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Showing posts from June, 2009

Time to Mull it over June 05 - 07

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This was an ambitious trip for a week end. Two nights on the Ross of Mull including the circumnavigation of Iona. The double sea kayak that Kath and h have ordered had not arrived in time so we took three singles instead. Despite the seemingly ever constant wind these days we were not dissappointed. We caught the evening ferry from Oban. The weather was cold and windy. Once on Mull we had a thirty seven mile drive on single track roads before arriving at the camp site some time after midnight. When dawn broke the view from the tent was just stunning. Kath, the team photographer was in her element. It was too windy to paddle around Iona so we did the tourist bit first by paddling up the coast to Fionnphort. This is where the ferry leaves to take the tourists across The Sound of Iona. The wind was blowing force 4 -5 but we managed to rock hop our way along the coast before heading across the Sound to Iona arriving just after the ferry. We then changed into normal clothes and had a look a

Five rides in a week

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Whitsun half term saw us of to the Lakes for a week. We were taking the motorhome so I had to leave the boat behind and take the bike. My injured neck appears to be on the mend thanks to the Ashtanga Yoga so it was a chance to get some of my lost fitness back. We stayed on a really nice quiet and small site at Newbiggin near Penrith. Tuesday evening I was sent into Penrith to collect a chinese. That was ride number one, 3.5 miles down hill with the wind behind me. A nice ride back, 3.5 miles uphill with a head wind. Ride number two was far more interesting. We rode from Croglin on the eastern fringe of the Lakes (famous for its vampire apparently. After a short road section we climbed up on to the fells. The riding was mainly on stoned bridleways covered with a thin layer of grass - biking heaven. There was even a river crossing. The fells are quite exposed with good views north to Scotland over The Solway Firth. We finished two hours later at Castle Carrick after a sweet bit of bridle