Sunday Ride 25th October

Darkside again chaps......sorry

As an aside from cycling (as it does n't appear much is going on!) me and Reg spent the weekend running around the wilderness west of the main road between Rhayader (south Walian spelling)and Builth. the Elan Valley. I'm told it's beautiful but we did n't see any of it, the weather was atrocious. This was the selected venue for this years OMM (Original Mountain Marathon). We did one of the score classes which means that you have to navigate to as many controls as possible (each worth differing points depending upon difficulty). The team with the highest points wins. We were 32nd out of about 200 when we left the finish area, but we may have slipped down the order as not all the teams had finished when we left. The overnight camp is amazing, approx 1500 very small (you have to carry them for 2 days) tents in some field in the middle of nowhere. Self sufficiency and travelling very light (subject to a compulsory minimum kit requirement) is the name of the game.Although I find a sense of humour is the best item of equipment, otherwise this can be a thoroughly miserable event. If you decide to retire you are treated like a leper and left on your own to get back to civilisation unless you have some serious injury. Far worse than being timed out on La Marmotte! Fortunately we have only once (in 10 years) had the ignonimy of this - we had to walk 12 miles down some lanes in the Lakes before we could hitch a lift! It would have been easier to complete the race.We covered about 50k over the 2 days which is nothing compared with the Elite mountain goats who do about 85k.It's good to get back to basics now and again, and it does n't get more basic than this. Needless to say a few beers, food, bath and both sound asleep within an hour of our return.The wives were n't best pleased!