The plan was to get 2 castles (from the Castles2011 landmark rally) and 1 National Park (from ABRs National Park landmark rally) photos before going on to the rally. They are all in the general directoin if not the general area. Along with the photos, I was also going to road test my SPOT2 personal tracking device to allow friends and family monitor my progress whilst on long distance rides. It basically monitors my GPS position and at regular intervals, sends out my position to a control site. The position information can be viewed by friends and family on a Google Maps page to track my position and route. SPOT also allows you to send pre-set messages ("Im ok", "Stopping for the night", or whatever you enter in the settings) and summon help via the GEOS system if I break down or worse.
Saturday was going to be the best day weather wise, and it was. Sunny and not too cold and very few clouds across the Pennines and in to the Welsh/English border.
I grabbed the first castle (Beeston Castle near Chester)
After a quick break, I left aiming to head deep in to Northern Wales and towards the second castle. I made a quick phone call and returned the phone to the mapcase. Heading along the A55 around the Conwy area I headed towards Snowdownia. Not a lot of traffic arond, I'm having a great time, the only negative was a bit of paper stuck momentarily to my visor. With that brushed aside, I ploughed along with lots of other bikers heading to the rally but I went a different route to get the last castle and then the national park. Got to the 2nd castle (Dolbardan) and took said photo.
Returning to the bike I noticed that the ticket in my map case wasn't there (what was supplied with the Rally pack was a sheet of instructions and a small ticket which needs to be presented to the rally control station for enternace).
Then I recalled that paper on my visor.
Shit.
Yep, that was it and bugger me if it didn't come out and flap on my helmet before laying in a ditch on the A55! Oh well.....
Setting off from the Castle, I travelled the short distance to Betws-y-Coed where the Snowdownia Natinal Park visitors centre is located.
Took the above picture and now its only 11 miles before the rally control point. Since I have got the other part (the instructions sheet) from the Rally organisers, I thought I would try my luck to see if I could get in. I set off and had been recording a few videos using my ATC5000 (I havent as yet setup my GoPro Hero bike camera). Riding out of Betws-y-Coed I was nearly knocked off the bike...and I got it on video
[video][/video]
I slowed down once I passed the car and another rider (the sportsbike) pulled up along side me and we exchanged "What A Wanker" commets about the car driver. Anyways, headed a lovely road A4086 and got to the rally control HQ (a caravan in a layby) and no joy from the little hitlers inside. I'm not allowed in. So the closest I got to the rally was the control caravan before the rally.
After a brief wait around in case anyone I knew came along, I decided to head back, so hoped back on the steed and followed the bikers back to Betws-y-Coed and onwards back to England.
Overall, even though I failed to get in to the rally, the day was really good. The weather and roads were bob on, and at the very least I got to spend the night at home in a warm bed rather than in a sleeping bag in a field in Wales.
The SPOT worked a treat as well...
couldnt they have checked the pre-booked list and asked you for I.D? :silly:
