In a tranquil valley below, Phil, Simon and Ryan where making swift progress despite the driving rain that swept the valley. They reached Malin Head for 12.45pm and enjoyed the final push up to the castle and assorted shelters that some heartless Joker had decided to position at the top of a ruddy big hill. The rain was horrendous the winds gale force of the sea and there was a cold wait until Dave The Van and his beleagured parrot arrived to rescue them.
Meanwhile back in a small village 15 miles away, the Scandanavian party had met up with the hill ramblers and they were sharing stories of their treck through the Irish wilderness whilst they dried their clothes and defrosted their appendages. It would be some time before they too found there way to Malin Head but find it they did. All done. Mizen Head to Malin Head. 7 days 4 provinces, 390 well earnt miles and thousands for the British Heart Foundation
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Muff
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Day 7 - Part 1
An easy 35 miles to finish off the tour...or was it? Dark clouds and sheets of rain followed the group from the outset as the river Foyle led them towards the Malin peninsula. The group soon split when Ryan got a puncture, a fateful event that was to prove very fortunate for the young hero and his helpers Phil and Simon. Ahead Mark had formed a Scandanavian group on his own and the middle ground was occupied by Elliot, Jonny, Chris and his trusty GPS device that ensured he always stayed on route. Even if the route was wrong. Even if the route was very wrong. Even if the route took them over the top of a mountain on a sheep track full of boulders. Even if the track meant they had to dismantle a barbed wire fence in order to continue on it. At the top of the mountain it was cold and gales whistled through the barren landscape, littered with dead sheep and strewn with the bones of deceased cyclists who had naively ventured on to the mountains without a GPS system. The boys dismounted and weaved their bikes through the boulder field for the next mile and a half. Closer to Hypothermia than Malin Head. Meanwhile on the newly tarmaced R234 Phil, Ryan and Simon where enjoying the level terrain and marvelled at the majesty of the storm crested mountains that encircled them for mile after mile as they cruised though the valley bed. Somewhere North of all this the Great Dane had decided to create his own route through the less frequently traversed Northern glacier. It was after all a more picturesque route and despite being 20 miles longer it offered beautiful views of the valley bed, some 830 feet below!
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Saturday, 30 June 2012
Day 6
We heard on the news that Whitley Bay was under water and it was no different in Enniskillen as the lads emerged with thick heads from a nights beer mat flipping in the town. Rain was torrential and stayed that way until lunch as we climbed in to the pine forested hills around Castlederg. We passed a local farmer who bid us good morning and added "yer fken mad you lads, fken mad". We had some sympathy for his position. Lunch of Irish stew and a hot drink was enough to get us on our way again. We heeded the advice of Mr O'Brien the Bantry photocopy man and avoided the main busy road from Strabane to Derry. The pace was brisk as we flicked in and out of Northern Ireland and The Republic. Derry and the river Foye that we'd follow to the tip of Ireland were soon in sight and as it was Dave "The Van's" night of entertainment, it had to be GoKarting but there were rumours that The Stig was in town!
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Friday, 29 June 2012
Pugilists!
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Tour Bus Ornaments
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