WRT pics if anyones interested

[RIP]

Aye, Golden Sands chippie sounds bucolic doesn't it? But it's a bit like the waymarks - we can't divulge . Oh go on then, Tywyn. Hey DPM, it was you then that nearly got taken out by the seagull! Good to meet you guys. That was excellent entertainment that place wasn't it? We've only shown people the "external shot" so far. Here's one taken inside:



"Reg"

[DPM]

Hi Reg, yep that was us. As well as surviving the WRT hail storm start, the 'your too late for food' cafe in Mach, the Traditional Tywyn Chippy 'Hospitality', we then had to face up to the flock of chip hungry giant sized gulls (not to mention a gaggle of LHC riders ).

Not sure I needed that reminder of the inside of the chippy - still it did have a 5 star hygiene rating.......!!!!

Your photos are fab. Great to meet you guys too - you had us chuckling all the way to our bivvy in Dol that night

[Pickers]

the 'your too late for food' cafe in Mach

You went to the wrong cafe then, we really (especially Reg) liked the cafe that we visited. A couple of outstanding points spring to mind.

[frogatthefarriers]

I'll share my interesting experience where I was saved by my Swiss Army penknife.

Riding South from Bwlch-y-Groes I turned off at Nant-yr-Onog on to a permissive path. A horrible path, as it happens, with deep rutted mud and wind-blown branches between deep banks. In short, a push. I breathed a sigh of relief when it passed into some forestry and flattened out. Not for long though, because the trees had been knocked down across the track meaning I had to climb the very steep bank to get around them.


It doesn't look steep in the photo but the only way to do it was to first get a firm footing, then push the bike up a foot or so, apply the rear brake and then repeat. Going down and around was not an option because of the 20-30ft drop into a rocky valley with a river in it. So having got above, I could see another tree-jam and another after that, but unless I could detour much much higher I was still stuck because the bank had slipped leaving a deep, steep, loose valley to get down then back up again. I got back down to the track could see that the trunks had bridged across leaving a gap below, but this was closed by branches wedged into the ground.



Sorry about the picture but the camera lens was steamed up. What looks like a field above the obvious trunk is another, bigger tree trunk. Nowt else for it but to bring out the SAK and start sawing, eventually making a hole big enough to drag the bike through on its side. Phew!



I had to do this twice, but then it became possible to get down to the river and wade upstream for a hundred yards or so before pushing up another, this time soggy boggy mossy steep bank to a track. The sun had come out by this time and when, after a couple of hundred yards or so I took off my waterproofs, I thought I'd left my phone down there somewhere. "There's no way I'm going back down there" I thought, "I'll just have to buy a new phone". Then I remembered I'd put it in another pocket.

So all this faffing about took me at least an hour to get 200 yards. Type Two fun this,and no mistake.

[Ian]

I started off along that track from Nant yr Onog and became suspicious when I got to two sheep hurdles tied firmly across the track. I couldn't really see the track getting any better, so backtracked to the road and continued down to where you take the steep bridleway up from Glanllynmawr. A good decision by the looks of it

[ericrobo]

Here's a few:
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

and:
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

After that first long climb
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

and no more photos from me until Saturday night then Monday morning...
Saturday night camp - how NOT to put up your fancy tarp ! (I do need some lessons including not having the entrance into the wind... I was tired, hungry, and just wanted to lie down...
That's Mark - he also decided facing into the wind would keep the midge away !
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

well camouflaged :
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

a bit of snow on top:
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

all five of us
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

I think I joined the wrong team ! Being so used to riding on my own at my own pace with a bit less weight, I did feel a bit of pressure and am not used to so much road, though I must say it was through good country and no traffic to speak of.
(mind you I am a pensioner of more than a year or two too !)

Anyway having inspected many bikes with Wildcat Lion handlebar bags on, one of my first jobs when I got back was to order ! And an Exped 13litre superlight dry bag...

So thanks to the team with putting up with me (and waiting on the climbs (and weren't there some !) but hopefully not very long... Thanks to Chew for organising the route, and a big thank you to Stuart and Dee for all the effort they put in.

After loads of rain on the Monday morning we finally got a bit of dry...

Everybody's happy now ! (even me ! ) Sun's out and all downhill to BB Towers
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Anybody know this man's real name ?
image by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

[Chew]

Pleasure to have you along Eric. If I can ride like you when I'm your age I'll be chuffed.

Would have loved to have had a more gentle pace and have completed the original route. Hopefully the weather will be kinder next time.

[Zippy]

Does anyone have any pics of the start I could have?

Found some time (I have some paint drying), here's a couple from the start. Might even have an album on flickr by the end of the day!

P1040836.JPG

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P1040835.JPG

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p.s. have you got weigh-in results?

[Zippy]

Might even have an album on flickr by the end of the day!

https://flic.kr/s/aHskwaZimy

Highlights include:

Special people, luxury bothie (marquee) and some bog yomping!


WRT 2016 - special people by Chris Reeves, on Flickr


WRT 2016 - Luxury bothie by Chris Reeves, on Flickr


WRT 2016 - bog by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

[Mike]

good pics Zippy