OVER THE TOP
21.6.03
The Summer
Solstice had arrived, Nick’s idea was to cycle over some high ground
and they don’t get any higher than the Gospel Pass, the highest public
road in Wales! We met at 16:00. At Newbridge on Usk, as we cycled away Nick’s
front mudguard had come loose. There was no way of fixing it, so he took them
both off and hid them in some bushes to return another day to get them! After
this we made our way to Usk, the weather had been warm and sunny, but it had
now turned a bit overcast. However it was dry as we made good time to Chain
bridge and then Abergavenny. We cycled on the main Hereford road to Llanfihangel
Crucourney; we stopped briefly to look at the historic Skirrid Inn and then
started the assault into the Black Mountains. Unfortunately there is a bar
in the ancient Llanthony Abbey, this and a pub further up the road attract
a lot of traffic. These drivers tend to be in a big hurry showing no respect
for these lanes or its users! I did a bit of moaning about this, but when
we went past the last pub the road was quite quiet. The climbing up this valley
is unusual in the fact that you have several climbs then flats all the way
up. We had cycled up here last September in the dark but now we were greeted
buy the beauty of this mountain pass in all its daylight glory! After going
over the 544 summit, we descended quickly, flying past a couple of isolated
farms before reaching the lane that would take us into Talgarth. We stopped
here like the year before for a bite to eat from the Chinese. We then cycled
up a different route up through Llangors village where we saw the lake glistening
in the darkness of the night. I was by now feeling a bit tired but I had to
pull myself together as there was another 30 or so miles to go. We reached
the village of Bwlch on the main A40 road, we decided to cycle on this road
to Abergavenny as it was now late and there were few cars about. From Abergavenny
we carried on along the dark country lanes to Goytre. Here we rejoined the
main road to arrive back in Croesyceiliog at 02:30 !….90 miles.
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photo to see full size.
