DEVON'S C2C: 102 MILES: JOIN US FOR A GREAT CYCLE CHALLENGE

Meet Libby, a marine ecologist, dedicated like me to sport and raising the importance of wildlife to our daily lives.

Come and join us on Devon's C2C, 102 miles of the finest trails across Dartmoor and North Devon starting on Plymouth Hoe and cycling to Ilfracombe. We have arranged a 2 day ride on 21/22 May staying at a great pub overnight or go for the big one, 102 miles in a day on 2 July. If interested, go to http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/cycle-devon-coast-to-coast-2011/

COMING SOON: MORE ADVENTURES ON A BIKE

I have plans for some great cycle rides in 2011. In June, there is a new ride for me. I will be cycling the Atlantic Coast of France starting at Santander in Spain to Roscoff in Brittany. It will be a distance of over 600 miles. My rides are chosen not just to be adventures but to watch out for wildlife.

In 2005, I had one of the best cycle rides of my life when I was in a group of 16 who cycled across the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia. We cycled among the nomads camping in the wild for our overnight stops. There were no roads and no towns.

The nomads lived in gers and followed the yaks high up into the mountains. A ger is a tent, the same as a Russian yurt. When we passed a cluster of gers, the people came out and it was a fantastic experience as the nomads waved to us. Occasionally, they would ride with us on horseback. On one occasion, I was out on my own cycling as fast as I could on a downhill stony trail. A horseman came up from an encampment 400 metres away to join me. He galloped at full speed alongside me as I put everything I had into that downhill trail. I kept up with him until the hill ended. He joined us at our lunch stop.

In Mongolia, despite the desert, there are a fantastic number of birds. A great experience was to watch kites swoop down to the ground in our camp sites, seemingly unafraid of us.

Coming soon in 2011, there will be more cycle rides for wildlife. Please keep watching my blog

SNOWED IN

We are snowed in today on our small farm. There are plenty of berries on a holly tree that overhangs the river. It looks promising for a white Christmas.

The sun has come out and the winter landscape has an almost dazzling effect with the snow lying on the trees and meadows. Our alpacas seem unphased by the weather. There are deer here and I disturbed one this morning while searching for photographs in the woods.

We had a brief respite from the weather a few days ago and I cycled alongside the River Exe from Exeter to Exmouth with a friend. This estuary is renowned for its birds. We had a close up sighting of an avocet feeding on the mud flats beside the cycle trail. Shortly afterwards, a kingfisher closely followed by a buzzard flew in front of us as we were cycling along. These were all good sightings.

Happy Christmas

GREAT RIDES IN DEVON AND A RARE SIGHTING

Autumn is a great time of year to be out on the bike in Devon. It is also a great time to see wildlife. Keeping on the tracks and minor roads in Devon often gives wildlife sightings and the autumn colours are to be savoured. Three weeks ago, I was on a circular tour of the county with two friends when we encountered a white deer on the road in front of us. This is very rare indeed. It stared at us in disbelief that we had spoilt its tranquility, then ran off. My buddy, Bill, also saw it. It was on a minor road between Hatherleigh and Sheepwash. The film clip is another from our recent bike ride near Ivybridge which I filmed in my last blog.

The evenings are longer in Devon than in other parts of the country and the cold winter days have not yet set in, so we are lucky down here. I have a new cycling buddy who wanted to see my part of Dartmoor and we went out two weeks ago. Her legs wobbled a bit from the hills at the end of our journey, but she said that it was an A1 ride. A kingfisher frequents the pond just outside our house at the moment.

I am now thinking ahead for big rides next year. Three of us are to cycle the North Country C2C, probably in May. Sometime in the future, I would like to cycle in Ireland and visit Scotland again. Another that appeals is Sweden where more cycle friendly rides are opening up. I also want to continue to raise the relevance and importance of wildlife to our society. My local Wildlife Trust in Devon makes an enormous contribution on a national scale. Please keep following.

