All my birthday wishes came true.

Cozy inside my bed my alarm at 4.30, shrill, shakes me from my sleep. Today is going to be a great day. Fruit, water, pack and out the door by 5.30 ish.

City lights make it feel like day but the road winds its way up to and past the Alhambra Palace. Then into the darkness I’m so pleased I organised my dynamo light thank you Christian at Cycle Cycles for sorting this. The route is followable on my Garmin but off road things are more complicated.

This is my view, path selection is not easy

I am now on the Badlands Route, most is off road and these 40⁰c temperatures ain’t in my favour. The early mornings are a must. I feel no embaressement or shame about getting off and pushing. A few times I look to see how far I have gone, its so slow and hard going.

For the last few months i have been riding with Glasgow Green Cycle Club i unfortunately have to inform you, off road touring is so much harder than road riding. But i would not feel as good as i do if i hadnt been riding with the club.

I took a little tumble at 2km/h luckily nothing broken or bent.

I was just coasting from path to road, at the transition what i thought was a smooth bit of concrete was actually a dip, deeper than i could handle. I took a tatical dismount, the bike crashed onto the road and i just ran across the road. But when i picked up the bike the chain had moved to the small sprocket of the cassette. And much as i tried i could not get it to budge, none of the levers would change it. I was particularly frustrated, and worried. It seems the chain had shifted into the small cog while the internals thought it was in the big cog, i did some jiggery pokery and it all came together.

I rode out of the town full of water/fruit and pizza. But its all up and after an hour or 2 i got to the camp site i had been aiming for. But it was closed so i cycled on. Eventually stopping by the side of the road. It was 1.30 and just too hot to carry on. I lay in the dirt and ate more fruit.

90 mins later. I rode the last 2.5kms to the top 1800meters high

Look at those views worth ever second of the torturous climb. The down was mostly off road twisting and turning with the mountains.

I found a spot in a field about 150meters from the road. It’s relatively sheltered. The temperature is still up in the high 30s. I’m loath to put up my tent till dusk despite the seclusion, it’s just a cautions thing.