A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

Daily Stats

Distance: 109kms

Elevation: 1903m

Time: 5hours 58mins

Accumulated distance: 802kms

Daily Disasters: None really.

Last night it was cold and I wore my longjohns and my long sleeve top and puffa jacket, and socks. I know the full complement. Brett will be chuffed as he’s always wagging his finger at me for not taking enough clothes

Retracing my ride yesterday out of the valley I was hit by 3 pitches way too steep for me to ride up. Head down small steps. I was heaving when I got to the top.

But after a small descent then it was up again to 1054 meter pass.

Then up and down to Barrea. So georgeous

Eventually I rode over a 1500m pass, it was colder up there and spitting with intermittent rain. I rotated my Albion UL micro jacket and my rain jacket. And over the top there was a beech forest. Mioooow so good.

And a 1 min video of the beech forrest

There is unfortunately a blurry 5 mins video of my 500m descent, one handed in the wet. But it will never see the light of day.

Some time just after the descent it started to rain hard I had prejudge and already had the Gore Shakedry on. Everything is wet, inside the Shakedry from sweat the rest from rain. Luckily at the reduced altitude the temper was ok. I thought I would have been frozen. The jacket does hold out the wind.

I had earmarked a campsite, but I was extremely dubious if it would be open. But I had a bookings.com backup. I was riding hard through the rain, the road was flatish and the views destroyed by rain, cloud and mist. Also I was pretty sure the campsite did a siesta close. So I was working hard.

The route to the campsite was off my general route and I didn’t want to get lost. But the rain was dotting on my Garmin and changing pages automatically, stopping any ability to design a route to the campsite. Eventually I stopped under a balcony searched out an old tissue dried the Garmin screen and my hand and finally got it locked in.

Of course the final 5kms were uphill. I took my time. I was already knackered.

Finally I got to the campsite. The lady said go in and relax. I bought 2 packets of chrisps and 2 croissants and stuffed them for lunch.

Then showered.

I hope this this is where she meant.