Pamplona to Estella
10th September 2011
TheThe day started well as I rode out of Pamplona, the city was starting to wake and the shop keepers were just starting their Saturday trade I headed out of the city to the Alto del Perdon mountain or translated it means “The height of sorry”. It was a climb of 780 metres over 12 kilometres and at 930 am the temperature was rising. At the top was a fantastic view of La Rioja with all its vineyards ahead. Sitting next to me was a couple who wanted to take a picture by the statues on the top of the mountain but unfortunately there batteries had died in there camera, they asked me if I had spares but I said no but if you give them to me I will try to recharge them. They looked at me strangely gave me the batteries to which I placed them in my hands with the tin foil from my malt loaf after a little while I gave them back and to their amazement it worked and I took their picture. They were so grateful they gave me a Canadian badge to put on my hat and said that they would subscribe to my blog; once again malt loaf saves the day.
It was all going fine until 14km from Estella the temperature was now 37 deg. and I had drank all my water, the path got worse and I was having to carry my bike most of the time, hill after hill after hill there seemed no end and on more than one occasion I nearly gave up. After 8 hours I arrived exhausted in Estella and downed 2 Litres of wate, all in all I drank 11 Litres of water that day. I thought to myself that I could not do another 15 of these and so I went back to the campsite almost beaten.
After a couple of hours I came round and tried to understand why or how people do this, I had seen other bikes come and go but no one else carrying them. After some research I found out that there was a route for cyclist separate from walkers and I had been on the walkers trail all the time carrying my bike on my back, A mixture of relief and what a muppet came in to my head but it has rejuvenated me for the ride tomorrow.
Click the link below to watch today’s video
Dave
ReplyDeleteJust been catching up on the blog....fantastic stuff, although i did have to laugh when i read you had been on the walkers path...did you think you cycle past a few more pubs on that route??
Scenery looks great...hope your enjoying the views, and when those hills are getting tough, think of Phils words of motivation from spin "come on guys it could be worse, you could be down a mine!!"
Looking forward to the next update
Lisa - That girl from the Warwickshire!!
Well Dave, thanks for the tip on charging batteries. I seem to learn much from your blog but the lesson seems to be the same. Keep on giving.
ReplyDeleteHope the weather cools off a bit for you. It has over here. Today it is only 29 degrees-cool by Spanish standards.
Promise, the next time we meet, I will offer you something other than a liter of water!
Cheers from Carcassonne!