DRAMA ON THE DARTMOOR WAY

Here is a short story with Christmas cheer.  Our local Sustrans South Devon Group held our annual Dark Skies Ride and Christmas Dinner last Wednesday at the Cornwood Inn.  It was a welcome treat from Sustrans that I was able to present Michael Owen with a Certificate of Appreciation for his volunteering work.  Michael looks after 95 miles of the Dartmoor Way Cycle Route more of less single handedly and then finds time on our guided rides.  Somehow he always seems to manage it with a smile. 

 

 

 It was very appropriate therefore that our ride was on the Dartmoor Way.  We met at the Watermark Centre in Ivybridge at 6.30pm and there was a massive hailstorm.  Colin thought that we should wait a bit before we set off and Andy, wearing shorts agreed.  Kate, meanwhile, looked ready to go while her partner, George, seemed to prefer Colin’s idea.  Michael, who was unable to cycle because of an eye problem, was being driven there with his wife, Debbie, and met a violent hailstorm.  Fortune, however, favours the brave and we never saw any more rain or hail.  We set off for a 5 mile trip via Harford to Cornwood and this was a true Dark Skies ride.  There were no street lights, few cars and only the occasional farm or house.  We heard owls hooting, listened to the rivers crashing down from Dartmoor after the deluge and the night sky opened up for us to see whispery clouds and distant moors lit up by the moon.  It was amazing.   

The Cornwood Inn served us a treat.  Colin was able to have his favourite beer, Doom Bar, and mine was there too, Tribute.  There was a big selection of meals so some had traditional turkey while there was plenty of choice for the others.  The landlady gave us free mulled wine at the start and coffees at the end.  She regaled us with stories about Black Eye Friday held annually just before Xmas.  Apparently this involves a good scuffle in the bar but everyone meets up on the next morning as best of friends. Colin came up with ten different recipes for Gaelic Coffee while Andy and Michael swapped stories of motor bike adventures from old.  George and Colin were very interested to hear that our new neighbour makes clinker boats.  Kate and I extolled the virtues of local wildlife.   

The weather held for the ride back and we all managed the steep hill leading to Harford Church.  We arrived back in Ivybridge just after 11pm and there is talk of having a summer social ride.

 

Merry Christmas

A SUMMER BIKE RIDE AROUND THE DARTMOOR WAY CYCLE ROUTE

At 95 miles and with more than 8,000ft of climbing, the Dartmoor Way is one of England's more challenging cycle routes.  It has its own website and goes close to my home but I have never cycled the whole route. Last week I decided to change that and cycled it over two days with a stopover at Chagford.
I discovered it to be a great micro adventure crossing every river valley on Dartmoor with roller coaster rides down most, only to climb up again on the other sides.  There were lots of hidden hamlets and some pubs I never knew existed.  Forests, wild flower meadows and open moorland were all experienced.  There were occasional flat sections too like the Granite Way. Here is my route



Day 1 Ivybridge via Bovey Tracey to Chagford

Day 2 Chagford via Tavistock to Ivybridge

Creating an atmosphere, I want to start by showing my first coffee break at Buckfastleigh.


One Seed Coffee Shop where they claim the inside is cool

I found Chagford to be a good overnight stop as it had several B+B's, cafes, pubs and food.  I discovered a pleasant evening walk to the nearby River Teign which was signed the Two Moors Way, a 117 mile long distance path through Ivybridge on Dartmoor to Lynmouth on Exmoor

Chagford Square

The toughest section pedalling anti-clockwise is from Cornwood to Okehampton while the steepest hills are the climbs between Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead. The Granite Way connects Okehampton to Lydford. These are a few of my images on route

Glaze Brook, Owley

Belstone



Summer route across Mary Tavy Moor







Bridge over River Tavy

The best bike is a cross country tourer with good brakes.  I underestimated mine and had to replace the front ones on route.  This is the link for the Dartmoor Way and the Two Moors Way can be found here 

THE CAMBRIAN MOUNTAINS:THE TRANS CAMBRIA CYCLE TRAIL

The Cambrian Mountains, remote, desolate, a hidden beauty are a jewel to be found in the heart of Wales. The Cambrian Mountains are home to some of Wales' great rivers. The sources of the Rivers Severn, Wye and Teifi can be found here. Folklore says that there is a sleeping giant on Plynlimon, its highest peak at 752 metres.

