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Showing posts from June, 2011

Coast 2 Coast - Black Mountains Training

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I have signed myself up for a Coast 2 Coast  24 hour challenge over the weekend of 2/3 July 2011. This is 136 miles non stop so I went out and bought one of these. The purpose of the challenge is to try and raise a bit of sponsorship to enable us to purchase some bikes for a kids mountain bike club at a school near Carlisle. I have been working hard on my training, this is the log of my final ride. The Vale of Ewyas is a stunning place to cycle. It cuts right through the Black Mountains from north west to south east. The ascent from the Talgarth to the Gospel Pass was interesting but the view from the top just south of Twmpa (Lord Herefords Knob) was spectacular and almost a 360. This was a training ride so I did not take many pictures. I shall have to go back for a leisure ride which will do a blog justice. There are many places to see in this hidden valley such as Capel y ffin and the monastery at Llanthony. This is the view from Gospel Pass. More details on Coast 2 C

Dunvegan to Stein

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Towards the north end of Skye is Loch Dunvegan and at the head of the loch lies the village of Dunvegan from which the loch takes its name. The village provides the focal point for the north west of Skye. It has shops hotels and an excellent campsite situated right on the shore of the loch. This was our base for the night. This trip is another from the classic book 'Scottish Sea Kayaking' by Doug Cooper and George Reid.      We were treated to a typical Skye sunset. The time to launch from the campsite is at high water. At low water the beach comprises rocks and sea weed. We decided to launch from small beach just north of the castle. This gave us fine views across to Macleods Tables (see previous blog post) We were paddling one way so we had to run the shuttle first. The castle is the ancestoral home of the Chiefs of the Clan Macleods and parts of the castle pre date the 12 century. We launched in sight of the seal boats who run da

Summer Isles Overnight

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The Summer Isles The Summer Isles is a group of about 20 islands, rocks and skerries that sit off the Coigach peninsula. You can walk to the closest, Isle Ristol, with its long white sandy beach, on the lower tides; the furthest, Eilean a Chleirich (Priest Island), lies some 6 miles from shore. Home to seals, otters and seabirds, the islands also offer fresh grazing for local crofters to summer their sheep. The largest, Tanera Mhor is some 800 acres (300 ha) and is the only one of the islands permanently inhabited. Tanera Mhor was the centre of a thriving herring fishing industry in the 18th century, and many centuries before that its sheltered harbour was home to Vikings. It was the Vikings who named the island Tanera, a name later given the Gaelic addition of Mhor ('big') to distinguish it from its neighbour Tanera Beag ('small' Tanera). A trip to the Summer Isles is a popular excursion for visitors to Achiltibuie, and a local cruise boat takes passengers on a magnif