Tuesday 8 April 2014

........and I'm free to be who I choose any old time......

I don't know what I've been struck down by but thankfully it didn't seem to affect my legs today, venturing out on the mtb over the moors. In an effort to ride places new Bonus and I did a variation on a loop in his big book of mountain bike loops. We actually started on top of a big hill today, some may call that cheating but as we were expecting to cover twenty plus unknown miles we thought it was a good idea.

Getting ready to roll.
So off we went and still upwards, over Dunkery Beacon and onwards towards Aldermans Barrow and some proper wilderness type cycling over the moor. It was hard going, soft boggy ground and a bit of guess the path, some dodgy moments when you'd suddenly sink, all part of the fun though. We cussed our way to Larkbarrow ruins, a really peaceful spot, that's probably why the British army used it for target practice?


don't say thr B word....
We were grateful to get off the moor and to Badgworthy Water but after criss crossing the river lack of map reading skills and not knowing the area meant we ended up not getting to where we wanted to (yes, lost) We got directions from a nice lady with horses and got our bearings back and made our way back down to the Doone valley.

Oare church...
It was then a case of mainly spinning along the valley and a sticky road climb back to the main road and back towards and over Dunkery to the car. Another great ride but heavy going in places, Exmoor is such a varied place to ride, time to look in the big book for the next adventure ;)


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