Well first I have to say that before I started out this morning, I was as close as I think I've ever come to packing it all in, ringing for rescue and just going home. I was seriously dreaming of home comforts, was fed up of the rain and another wild night didn't help. I do wonder this unusually foul weather is part of the hurricane affecting North America.
I think last night was the worst this trip, mainly down to the very high winds that pulled my little tent around in all directions, and also the rain which was extremely heavy at times - even allowing for the fact that it always sounds worse in a tent. I must have got some sleep, but it didn't feel like it, and all I could think about was tomorrow's stage, over the Black Mountain - the very name gives one pause. So I looked out at the campsite at 6:30, with the trees bent over in the wind, the flag pole waving about and the rain driving across in waves and thought: I'm going out in THAT?
It took all my resources to get packed up and on the road, but my reasoning was that it would take half a day to get to me so at least I could give it an hour or so and see how things went. I certainly wasn't prepared to stay at the campsite!
So with all waterproofs on, I went into the darkness of 7am - it really was dark, more like October than September. Saw a man walking his dog and we said hello with those ' aren't we idiots to be out in this' faces.
It was hilly again right from the off, and the roads were covered with smashed up leaves, twigs, cones and fruits. How little birds like sparrows got through a night like that, I don't know. All the streams were overflowing and the rivers thick with dirty reddish brown mud.
Took advice from Andy on the route and cut over the mountain from Trap to Pont Aber, passing the distant ruins of Carreg castle on the hill. Then more hills - tried to keep pedalling through the rain - and then a cattle grid and suddenly I was on moorland, among sheep. I like moorland and this helped lift the spirits.
Crossed the other cattle grid and was now in the Brecon Beacons National Park and in wood land. My route was on tracks, but given the conditions, I stayed on the road.
Had a few problems with my route to Brecon and ended up crossing the A40 to Trallong - another hill - and got into Brecon on the B road.
And that was the worst of it done. It had stopped raining, so I found an outside cafe where I could have lunch before pushing on.
Took bike route 8 out of town, the Taff trail, which starts by going along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. How good to have some flat going for once.
Hit the B4558 to Pencelli to Crickhowell. Talybont on Usk was very pretty with everything a traveller needs; shop, cash point, campsite and B&B.
Made the 8 miles to Crickhowell in very good time and then had a last bit of the Black Mountain ( over Sugar Loaf) to contend with. The steep long drags uphill were one thing, but route finding another; as usual my route had given out on the GPS, so I had to work out which way to go the old fashioned way. And Pandy proved a difficult and elusive place to get to. After the GPS ( on ' find next town' mode) ordered me to do a U turn at each end of the same bit of road I gave up and took an unmade steep rough farm track that went in the right direction, which involved a deep and muddy puddle. I think that was the first time I realised that my feet had actually managed to dry out during the course of the day.
Anyway made it, thanks be to God, and just two days left now, as I'm now on the English border. Still hoping to push on and finish on Thursday. But now Wales is done, I think the hardest bit is over.
Cracking perseverance grommet!
ReplyDelete