Part 1 and part 2

There is something quite magical about cycling into the dawn. Slowly the edge of the world lights up, the stars begin to fade and the lights of the towns in the valleys diminish.

I was climbing quite a lot off road and glad I had a full suspension bike. I met and knew other riders who had brought ‘gravel bikes’ and were complaining vociferously about the discomfort and difficulties they were experiencing. I made it over the climb and down into Pigna.

A message had come through on the WhatsApp alert that someone had their bike stolen in Pigna during the night! It made me wary as I went into the patisserie and ordered a coffee. I tried to order a croissant, a pain aux chocolat, but they were clean out of them. A horde of cycling locusts had descended before me and swiped the lot! I settled for a slice of blueberry pie 🙂

Leaving Pigna I wan’t sure what happened but thought it best to restart the route on my Garmin which is why there are two records for the day. the beginning of ultra brain? That fogginess and muddled decision making?

I was back onto a climb up to the Salt Road.

https://www.altaviadelsale.com/eng/upper-salt-road

We had warnings of heavy rain coming our way from about noon. I expected rain but did not expect the torrent of water the sky unleashed! There had been lightning and thunder preceding its arrival. I don’t know if it is valid but I was told, when young, that the gap between the lightning and thunder gave an estimate of how far away it was. If that is true then the closest it got was 3 miles (a 3 second gap). It still felt threatening.

The rain started. I donned my wet weather gear which turned out to be excellent. A 7 Mesh Skypilot Jacket and Thunderpants. The rain was torrential and heavy and unrelenting.

I made slow but steady progress but began to wonder if it would be advisable to cycle on as the refuge I was aiming for was some 4-5hours away. Then I came round corner and saw a refuge with a number of bike stacked around the walls. I pulled over and walked in to find Jo, Haico, and Martin grinning and welcoming me as they had been following my dot up the mountain. The decision was made. I was going stay there for the rest of the afternoon and night and set off early the next morning.

The main room was crowded and full of clothes drying and devices being charged. After a hot shower I ate some potatoes and later a dinner of terrine and lasagne. In retrospect maybe that was why I had such a good day the next day. It was hugely sociable. We were all in a dorm full of bunk beds (and snoring).

The rain was incessant and suddenly Stuart appeared in the Refuge. He had lost his wallet and passport on the track. Apparently he met some Italians in 4x4s going down the track and asked them to look out for it. They found it and handed it into the Refuge before driving back up and letting him know. So he came all the way back from the top of the climb, in the rain, then turned round and set off up the track again! I found out later he bivvied in one of the deserted buildings beside the track. I couldn’t have done that! Oh, and he was on a gravel bike!! His adventures on this race became legendary.

I climbed into my sleeping bag and drifted off.