Well the weather was kind. Five of us started and four finished. Not a bad average for this event. We set off around half-six on Saturday from Poole. The first section, up to the Wylye Valley via the New Forest, is straightforward and fairly easy. Then comes a slightly lumpier route through Dorset to Charmouth and up-and-down (including Peek Hill) to Exmouth. By this time we'd lost one our number with a dodgy freewheel, and another (on fixed) was struggling, going slowly, and advised us to go on without him.
We turned north and headed in darkness over the hills - Woodbury, Hembury and the Blackdowns - to Taunton Deane, then on up and over Cheddar Gorge only to lose our way as daylight broke. A bit of combined mapwork and GPS fiddling got us back on track. On we went through the outskirts of Bristol and then through steep lanes to Malmesbury.
Serious hills next, near Bradford on Avon as we headed for Nunney Catch. Then a roller coaster of steep descents and even steeper climbs on mostly narrow lanes full of grit and grass. This eased off and the final run back into Poole took us through the Tarrant valley to Wimborne and then easy, if busy, main roads to the finish.
Our friend on fixed, having repeatedly told us he might pack, but then repeatly catching us at controls, finished some twenty minutes ahead of us, and in time to catch his train.
An excellent route - it brought back memories.