Three of Wales great cycle routes circumnavigate these mountains.  They are Lon Las Cymru, Lon Cambria and Lon Teifi. For touring cyclists who don't speak Welsh, these routes are known as NCN8, 81 and 82 of the National Cycle Network.  I have cycled all three but in my recent visit to Ceredigion there is a fourth route that I wanted to investigate. Locally it appears to be known as the Trans Cambria Cycle Trail as I discovered from these notes in a bothy while staying at Tregaron

I had heard of this trail before so, with my wife, set off to learn more. It seems historically that there may have been an ancient route between two abbeys each side of the mountains. In the east there is Abbeycwmhir, a Cistercian abbey built in the 12th Century but never fully completed and the other is Strata Florida, which quickly became a site of huge religious significance and home to Welsh culture.

We went for a short hike up the western slopes and here are a few images what we discovered

Droving sheep down the mountain for sheering

First sight of a bothy

Bothy used by hikers and bikers

It seems that there is a narrow mountain road only partly surfaced with the middle section a rough track that connects Claerwen reservoir in the east to Tregaron in the west that runs close to the Teifi Pools.  Needless to say, this is on my agenda for a future bike tour and I will tell more when it is done

A BIKE RIDE TO FIND #30 DAYS WILD IN WEST DEVON

Yesterday I cycled 106 miles as I wanted to explore some of West Devon. This area has a timeless quality about it. The leafy lanes are ideal for cycling, the villages are delightfully rustic and the countryside is plentiful for wildlife as well as good livestock farming.  I find a fuel station at Monkokehampton, long since derelict



Since it started, I have signed up every June for 30 Days Wild as this gives me added interest on my bike rides. I want to show some images of the area.  It is north of Okehampton. On my ride up over Dartmoor, I crossed the River Tavy, good for sea trout and some salmon.  I seem to have heard more cuckoos in the south west this year than for a long time and another called today. As I peddled out of Monkokehampton  I avoided running over a lizard while a yellow hammer swooped down in front of me.  It is easy to miss these sightings but even better to see them.

Here, at Iddesleigh is one my favourite pubs.  A good pub does not need smart signs but it helps to have a good understanding of farming. It is also Michael Morpurgo's local pub, author of War Horse

The Duke of York, Iddesleigh

Do you see the date on the lantern and clock behind it on this house close to the Duke?

Iddesleigh

Meanwhile back at Monkokehampton, there are ancient farm buildings and road signs



 

 

At Exbourne the Burrow is an unusual community shop/PO/café which seems to be the hub of the local community. The cyclists were on a morning ride from Okehampton

 

The Burrow, Exbourne

My route followed National Cycle Route 27, Devon C2C, via Okehampton to Hatherleigh where I turned right and there is a loop ride to bring you back to Okehampton.  It was at Hatherleigh that I met 8 cyclists and we had each reached half way on our journeys.  They were cycling 102 miles from Ilfracombe to Plymouth in a day. We stopped briefly to swop stories.





THE JOURNEY HOME

 

I had decided a few days earlier to divide this tour into two and finish the first half at Galway. The journey was 818 miles and I had visited many of the harbours, little coves, bays, cliffs and headlands after leaving Rosslare. I have seen outstanding scenery and have been left with an immense feeling of satisfaction. I have enjoyed the journey and experienced listening to the birds, watching and hearing the seas and enjoyed the company of many people both Irish and from overseas. I have learned more about Ireland's lifestyle and history too.
There is so much more to see in the rest of Ireland and I simply could not take it all in. I have already decided to come back in 2019 and start in Galway.
If you would like to see my maps and more images they can be seen on Twitter

CYCLING THE COAST OF CO CLARE

At Kilkee, I was mesmerised by the sea. I had arrived the previous evening fighting a headwind. There were no hills of note but headwinds are very draining.




