We searched all the weather forecasts to see when Storm Ali would arrive. Sure enough he arrived - with headwinds and driving rain, before we had barely cycled 15 miles. Leaving the Queen Mum’s old pile at the Castle of Mey the heavens opened, and by the time we reached John O’Groats we were well and truly soaked. Still it was a well deserved elevenses before venturing out for the obligatory photo-call at the very windswept JOG signpost.
Replanning was needed. Mike opted to be cycle courier for the afternoon, fetching and carrying bikes and riders from Wick to our Helmsdale guesthouse over 30 miles away. Dave and Ged battled into a ferocious headwind for 12 miles before being blown off the road by 55mph blasts and having to be being rescued by Mike. If this is regular Scottish autumn weather we all look forward to a Wayfarers English winter. Chichester must have been a doddle!
Once the wood-burning stove at the hostel was fired-up we began to feel normal again Bob Dylan’s ’ Blowin in the Wind’ was obviously the most requested track on Mike’s playlist that night.
55 miles in the most testing conditions was Storm Ali’s best attempt to unseat NC500 Wayfarers. We were up to it.
~Ged
No comments:
Post a Comment