Having started the thread, may as well bung a few pics up anyway. Had a desperately wet, knackering, awful few days – so will obviously be back next time
.Arrived a day early at Caersws station and rode over Clywedog dam with "Uncle Tony":
Overload on choc and bikkies at Staylittle Stores. Just like on “Crackerjack” (under-50s ignore that reference) we take great delight in receiving our free “Staylittle Stores” biros – the highlight of my day! - then past Dylife and around to Glaslyn and Foel Fadian:
Partook of a “last meal of the condemned man” in Number 21 in Mach – quite pricey, but it WAS my last meal ever – after bumping, literally, into Rhod Gilbert in the main street. Of course, it’s the Comedy Festival! Shame I missed Arthur Smith – great guy. "Comedy Festival" - a title which could equally apply to the next few days on our bikes. Kipped out at Dolgadfan in sub-zero temperatures (frozen tarp again), then off up to BB Towers by 9.30am. Thanks Chew for arranging the LHC, during which Scott, Rich, Mike, Nick and myself got hitched; it turned out to be a great little team, thanks guys!
Ours was the one pub / 3 cafes / 1 chip shop team. The cafe in Mach late afternoon had to be told how to make hot chocolate which was bizarre, as was a totally chocolate-free cappuccino (yeah, we’re trendy too) despite asking for “lots of choc on top”. Ten minutes later, cappuccino finished, serving lady comes out with the choc shaker! Ask her to pour it on my hand instead and lick it all off (ME not her!!)
Took the off-road Happy Valley route which was well named:
On down to Tywyn and the rudest chippie ever – brilliant. “What do you want?”. Just chips. Not happy when we said we were sharing one bag. Other guys order – “well why didn’t you order TOGETHER?”. Decide we want some water bottles. “Well I’ve got to go back to the fridge now haven’t I?”. Cracking fun. Note vicious seagull waiting to pounce:
Managed to arrive at Arthog Woods “Bikepacking City” by 8.30pm, found the last spot amongst the trees and set up. Honoured to meet both Taylor AND IanB AND SteveMorg who arrived just afterwards
. Obviously Ian was on a mission and soon left.Rain started at 8am so we headed down to Davy Jones Locker in Barmouth for a nice proper brekkie, then a gentle toddle up the Mawddach Trail. I know, amateurs eh? Disaster! Roberts Cafe closed! On a bank holiday???? Strange way to run a business but there you go. Stock up with chewy bars (no not Chew’s bars!) for the purgatory of the climb over to Corris, the reward of course being the fire road down the other side during which several of us reached warp speed and started to blur into the surroundings.
A great meal in Tafarn Dwynant in Ceinws, then a very wet night on a bog during which someone swapped my bike for something eminently more suitable:
Foggy, Compo and Clegg contentedly survey the scene near Melinbyrhedin:
Then back to the finish in time for the ace cakes and tea.
THANK YOU STUART AND DEE AND CHEW FOR A GREAT TIME!
“Reg”
BUT, back to the original point, how do I escape from, or deal with, The Twilight Zone?!
virtual cuddles all day keeping me away from owt abrasive ..............
