Suitcase.

34°C, very hot, wind has dropped. No cloud.
Your immune system is like airport security. If they find the slightest irregularity in your baggage, then they empty out your suitcase without a second’s thought.
That’s how my night has been. Maybe it was something I ate, or more likely – drank. I did stop by a roadside hut for fruit on the bike. The peaches were lovely, blood red and all juice. But what if the guy who served me hadn’t washed his hands?
In this heat, every drink stop is vital. At Montmaggiore, there is a standpipe by the main church. But, was it clean? I had to drink, no choice.

Corsica ride 2.

I rode BTwin with MapMyRide+! Distance: 31.74mi, time: 02:44:56, pace: 5:12min/mi, speed: 11.55mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1092923395
100times better.: enough breakfast, water and before the full heat of the day. Also, with a little fiddling with the gear adjuster screws, the bike offered all gear ratios. No need to feel the shame from getting off and walking the steepest hills. The lowest ratio is 32x 28, just right for this mountainous island.

BTwin in Corsica:1

I rode BTwin with MapMyRide+! Distance: 22.68mi, time: 02:05:10, pace: 5:31min/mi, speed: 10.87mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1091448741
Tough ride, tougher than it should have been, even considering the steep hills and tremendous heat.
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Oh, and the very strong wind.
I felt terrible, maybe because I had too little breakfast. Also, this bike only has one bottle cage, so dehydration was a serious problem. In a few hours ride, I drank four bottles of water.
The return route was over familiar ground, but surfaces were rough.
The funniest bit was the flock of sheep being herded across the road. They were funny looking things, skinny legs and a very narrow snout. One was limping badly.

A conclusion in Wales.

16°C, woke to rain, brighter by lunch.
It’s a shame to pack the tent away wet. Once decamped, a visit to Caffi Gwynant is the obvious thing to do.
As I have discussed here before,  I have a fascination for the Migneint. It’s a plateau (which was the centre of an ice sheet in glacial times). A rolling area of grasslands cut by meandering rivers. Last June, I checked out the start of a walk to the bothy near Arenig Fach.
The route started tricky, but is easy to navigate later. Strangely, the marked footpath deviates from the track on the map, but nothing was apparent on the ground. Simply walk along the track then!

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This a fairly high altitude area, though it doesn’t look like that while there. These hills are between 400-500m, as high as the ridge I used for the last wild-camp. One clue was the fresh, cooler air.

The bothy was fairly typical, perhaps a little rougher than others. There was a newspaper from the 5th June on the table. The place was dirty and had few sleeping areas. Outside, the sides obviously used it for shelter although the door was well barricaded against them.
Not a very inviting place to stay, I’d prefer a tent. However, if you want a bad weather shelter, or you’re travelling light, this could be a solution. I would clean the place first thought.

Descend from Yr Aran.

16°C, strong W, clouds from 600m.
Be warm and comfortable, those bits I got right. What spoilt my night’s sleep was the roar from the wind. At fairly regular intervals, the gusts would shake and whip the tarp. Awake at midnight, I pondered over- we’re a month away from mid-summer and it’s surprising how long light lingers, there was still a faint milky glow at midnight.
By morning, the weather was the same, so decamp.
The route: head west along the ridge and find am unnamed reentrant that forms a valley  through complex moraines. Then ago to pass a disused quarry and mine. The only problem here was finding a wall crossing; the tall stone wall followed contours regardless of how steep. The walls were very tall, and not a flaw, gate or stile was to be seen.
In the end, I’m sorry to say, I climbed over. I chose a shorter section with a smaller drop on the other side. It worked, without even a pebble dislodged.

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The quarry offered a good place to filter water and quench my thirst.
These places can be horrifying, especially those mine entrances. This one was just as ominous as any, dark into its endless throat. Inside was flooded from torrents dripping from above. There must be all posts of life forms in there, but it’s no place for human. Out of the derelict buildings was an easy path snaking towards Beddgelert, visible in the valley.
By the time I got to the bottom and the lake itself, my energy faded. Later I decided that on this trip, I hadn’t taken enough food.
Thoughts of a food stop at the excellent Caffi Gwynant drove me on.
Then I got there, the first thing that I noticed was the closed sign.

In conclusion: next time, take more food and ear plugs.

Under a tarp.

11°C, brisk W. Just below cloud base.
Searched for hours for somewhere to bed down. Now I’m on the Bwlch between Yr Aran and an unnamed hill to the east. Altitude about 500m. Inside the bivvy is warm and the tarp is flapping noisily in the wind. This was the most still pocket of air I could find.
The forecast suggests low chance of rain.
It’s a pity the tarp is such a bright green. I prefer something better camouflaged. It’s great to be able to peep out and see the mountains. There has been nobody on this side of Snowdon all day. Unless you want to count a noisy twin rotor military helicopter.

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The Stone wall makes for a good wind break.

Snowdon, arrived.

17°C, Clear with light W.
Betws-y-Coed: used my DofE discount card to buy some kit. Firstly, an expedition rucksack. After trying on many, I got the Lowe Alpine 65 litre. It seemed to fit the best. Next, a Rab bivvy bag. I’m looking forward to trying that one out. It’s quite roomy inside, I know because I climbed inside it tonight in the safely of my tent. The length is 7ft which should mean it puts no pressure on the sleeping bag thus reducing its warmth.
Walk up some of the Watkins path. Set off at 20.00 and got up to the 400m amounts at the quarry beyond the Gladstone Rock. Snowdon was all quiet and peaceful, barely anybody was seen. The natural beauty of this place was all there, plain to see.

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Watkins Path.

This time of year, there is not any real need for lights, even at 10pm, but to be on the safe side, I did. This is not the time to stumble.

Caught in kite tails

22°C with a brisk SW. I’m bright sunshine.
I rode Racelite-8 with MapMyRide+! Distance: 58.20mi, time: 03:52:32, pace: 4:00min/mi, speed: 15.02mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1069477853

Sunday Ride to Bosworth Water Park. As I coasted in, a guy with kids held into their kite. The tails were long enough to get caught in my rear cassette. No tempers were frayed however. I tore the tail off because is was thick with oil and didn’t want any to get on the kids’ clothes.
I probably say this every year, but this bike is so comfortable on long rides, and reasonably quick too.

Hiking season.

Very dry spring into summer this year.
To come: planning some trips to have some adventures and to build up my Dlog. I want to take the Hill and Moorland assessment early. Work wants me to do so too. For them, they can cut the cost of Silver and Gold award DofE. Currently, only the middle-class kids can afford them.

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Loch Assynt

To broaden my horizon:
Wild camp in a bivvy,
Night walk,
Better my journey time ETA,
Get some more kit- bivvy bag, lighter roll mat, 65 litre rucksack, and a few little things. Finally, use the tarp.

I will aim to get assessed in October so our centre is ready for next season. We only need one qualified out of the six staff. It’s easier for me since home circumstances don’t prevent getting more Quality Mountain Days.