I'm at home this evening so though I'd make a boring post about my progress.

Sunday (Hot Challenge): Hopped in Martin's van and headed to Vernham Dean for Test Valley "Hot Challenge". And it was so hot we just rode the 30km-ish route (more like 35). The longer climbs were chore for Martin on his big Kona, but we both really enjoyed caning the bikes through Collingbourne Woods. It's such a nice, chilled event too. Sunbathing and drinks on the lawn before heading home.

Monday (Snowdon): Awful drive to Snowdonia via M5 but a beautiful evening to attempt a thus thwarted ambition ride Snowdon. I rode up to the gate and waited patiently until 5pm to set off.

I was surprised and a bit gaspy at how much was ridable. I kept hopping off for the sections of bigger step-ups, but managed the majority of it until the pitched "staircase" leading to the railway arch which I had to push. I tried the steep, slaty track after that until I nearly passed out! Had to sit for a bit and push much of the way to the "finger". [traditional pic of bike on a post; but what a post!]

The last section up to the summit needed a bit of pushing/lifting in places but I was rather pleased to arrive at around 7:05pm, and the light and views were just fab. A friendly rambler took a pic of me.

Being on my own I thought it wise to ride back the way I'd come and do the Ranger path on a day when I have mates to scrape me up. I screwed up on a tricky rocky turn within minutes of leaving the summit but made a good landing! Launching into the slatey bit was terrifying because it was so loose. I resorted to constant gentle braking to keep the speed down and inevitably my brakes had overheated by the time I arrived the arch. The 400m pitched staircase was rough but OK; at the bottom but I had arm pump and had to rest again. The rest was more flowy and I got happy to "jump" off the numerous water bars and little rock drops. It took me about 35 minutes to get back to the gate. It may not be singletrack, but the innumerable high-speed line choices were very entertaining (and tiring).

Tuesday (Nant Yr Arian): I really enjoyed our brief visit here last year and wanted to do the bigger XC loop "Sydyfrin". It's great: scenic old school "out there" XC, meets new school trail centre. I was racing down one the big slaty doubletracks feeling bit overbiked on the FS. But it's entertainly rocky in places and rough when you hit it hard.

The real highlights are the hand built singletracks: Mark of Zorro and High as a Kite. I rate Zorro, with its narrow switchbacks, berms and whoops as the flowyest trail ever – I don't recall much pedalling effort until the very end bit. Thoroughly recommended.

A day off tomorrow, then Dartmoor on Thursday.

sweet as mate . lovely ride , by the looks of it.

Wednesday: (day off in Plymouth visiting a friend, eating curry and watching DVDs)

Thursday (Dartmoor): Do you have those rides when nothing feels right? For me it was today. From the moment I set off from Bovey Tracey I was uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the combi of hot sunshine and strong, icy cold wind? I was following the route from singletrack mag and I wasn't terribly impressed. There were miles of confusing, hilly, tarmac lanes before it got going. When it did get offroad it was OK and bluebells abundant on the way up to Hound Tor.

I crashed out on the grass by the tor, sheltering from the icy wind and slept for a bit but still felt fed up when I set off. The descent of Bowerman's Nose was a highlight though and if I'd had energy I'd have repeated it. But I felt bushed so headed back in the rough direction of Bovey. Then I found an isolated pub for a consoling beer:

As you can see, I'm all jacketted up; it really was cold! I then cut loose on a wide but rough woodland bridleway that headed down to the river, when my suspension started making alarming cracking noises. I think riding down Snowdon finished off the link bearings.

Poor thing, Box at B.A.B will fix it up for me. I was glad to get back to the car. Some days it just doesn't go right, but a bad ride is still better than working for "the man". Until the suspension bearings are replaced, I'll ride my HT. But tonight I have to fit the shiny new SLX double+bash crankset and BB to it, ready for Mendip ride tomorrow.

Friday (Cheddar): A cracking 4 hours of riding, my HT with it's new SLX crankset, on the "summer" trails. These pristine trails get avoided over winter to preserve them from erosion, plus some of them are uber cheeky. They were brilliant today and included a coffee and cake stop at Lillypool Cafe (the menu seems to have improved BTW):

Cheddar Gorge Rockpalast:

There were some climbers on the bolted routes:

Witches Trail:

Pixies Trail:

OAP Trail:

On my way home I passed Stockhill and could not resist stopping for a quick blast around Goblins Secret. But I came across the forestry boys who said they were thinning another part of the wood. I begged them not to plough though my trails but I don't hold out much hope.

