Well, another Epic that is Non-coast-related!!!
After receiving many awful comments on facebook about me attempting this (after the Totnes collection fail) I was still prepared to go ahead!
Got an early night and up and ready to go. Good hearty brekkie of porridge and banana sorted out my camelbak and off I went.
I then turned the van round at Dartington and went back for my mountain bike!
Drove to South Brent, asked 3 people where the village hall was and finally made it there.
The big brother duo were there, after the getting lost teasing but hey, I took it and logged in, got my map (that was absolutely alien to me) and off I went.
Firstly the wrong way down a one-way street, off down 2 driveways, turned round and back to the village hall.
I then went the right way and headed towards point #1.
When I got back I found out something about contours and points, I had headed the hilly way to the higher point scorers! Yep, I had no idea!
I actually found #1 woohoo first celebration, then it looked pretty simple off to the next one, bumpy, skiddy,new front tyre amazing, rear one not so good but I did it!
Got to #2 and passed by another MBO contender, I didnt care....much! (I am competitive!)
So the choice as I saw it was, erm straight where it looked like people went! Straight up and not right, along the easy track by the wall where everyone else went!
So off I went straight up, kept going, kept going, still going, encountered some cows, massive big black huffers (not heffers) and I knew I was in trouble!
I had heard (herd) about cows doing nasty trampling things to ramblers in the past, these cows were not scared of me they did in fact approach me in a menacing manner! One came right up, looked me in the eye and gave the biggest MOOOOOOOOO ever! I got off my bike and kept it to the side of me, for protection! Haha :)
His mates decided it would be good to come over too, I was uphill, somehow the track I had been following was gone and I was knee high in grass and bumps and rocks, surrounded by cows! (usual Sunday for me)
I carried on, over the hill, and through the bushy groups of wet grasses and boggy bits! I then had to cross some kind of rivery thing, carried the bike over, then over another one and had already decided that I was lost! Funny that!
I had though kept my bearings and decided to head back over the hill towards the direction of the track I should have gone on. Another rivery thing cross and I was back heading towards the 'danger' section, very slippy and rocky, wheeled the bike through as did some youngun who passed me!
I did catch him up at the checkpoint and at the next!
There was no time for another, my 2 hours was nearly up! Back up and down the road to the village hall.
Just 2 mins over time, Kris and Lesley looked shocked to see me, I can't imagine why! haha
I loved it, I was crap, but I wasnt last, no, the awesome duo who decided to be mean to me on facebook joking about me getting lost, came behind me as they were late getting back! I got 78 points on my little own!
Great stuff, and a fantastic morning on the most beautiful Dartmoor.
Thanks Kris and PedalMad :)
