Penton to Witherslack

Today was never going to be good, but in the event it was worse than we thought. We knew that we had to make it to Shap, what we did not know is that we had head on winds to cope with to. After Shap (village) we had to go to Shap Summit, the only word I can use is demoralising. I don't know about Colin but I did consider selling the bike several times, (Russ remember this).

The accommodation was nice, Andrew met us and we had a nice meal in the local pub.
The data for the day can be had by clicking here

West Linton to Penton

We left West Linton in a mist that told us it was going to be sunny later and it wasn't wrong. A different day altogether from anything we have done before, We knew it would be a big day for ascent and with about 75 miles to do we hoped it would not be too hot. Most of the day was spent on B roads and this made a refreshing change. These roads were undulating and quiet and we both agreed it was the nicest day so far. There were two or three consistent climbs but these were followed by good runs downhill so it's swings and roundabouts. We arrived at Craigburn Farmhouse exhausted but with a deep sense of satisfaction in two days we have the longest day and then the two demons of height and distance will have been slayed.
We continue to get donations but could do with a few more to reach 50% of our total you can give by texting GRAC63 to 70070 including how much you want to give but there is an upper limit of £10. I know the two charities that we are doing this for are following our progress and would like to thank everyone that has donated. The Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team has had five calls for help while we have been on this ride, these included searching for the vulnerable and despondent. You may be interested to know that the team receives no funding other than donations and the payments we make to be members. So 50% of everything you give will go to helping make sure that service continues. The other 50% will help make sure Grace can obtain the treatment she needs to continue improving the way she is.
So today's route and all the states that have made me ache so much are here
Tonight we reside in ENGLAND.

Dunkeld to West Linton

Today we finally got rid of the A9 this is not a friendly road but as we entered Perth we turned our backs on it for good. The first thing that struck us was that now we were going to have to navigate instead of just sticking to one road and trying to avoid getting run over. The next big event was the Fourth Road Bridge just before Edinburgh, we had our photos taken by the paperazzi (Andrew and Gwyn) that have followed us along our trip. This was the start of an education in how to get out of the city boundaries, the road we wanted was closed to bikes so we had to navigate our way through the housing estates of Edinburgh, enough said. By the time we got to West Linton we were more than ready to stop cycling and partake of a couple of cool ones in the Gordon Arms Hotel.
If your following this and are interested how we got here click here

Aviemore to Dunkeld

This morning dawned wet and rainy, and you may not know but biking in the rain is no fun. It is depressing looking through rain soaked sunglasses and getting hit in the face by spray no matter how considerate the waggon driver is. So the mood this morning was put your head down and get on with it. By dinner time the rain had passed the roads were drying out and our tyres were not sticking to the road any more. Colin was taking regular doses of pain killers for his back but other than that we are in good fettle. With plenty of stops for rest and food we made it to Dunkeld at 2.45 pm.
Small problem with the ride tracker, I turned it off at one stop to recharge the batteries and forgot to turn it back on for 7 miles so there is a gap in the track. You can view it here
We now have a total ride distance of 221 miles

Tain to Aviemore

Today was a day of contrasts, the first half was relatively flat. There were two low bridges over the river estuaries then the main bridge over next to Inverness. After this we climbed and lost height until we had reached Slochd Summit at just over 1500 feet. This left us only 8 miles to go to Aviemore which should have been a walk in the park, but due to the heat and a slight in the face wind we had to peddle right up to the doorstep of the YH. Biggest challenge now is finding somewhere for breakfast, there was one shop that was randomly giving away porridge (discuss). You can see today's fun here New challenge for tomorrow seems to be the weather.

Wick to Tain

OK that was a bit longer, we set off about 9 o'clock this morning, the weather was overcast with occasional drizzle (note to self, don't believe the weather forecast). We mostly followed the east coast which was entertainingly undulating except for two hills which were not entertaining at all, those two we pushed the bikes up, but overall our progress was good. The sun shone in the afternoon as we arrived in Tain crossing the Dornock bridge. We had to go into town for a pint before we booked into the B&B, note the word "had" this is quite true.
So "How are you feeling now?" I hear you ask, well the only slight problem is a numb bum which will either get better or drop off, either way is no matter to me.
The stats for the geeks are
Distance 68 miles
Ascent 2583 feet
Ride time 6 hours 20 mins
You can see the full route by clicking here
More tomorrow as we head for Aviemore