Easter holidays part two:
My plan this year is to do more leave-after-lunch-home-by-lunch overnight mini adventures. My second one of these during my Easter holidays was going to be the reservoir, with or without the comfort of some dumped sofa, then up and over the black mountains down to Talgarth. With the weather forecast though including a weather warning for blizzards and nasty wind chill, I decided to leave that one for some other balmy summer night, and having read the news this afternoon I'm glad I did,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56647156, long way for my dad to come get me
My relaxed 2pm start time had already moved to 3pm, and in my head I was already working out various shortcuts to a 100k local loop I have made up and which I fancied trying. As I rolled down the hill from my house, I thought that the brakes weren't feeling quite as sharp as they ought to... I figured I'd been a bit too generous with the after wash spray maybe, and that I'd be fine as long as I go gently.... After a few miles of mostly climbing, I came to a gentle but longer downhill, and at some stage realized that the brakes really were NOT going to hold.... a little moment of panic and realizing how much I take it for granted that when I pull those levers I can always stop
. With no levelling off in sight, I panicked a little more, then spotted a right turn coming up, all little lanes thank goodness... I was going way too fast but just went for it, hoping I might make it, or otherwise that would be as nice a place to crash as any
I made it, the road rose to make me slow down, and I celebrated by eating my last cream egg
IMG_20210405_164952_877 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
A slow return home, walking all the downhills, which was most of the way. Flicked the kettle on, more out of habit than anything, quick swap of the bike, and at five I was off again, coffee in thermos mug in my pannier bag. I pulled into a nice little spot to enjoy the view, sunshine, and drink my coffee (honestly, not at all because I was struggling with the hill
). About a minute later, a couple of dirt bikes followed by a car came racing down the hill at break neck speed. Coffee might literally have been my life saver there...
IMG_20210405_173650 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Not sure if you can see this, but in the distance is a field completely planted up with daffodils (the farmer has been asked to do this I think for some scientific experiment I believe)
IMG_20210405_185621 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
For the night, I decided to go proper soft (it's meant to be fun after all), and avail myself of a top secret glorified shed, kitted out with a proper bed, full size gas camping cooker, bioethanol fire inside and one of those gas bottle log stoves outside (all done before glamping was a thing and everyone had a shepherds hut...), and which I had pre-filled with yummy food and drink (hence the large glass bottle of beer), not to mention a double size winter duvet of many, many togs, with fleecy covers, which as I said before I think is generally daft, but very very (p)lush for camping. There's no phone signal there (bliss!!!), but I wanted to toast Stu's birthday, so I took a little walk to the nearest hill, armed with some beer in my thermos mug. As soon as I had signal, I huddled next to a stone wall, but even so, after 5 minutes or so I was proper cold (hadn't brought any extra clothes on account of that duvet), my fingers wouldn't work, the touchscreen wouldn't work, and I felt rather pissed! So I half jogged back just to try and warm up, and a cozy evening followed with some good warm food and a great nights sleep.
It had been cold in the night, as confirmed by frost outside in the morning, my drinking water container inside the shed having ice in it, and my olive oil spray having gone solid
. After a good breakfast of porridge, coffee (non snobby nescafe 3-in-1), and fried left over sausages, I set off again on a non direct route home along quiet lanes.
I liked this one - the "MuckMaster"
IMG_20210406_090859 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
A brief encounter with the BB200 route near Llanfihangel Nant Bran, I'm sure (
) those of you who did it recognise it instantly
IMG_20210406_092238 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
A dusting of snow on the hills
IMG_20210406_092439 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Any idea what this could be?
IMG_20210406_093809 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
And then some snow came in
IMG_20210406_101835 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
20210404_143239 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
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20210404_120407 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20210404_120524 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20210404_120650 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20210404_123110 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
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20210404_125515 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20210404_134124 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
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20210404_135830 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20210404_140603 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
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. Coffee in 60 seconds! Fabulous 
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