map reading

Day 4: Sanford Peverall to Yatton

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 62
Terrain: Hills – very challenging

We got back onto the canal in the morning to ride northwards. Unfortunately, the pathway was not asphalt and with our steel bikes loaded down with all our gear, we soon had enough of bumping over the uneven ground.

We crossed under the M5 and over towards Glastonbury. From our uncomfortable lunch spot on the recently harvested hillside, we could see the tower in Glastonbury and the looming Mendips in the distance.

We stopped for some sugary energy just shy of an enormous hill, which turned out to be a good thing as the ride up was intense. It took well over 30 minutes of hard climbing to get over the hill. On the other side, we managed to get lost, always a pain when you are tired.

Mary had called ahead and organised for us to stay with Andrew, a family friend based in Yatton. Andrew was a true gent and looked after us well. I am pretty sure we stank when we rolled up as he mentioned that we should launder our cycle gear almost instantly.

This has to be one of the biggest hassles about cycling and camping. Although we wanted to wild camp, you really need a shower at the end of the day, especially if the weather is as warm as it was. You also have to wash your clothes to avoid crutch rot. So, the luxury of being able to both wash and dry our clothes was a real bonus. Otherwise, we were constantly cycling with all our wet clothes tied to the bike bags, looking like a mobile Chinese laundry.

Day 3: Launceston to Sanford Peverall

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 59
Terrain: Hills – some tough hills

We were waylaid in the morning in the local cycle shop as the guys bought some gloves to help with the handlebar sores. The ride out of Launceston was a long, continual climb that certainly had us all in a sweat.

From here we passed into Devon and Dartmoor. Although we got slightly lost and ended up on an A road for a while, the day was most pleasant, albeit fairly hard cycling. The hills of Dartmoor were something I had worried about prior to the trip. As it turned out, they were indeed formidable but the views were stunning.

Lunch was in Crediton, after the most severe hill. I think we were all knackered. From here, we took the main road north towards Tiverton. Unfortunately, this is a road of virtually continuous climbing. When we made it to the crest of the hill, Pete and I cracked our bikes into top gear and cycled like made buggers. I managed to hit 37mph and Pete almost made 40mph.

From there on in to Tiverton, we all lost our mojo a little. After finding some supplies for the evening, we were directed along the Great Western Canal. This had been specifically updated to allow cyclists and pedestrians along it. It was stunning, with the setting sun to our left and the canal to our immediate right.

At the end of the track, some 8 miles from Tiverton, was Sanford Peverall camping ground, an extremely pleasant campsite, certainly better than the dodgy room in Launceston.

Day 2: Perran Porth to Launceston

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 57
Terrain: Hills – challenging

Another fantastic day of sunshine for us, which considering the crappy weather we had had the previous week, was a blessing. We made our way from Perran Porth, up and out of the coastal town and along the north coastline.

We stopped for lunch at Padstow, a really pretty seaside port, festooned with about a zillion holidaying tourists. We were warned in the fish and chip shop where we purchased our food to watch out for the seagulls, which tended to dive bomb people’s lunches, aiming to grab some tasty swag. As it turned out, this was handy advice as we saw other folk being hassled by the crafty birds.

After lunch, we wheeled our bikes down to the beach, via a series of step stairs. Unfortunately, this reset Mary’s bike computer to zero and did some damage to Pete’s as well. From the beach, we waiting patiently in line for the ferry to collect us and take us to the other side of the channel, to a small enclave called Rock.

The ride from the coast to Bodmin Moor was unremarkable. However, Bodmin Moor itself was incredible; definitely one of the highlights of the trip. There, we started a long decline that saw us almost all the way to the outskirts of Launceston. We bumped into a local cyclist who kindly escorted us to the town centre and helped us find digs for the night.

Launceston itself is not so bad but the hostel we stayed in was pretty rough, especially after the two lovely campsites we had stayed at the previous nights. That said, we had an enormous supper and the guys began their campaign to try and get me drunk each night.

Day 1: Lands End to Perran Porth

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 53
Terrain: Hills – very challenging

The first day of the cycle ride was quite challenging. We bought breakfast from the natty van with fresh produce pulled into the campsite. After gorging sufficiently, it was time for us to head down to Lands End for the obligatory photos and signing of the register. Alas, we had to wait until10am for the people who own the sign post to turn up, after which, our register signing mojo had been duly sapped as we were keen to get on our way.

The day was glorious and the sunshine ferocious. By the time we made it to St Ives for lunch, it was in the late twenties. As we were in Cornwall, it made sense for us to try the local delicacies of the region, namely a pasty. Fan-bloody-tastic!

Back on the road and we all plugged into our iPods to bliss out on some fine tunes. The landscape became ever more challenging as the north Cornish coastline undulated, dropped down dramatically to greet the sea, then rising sharply towards the heavens thereafter.

Mary had been concerned that Pete and I would zoom off, so she became the official pace setter for the journey, as well as the map reader. This turned out to be one of our finer decisions as both Pete and i are rubbish at orienteering.