Kilkee's Reef with a swell

 I decided to have a rest day and Kilkee looked to be ideal. The little town overlooks a horseshoe shaped bay and I could see a sandy beach protected by a large reef. The waves were breaking over the reef dramatically and at the far end they exploded against the cliffs lifting the water over 10 metres into the air. The beach however was calm. I watched the little waves roll up onto the sand. To the left a flock of birds seemed that they were playing with these waves. As they came in the birds ran up the beach to escape getting their feet wet. However as the waves receded, the birds chased after them jumping into the water until the next wave came then it happened all over again. As I watched I discovered that they were  feeding. It seemed that they were taking micro-organisms from the surface. I think that these little birds may have been turnstones.
I saw my first currachs at Kilkee. They are ancient fishing boats made with a timber frame and originally covered with animal skins. Today they are still in use usually made with canvas. They are unique to the west coast of Ireland but are related to the Welsh coracle. My wife went on a course about 10 years ago and made a coracle. It took her 4 days. Today hers will not float because it has a hole in it. Clare's coastline is quite different to those I experienced earlier. For the cyclist, excluding the climb to the Cliffs of Moher, there are less hills and for me happily the weather was kinder. I wanted to see the Burren, an unusual landscape of limestone pavements in North West Clare where wild flowers thrive in the cracks. They are surrounded by a patchwork of small fields enclosed by stone boundary walls and grazed by cattle. I arrived too early in the season to see the wild flowers. I stopped to take photographs and in the distance I could see the Aran Isles


What I did not expect were more stunning beaches. First there was Lahinch, an obvious surfers' paradise with surf shops, coaching facilities and what seemed to be great eating places to hang out. Then I came across Fanore. Rarely have I seen such an unspoilt stunning beach that had a beautiful backdrop of dunes protecting the land behind.

Lahinch

Fanore Beach at low tide

Limestone pavement, the Burren

On the way I passed Doolin which looked like a fun place to visit but decided against stopping at the Cliffs of Moher. It was too busy and I have been there before they built the giant car park.


As if to cater for hungry cyclists with a taste for the exotic, my next discovery was Vasco's  close to Fanore where I indulged with the most amazing pudding and ice cream. My trip finished at Galway.


To date I have cycled 818 miles and climbed 44,000ft. I continue to put my daily maps and more images on Twitter where I have also made favourable comments on cyclists' safety here in Ireland.

DINGLE PENINSULA

Every now and again, the weather here presents its little challenges. Yesterday I completely missed seeing Brandon Bay because I was in the cloud line and today my ride through North Kerry was in light rain. However it did enable me to stop in a bar at Annascaul and have a lively chat about walking in the area. I have spent three days on the peninsula and today arrived at Kilkee.
At Inch I was stopped by a couple from Arkansas in the USA. They had seen me two days previously and wanted to know all about my ride. Here is their picture of me




Inch Beach

I have seen several people on hikes on the peninsulas. The trails seem to be well waymarked and people are given choices ranging from short loop walks to long distance trails that take several days.
On Slea Head it is possible to visit several sites of historical interest. The Great Famine in the 1840's was a period of devastation where many people starved to death or from disease and large numbers emigrated.  I visited Slea Head Famine Cottages where some old buildings have been restored as a memorial. Here is an image

Farmer's Cottage, Slea Head Memorial Centre

I met a couple from Rhode Island, USA who were researching their family history of the Moriarty's. The weather was sunny on Slea Head so here are a few images taken from some of its little bye-lanes

Ventry Bay

The Three Sisters

Kilmalkedar

I am continuing to put my daily maps and some images on twitter. Tomorrow I am cycling north on Co Clare's coast

GOODBYE CORK, HELLO KERRY

As an expedition, I have completed 555 miles and climbed 31,272ft.  I have finished the south coast and four of the five peninsulas in the South West. It is Dingle tomorrow. I have experienced extreme weather from fierce Atlantic gales to glorious sunshine and there are still 1,100 miles to go.


It is not an expedition though. This is a journey that connects all the places I have been to previously in Ireland. Cycling and hiking are the best ways to experience the countryside. Both meander slowly in the great outdoors unhindered by the speed of a car so that you see and hear everything. I am putting my daily maps and many images on twitter. My maps show the route, distance, climbing and my slow speed. Here are a few images of Beara and Kerry

Trawlers in Castletownbere sheltering from a storm

An abandoned fishing smack near Lauragh on Beara

Portmagee evening, Kerry

Darrynane Bay, Kerry

Traffic Congestion, on cycle route between Cahersiveen and Kells

I saw my first bluebells three days ago. The patchwork of fields and hedgerows are coming alive with the green shoots of Spring. My bike is looking very weather beaten but I had to put sun cream today for the first time. There was time for a chat with the shepherd and he told me that the oldest lamb in this flock was 12 days old.