AUTUMN CYCLING

Autumn has arrived and this is a good time of year to be out on the bike. I have just returned from a fortnight's holiday in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales with Sylvia. I kept my promise not to use the bike too much and did just a couple of rides in both areas. This picture shows a trail in Swaledale near to Gunnerside. My other ride was in the lanes out of Staverley between Kendal and Windermere.

I have found out more what Northern England has to offer. It has superb road, trail and mountain bike country. I also like the trail walking, local food, scenery to die for and wildlife. I must come back.

Here is a wildlife story while walking beside the River Swale. We see a dipper on a rock in the middle of the river. The dipper moves to another rock just upstream. We move with it. The dipper spots us and we keep very still. The dipper wants a meal and in front of us dives under water, swims upstream and pops up again to sit on another rock. He allows to follow him for a few minutes. Watching wildlife means taking the opportunity and enjoying the moment.

Cycling in Devon after heavy rain offers new challenges. I went out with my daughter, Jo and her partner, Chris to do some green lane riding near my home. Here is a video clip and hope you enjoy the fun.

CERTIFICATE RECEIVED AND £3,254 RAISED FOR WILDLIFE

My first "Cycle For Wildlife" is now complete. A magnificent total of £3,254, including gift aid, was donated for Devon Wildlife Trust from my ride and I want to say A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed.


My "Cycles for Wildlife" will continue and my first event will be to give an illustrated talk about the North Sea Cycle Route at University College of Marjons, Derriford, Plymouth during this winter (date to be announced).

This beautiful route through Britain, Scandinavia, Germany and Holland can be cycled in stages and is accessible. You do not need a car as a train, boat or plane are ideal to take you to hop on/hop off points.

Some of it is family friendly with level easy riding. Other sections are much more demanding being suited for enthusiasts with high abilities. Wherever you go, you will find scenic countryside, lots of wildlife, attractive towns, good food and lots of wonderful coastline to be savoured and explored. My talk will tell you about it.

It is planned that fund raising adventures will be organised for Devon Wildlife Trust in 2011. Please keep watching.

DARTMOOR: THE DROVER'S TRAIL

My daughter, Sandie, and I went on to Dartmoor today to cycle a little known track. It is the Drover's Trail and it connects Hexworthy with Princetown via Swincombe. It is only 4 miles long but it connects to the wider range of trails that come out of Princetown. This section is technically reasonably demanding and can only be done on a mountain bike

This trail is in the middle of Dartmoor and although there are lots of holiday visitors locally, we see only a few hardened walkers. We stop and chat to one couple who are letterboxing. This is a hobby peculiar to Dartmoor. It is a form of orienteering where people search for letterboxes that contain stamps and are hidden under rocks. The club that organise it give clues. As Dartmoor is 400 square miles containing thousands of rocks, it is challenging. It is also popular.

Dartmoor today is open moorland but it has not always been the case. It used to be farmed extensively during the summer by stone age people and there are numerous remains of their lives that can still be seen. There are many stone circles, stone rows and tin workings still visible on the moor. Our ride is on an old drover's trail which is still visible.

At Swincombe, there is a ford and remains of some buildings. One looks as if it could have been a toll house. There are remains of two houses nearby that look more like crofts in Scotland than West Country dwellings. The trail here is a real challenge due to the large stones and waterlogged ground

A challenging day ride is to start near my home in Ivybridge, cycle along tarmac lanes to Buckfastleigh, Holne and Hexworthy where the Drover's Trail starts. Before reaching Princetown, turn off onto the Jobber's Trail and wind your way on off road tracks to Cadover Bridge. The last stretch to Ivybridge is mostly downhill. The distance is 45 miles but it is quite tough with the hills and the off road bit in the middle.

There are always interesting aspects of nature to see on Dartmoor and I quite liked this fungus growing out of an old tree stump near to Shipley Bridge
.