà from Applecross to Plockton
Day 11 Plockton to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale
Day 12 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale to Ardnamurchan
Day 13 Ardnamurchan to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull to Oban to Loch Melfort
Day 14 Loch Melfort to Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Day 15 Tarbert Loch Fyne to Ardrossan THE END!