MIZEN AND SHEEP'S HEAD

The weather has changed. I have just discovered that the beautiful South West of Ireland also has lots of rain. Sometimes it is windy too. Undaunted my philosophy is that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
I leaves Mizen Head to take a tiny lane along the north coast that undulates over the rugged landscape. Occasionally there are houses nestled into hollows looking north towards Sheep's Head.  It is raining hard and I am finding it difficult seeing ahead. I round a bend to find a herd of cattle blocking the lane. I cycle slowly towards them and all but two amble out of the way. The other two refuse to move so I gently weave between them hoping not to receive a kick. Four miles further on, I see 4 cyclists huddled under a tree. "Not great weather for cycling" I call and they agree. After two hours, I reach a coffee shop and go in leaving water all over the floor. The rain stops and the sun tries to appear
The forecast for the following day is 45 mph winds and up to 50mm rain. I had planned to cycle to Sheep's Head but wondered if this is a good idea. I go anyway. The wind chases me for the first two hours and I arrive at Durrus wondering why I was fussing.
After a welcome coffee, the route changes direction. This time I am cycling into the wind and it is strong. I grip the handlebars tightly and resolve not to get blown over. I decide to find a B+B early and discover an old farmhouse at Kilcrohane. "This is just perfect" I say and gorge some sandwiches offered by the host for lunch.
I decide that the Sheep's Head must be seen and my host warns against it but I go anyway. The wind roars through the trees and power lines are waving around. I can see the waves from the sea below slamming the shore angrily. Undaunted I keep going until 400 metres from the summit the wind becomes too strong. Reluctantly I turn back only to find a section of road going downhill where the fiercest wind slows me to 4 mph in low gear. I pull into the bar in Kilcrohane and savour 2 pints of Guinness

THE SOUTH COAST OF IRELAND ON TWO WHEELS

I am on the Mizen Peninsula one week after arriving in Ireland. My energy has returned after it was seriously flagging at one stage. This ride is an exploration of Ireland's coast and today I have finished the South coast. It was 340 miles of undulating coastline with craggy cliffs, sandy coves, big headlands and penetrating sea inlets.
This is Darren and he works for MTM Cycles at Clonakilty. He is replacing my rear wheel.

Darren finishing the repair of my Bike

This is how I met him. I had arrived at a beautiful unspoilt beach when there was a loud ping from my rear wheel. A spoke had snapped and buckled the wheel in the process. My next destination was Clonakilty 15 km away. I gently nursed the bike taking care to go slowly and only use the front brakes. If another spoke broke it would have meant walking. Thankfully I found Darren at MTM Cycles at 4pm. Darren got permission from his boss to do an immediate repair and at 5.30pm I was on the road again. What a great bike shop and here is how to find it MTM Cycles


This is the beach

Dunworly Bay

It has taken 6 days to reach Mizen Peninsula. The cyclist needs to be prepared for hills and to enjoy the splendour of this coastline.  It is not for fast endurance riding. As well as seeing the countryside, I enjoy listening to its sounds. It might be from the milk parlour of a nearby farm. The sounds of birds are wonderful, especially as there are so many here.  I have no idea what most of them are. A favourite that I do recognise is the chough which I have encountered several times.


Apart from Cork City, there are no major towns and, if desired, Cork can be avoided by going through Cobh and taking a ferry. There are many small fishing harbours. The area is a mix of fertile farmland, rich peat bogs and wetlands. All the way I am finding the coastline to be dramatic. The image below is a B+B that I stayed in at Goleen as it nicely shows the setting of the far south west

Herons Cove, Goleen

Tomorrow I leave the Mizen and head for Sheep's Head Peninsula. I have more images on Twitter

JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOUTH EAST

It was Colm who sorted me out at the end of Day 3. Colm was a farmer. He was dark haired, slim and looked about 40. I had taken a wrong turning on a rural lane and had come to a junction that had no signs. I did not know which way to go. A big Massey Ferguson tractor pulling a livestock trailer arrived and I stopped it to ask directions.
"Where do you want to go?" asked Colm. "Ballycotton" I replied. "Ah" said Colm "It is about 3 miles as the crow flies but the road is much longer than that. Follow me as I am going in that direction". The tractor set off at 10 mph and I was fine so long as there were no hills. After a while, Colm stopped. "I must check my bull as I don't want him escaping". Having seen a bull coming towards me on a similarly sized Dartmoor lane about 3 months ago, I was quite keen not to encounter a second one. Colm checked the door fixings and said they were fine. Up a hill he went and I could not keep up but he waited at the top. Colm did as his word and I went on my way. Moreover he found me a very comfy B+B for the night.
I hear tales of other cyclists on this journey. The Copper Coast Route is a killer for many. It is stunningly beautiful and reminds me of Cornwall with its craggy coastline and history of copper mining. I am told cycling has become hugely popular in Ireland. It is possible to avoid the Copper Coast Route and take the newly opened Waterford Greenway that links to Dungarven. This is 45km long and family friendly.
My first day in Wexford, I followed Eurovelo 1 which was impressively signed. It changed to Route 4 and then 3 to the border with Co Cork when the signs stopped.
I am trying to follow the coastline on this trip. So often beautiful places have been developed into holiday destinations and have as a consequence lost their magic. Not so in Ireland. I have already found many beautiful bays, wildlife friendly estuaries and plenty of little harbours with fishermen hard at work.
Tonight at the end of day 4, I am in Kinsale having covered 218 miles and climbed 11,200ft. Kinsale is the start of the Wild Atlantic Way and I will be following this and taking a few detours. Here are some images

Artwork on a shipwreck in Bannow Bay

Hook Lighthouse

Dungarven harbour

HELLO IRELAND

A solitary cyclist is seen pedalling along a Pembrokeshire lane. He is easily recognizable from a pair of bright yellow panniers and is wearing a red jacket.  The bike is sturdy with American markings and has the worn appearance that it has done many miles.  It has an unusual pair of double handlebars and carries a map case.  He is enjoying the warm early Spring sunshine.  He sees the hedgerows awaking from their winter slumber and observes wild garlic, primroses and celandine.  A couple on Bromptons ask him where he is going.  "Ireland" is the reply and they say they are touring Pembrokeshire.


At the ferry terminal, a van driver too asks where he is going and then tells his own story.  He says his doctor told him to turn around his lifestyle 18 months ago or he will die young.  He was very overweight.  He has since lost 4 stone and now goes out regularly to keep himself fit.  Yesterday he cycled 100km into Wales.  Like the cyclist, he is a volunteer with Sustrans and both know Adam, their regional volunteer coordinator.


The cyclist pedalled alongside the cars into the enormous cargo hold of Irish Ferries, The Earl of Inishmore.  As he pedalled inside, a cheery young lady called out to him to have a great journey.  The cyclist removed his panniers and went to find a comfy lounge seat and settle down.  After a while the soft Irish brogue of the captain came over the loud speaker and invited us all to have a great crossing.


I am now at a welcoming B+B at Kilrane near Rosslare and Eurovelo 1 Cycle Route is outside the door

A WORD FROM MY SHED

During the winter months I often think about my next big bike ride and this year it will be my second longest ever. Today even though it is damp and windy, the signs of Spring are starting to appear. The hedgerows are alive with primroses and bluebells have woken up from their winter slumber to show their leaves. It does not seem long before their colours will appear in all their glory. Frogspawn appeared a month ago and the birds are pairing off to rear their young.

This sets the scene for my ride around Ireland for the scenery and wildlife is stunning. I will be starting very soon. Ireland's coastline is dramatic with steep cliffs, sandy coves, little harbours and plentiful wildlife. It is this that I want to discover in 2018. I want to take lots of photographs and keep a record of my journey on this blog. To show you what cycling around the coastline involves this will be my first day (or days)




Rosslare - Ballyhack
 

I have been to Ireland before. I hope that this journey will be my best yet

RED WEATHER ALERT: MY EXPERIENCE

Snowdrift in Green Lane after Storm Emma near my house: 2 March 2018

At the moment, I am focussed on my bike ride coming soon around Ireland. 😊😊😊. 

So last week when a friend invited me for three days cycling around Cheshire, I jumped at the chance. Not only would it give me some valuable training but Cheshire is an unknown county for me and I wanted to see it. As usual, I went by train and my wife accompanied me on her route to Cumbria.

I had read about a major weather warning for Scotland nicknamed "The Beast from the East" but Scotland is a long way from Cheshire.

Three days were just perfect but it was cold. The temperature ranged from +2 to -2C. Cheshire is a beautiful county with lots of dairy farms, old buildings, beautiful villages, not very hilly but has a good number of warm friendly coffee stops and the walled city of Chester on the River Dee was well worth a visit.