Rest day tomorrow.

Saturday (rest and rain)

Sunday (Exmoor): And so to the finale – 2 day loop on Exmoor. Me and Rich drove there, dropping the tent off at Cloud Farm camping in Doone Valley and then back to Minehead where we left his car at Dave's Mum's place. But we were treated with a huge fryup. Now this was unexpected and extremely generous of Dave's Mum, and very typical of her so a big thank you. But fryup doesn't make the best trail food and it wasn't until Dunkery Beacon that it was digested!

OK; so we rode out of Minehead, up a very steep forest track onto Wootten Common and then down the extremely-loose-and-hairy-at-speed sunken roadway into Wootten Courtney. Than on a sunken offroad lane to the west of Dunkery, turning west to climb up the summit – overall, a very reasonable way to climb this great 500m-ish lump.

Victorious:

The sunshine and dusty trails were great but we were troubled by a strong headwind all day. Descending on fast, easy trails westward and then turning south-east we hammered off down a fast, easy bridleway called stone lane, but the lower section turned unexpectedly into a seriously enjoyable rock-fest. What a find!

We stopped at The Crown in Exford for lunch before climbing lanes to reach the Two Moors Way. This was a delightful singletrack, first descending and them slowly climbing 4 miles to Simonsbath, all in a lovely river valley. After another pub stop be climbed north heading for Doone Valley and the campsite. But we were tired by now and the steepest parts of climbs were being pushed. And then followed an awful non-existent bridleway perked-up only by being on a wind-blasted moor. Bum raped by tussocks. The final run down the Doone Valley was, however, splendid. We slumped over our camp dinner and crashed out after just 2 beers each.

Monday (Exmoor): Setting off, we immediately faced a viscous bridleway up to County Gate. Yesterday's trials were all too apparent and we resorted to pushing. The traversing bridleways heading to Smallacombe were fine, the climb out of Smallacombe was pain. Two gels each had little impact on our fatigue. But the 3.5 mile descent down Hawkcombe made it all worthwhile. In places it's narrow and tech, in others it's wider and warp speed. We stopped at the pub in Porlock:

Doesn't he look bushed?!

We set off for our next "destination" – Selworthy tea shop. Two pinch flats later and I began to realise how tireness leads to mistakes, in my case, twatting the bike into pointy rocks! It's a great tea room in a thatched cottage with a smorgasbord of cake choices. The final big climb up to Selworthy Beacon was tough but we belted along to North Hill, drinking-in sea views. And then the final warp-speed descents down the zip-zag paths to Minehead seafront felt truly warp-speed because it was so dry. A brilliant finish.

It's been a great, and very varied, week of southern UK riding. When can I do it again?

Its been 7 years since I've done a road trip like that.
🙁

Co-incidentally my daughter is 6 and a half…

How I miss those heady days of responsibility to no one.

Sigh.

Looks like you had a great time. I'm green with envy.

Is pixies in the woods above the Witches trail? I recognise the others, but we all have different names for them!

I had to settle with a 60km ride on Mendip. Its so tough to stay motivated when conditions are like this. 😛

Cheers. My main responsibility at the moment is to stay out of the house while my GF is working on her book. I had to take a week's holiday from work and just got lucky with the weather. It's been great.

The trails everywhere are in fantastic nick, at that point where the dust starts to make them drifty.

Pixies crosses Yoghurt near the two stone blocks, by two telegraph poles. You can access the top from the quarry road but I usually just do the switchback section below Yoghurt which winds down to Witches Trail near the back of Broadway Campsite. It's a "family" walking trail for the campers so very high on the cheeky scale 😳

Someone is going to have to make a definitive trail map just so we can agree on what stuff is called.

what a fun week that looked to be – pushing cos you are tired from riding the day before and a headwind, rather than unfit from not riding enough, is the greatest excuse!

Fantastic, thanks for taking the time to share

Great stuff – can't beat a road trip….. 8)

My main responsibility at the moment is to stay out of the house while my GF is working on her book.

Can't you lock her under the stairs? 😈

From your description, I do know pixies, we just don't tend to use it that much and when we do we're usually going up to the quarry road.

"is the greatest excuse"

Just to be clear, my full list is:

Beer for lunch
I cycled yesterday
Headwind
Still digesting massive fry up

🙂