Cumbria too was cold, in fact icy cold and I froze on my only short bike ride. Wednesday, 1 March was the day of two Red Alerts for snow and high winds and this was the day for our train journey home.  Red Alerts are the highest level of weather warning in the UK with danger to life. One was in the Scottish lowlands and the other at my home in Devon. Added to this, there was to be a high tide at Dawlish in the afternoon and the railway closes if there are storms due its proximity to the sea. Dawlish was on our route. This promised to be a challenging journey.  Cars slipped and slithered all over the place on the journey to the train station. I had a bike and my wife had a big case.

There were no trains arriving from Scotland because one had broken down on Shap summit but two were sitting waiting behind it unable to get through. Eventually the broken one arrived with what smelt like a very worn out clutch. I don't know if trains have clutches but they shunted it off into a siding. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. We were told that there were to be no more trains to Scotland but one arrived from Scotland. Somehow and despite three changes we arrived at our local station on time.  Trains were being rearranged and we could hear controllers working furiously what to do with trains that were stuck or in the wrong place but piecing it altogether.  We watched the high tide coming in at Dawlish.

It was not over at home. It is just over a mile from the station to our house. I had planned to cycle home, collect the car, drive back and collect my wife. The roads were sheet ice.  It was too dangerous to cycle and our car could not cope either so it was a long walk dragging a case and bike through the snow.  I then to get some food so this entailed a 3.5 mile walk to find the supermarket that just enough food for the night. 

The wind roared during the night and this was followed by a 21 hour power cut. Dinner was made over our open fire and comprised jacket potatoes and toasted bacon sandwiches.  I took a few images of the snowy scenery.  Not only was it unusual but it was nature in the raw. Yet somehow, one tiny daffodil showed that Spring is not far away.

Today, there is still some snow. I managed a 48 mile ride along the Dartmoor Way to Lustleigh and the weather was a balmy 6 degrees C

IRELAND: THE FULL MONTE ON A BIKE

I want to tell you why I am going to Ireland with my bike.  It starts in April so I am on countdown.  It is the Full Monte as I will be cycling around the entire coastline.  I have been to Ireland several times ranging from Wexford to Dingle, Donegal, Derry and the Antrim Hills.  This journey will connect these places up so I will be revisiting the North West Trail in Donegal and finding new places such as exploring the Copper Coast in Waterford.

Ireland has so many heads, or promontories, that I find it impossible to work out the distance.  I am guessing that it will be about 3,000km.  Ireland's climate will be interesting too.  My friend, Colin from Donegal, talks about Irish mist and leads me to believe that it is a whisky.  When I cycled the North West Trail 3 years ago, it was in glorious sunshine and Donegal Bay opened up as a spellbinding maritime vista.  On Valencia Island last year, the wind was so strong that I could not make any forward headway at all.

I will start at Rosslare and my first destination will be Hook Head, then peddle up alongside Waterford Harbour and onwards towards the windswept Mizen Head.  The journey north from Mizen will be dramatic and, I hope, enchanting along Ireland's Wild Atlantic coast. Malin Head will be the most northerly point, then the journey will turn east and south through Dublin back to the start at Rosslare.

Here are a few images from previous trips

The North West Trail, Sligo

The Cycle Route to Achill Island, Co Mayo
 

High Street, Wexford
 

His latest purchase

How long have I planned for the journey? My answer is that it will finish when it's over. I have allowed 6 weeks but, if I don't finish then, it is a good excuse to come back

MY NEXT TOUR: ON THE EDGE, A BIKE JOURNEY AROUND IRELAND

I am planning a mini adventure and it starts in April. It will be over 2,000 miles around the coastline of Ireland.  I want to experience Ireland's wild coastline from the Irish Sea to the Wild Atlantic Way and the Antrim Coast. This will be my biggest journey for 8 years. 

On The Edge of Ireland: My Coastal Route Plan

I have cycled in Ireland several times and I have been drawn back to do the big tour. It has a magical quality with stunning cliffs, beautiful beaches, not to mention a warm Irish hospitality. Whether it is black pudding from Clonakilty, locally caught sea food, Guinness or cider, there is much to look forward to.

I will be recording my journey on these pages showing my daily mileages and hills climbed using what I hope are some new skills from a sports watch. 

My journey plan is to cycle 50 miles a day average.  I will do some blog posts beforehand to show my training.

Here's to Old Kinsale Head, Dingle, Achill Island and revisiting some of the North West Cycle Trail