Dramatic scenery Ron. Thanks for sharing.

Since late October much of the UK weather has been influenced by a blocking anticyclone. So we’ve had relatively dry conditions and light winds, mostly sub 10 miles/hour, great for cycling providing it’s not drizzling. However, a downside is a persistent oppressive blanket of cloud or ‘anticyclonic gloom’. Some places recorded  zero minutes of sunshine for the whole of the first week of November. Not great for solar or wind power generation. I note the Germans have a one word for this situation, ‘Dunkelflaute’.
A dramatic change in the weather is forecast for Saturday with a cyclone hurtling in from the west.

Here in S Gloucestershire north of Bristol we caught an icy Arctic blast yesterday with snow showers and this morning a frost but cleared to a gorgeous sunny day, light WNW wind, 5 degrees  feeling like 2 moderated by the sunshine.. An exercise ride delayed start until 11am to reduce risk of encountering slippery patches and headed north for a short 16mile round trip via Berkeley in the Severn Vale.

1. Looking North West coming in to the hamlet of Hill. The East bank of the R Severn is about 2.5 miles away.  The low line of dark high ground in the far distance is the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire on the other side of the River.  Some of yesterday’s dusting of snow still lying in a forest clearing on the far left.
2. Library and cottages in Hill, and behind the cottages the hill in Hill.
3. Looking South East the midday sun over the Water Meadows below Berkeley Castle  (they were designed to be flooded as another means of defence) and in the centre far distance the Cotswold edge around Nibley and Wotton under Edge.
4. Between Lower Stone and Rockhampton heading south, homeward bound.

All good wishes on surviving the Bomb Cyclone, Ron. We're getting it here in Oregon as well, with similar windspeeds on the Coast and here in the Valley with expected aerial flooding overnight and deep snow in the Cascades.

As I write this my lights are flickering, I can hear the wind moan outside my office window, and the crash I just heard is likely my "ThunderCan" (wheeled recycling bin) tipped over by the last gust. I had planned a bike ride today, but decided the better course was to trim the ornamental crabapple branches away from the powerline to the house, "just in case". Far better to be ready and not need it than otherwise, for electricity is capable of wondrous things, both good and bad.

Loved your photos as usual. Batten down the hatches!

Stay safe and best wishes, Dan.

Due to health, have had to move to an electric bike which is why this is up for sale.  The bike has only been used a few times and is, in our opinion, in great condition.  Collection only from Northallerton, North Yorkshire

MK3 Frame – Red – for 52 mm Forks
26 inch Thorn ST26 Steel Fork
Straight FFT Bars
OEM Shimano Shift lever SL-M610 Deore  left 2/3 speed
OEM Shimano Shift lever SL-M610 Deore Right 10 speed
SON 28 Dynamo Front Hub Black
Schwalbe Marathon Dureme HS410 Folding Tyres 26 x 2.0”
Shimano Deore Complete V Brake Set
OEM Shimano Rear Derailleur RD-M610 Deore SGS 10 spd shadow D/Mount Black
Sinewave Cycles Reactor USB Dynamo Powered Charging Device – Black
Thorn MKV low loader and Expedition rear pannier rack
Thorn MkV Cro Mo Steel Lo-Loader – Black Powder Coat

Please contact Pete on WhatsApp on 07894 813337 if you are interested.

"Cooked! Redone in the lab!"

I'm no photographer, John, but " I can fix it in post!"

We were all three of us blown across the road and and ended up on to the opposite verge. Luckily there were no oncoming vehicles.

I can definitely relate to that. In a post that disappeared due to a forum technical glitch, I described how when nearing Achnasheen, my destination for the day, the wind unceremoniously blew me right off the road. Twice.  With no shelter from the wind, no room at the bunkhouse, and not wishing to have my tent destroyed, I stayed at the Ledgowan  Lodge for the bargain price of £190. I later learned that the manager had indeed given me a deal, as the booking.com price was £310. Dinner (extra) and breakfast (included) were wonderful, though.



 My last week was spent with an eye to the weather forecast. The overnights were becoming too cold for my inadequate, sleeping bag and much rain was forecast to be on the way. As a result, when I reached Tongue, I pointed the bike south and started heading back for Inverness. The campsite at Tongue was the last time I camped. I spent the next night at the Crask Inn  (previously described and highly recommended), the following night in Tain at a B&B and then reached Inverness where I stayed at the Black Isle hostel. I spent a day playing tourist in Inverness and rode out to the Culloden battlefield on my way back to the hotel that had stored my bike box for me. Then it was up at 0430 for the long journey home. I have to say I’m not a fan of Heathrow Terminal 5.

 And that's it! I had a great time. Any negative experiences were mostly do to my lack of fitness. The Highlands are……hilly! I only had one day where it rained from start to end, and that was my last day riding from Tain to Inverness. That’s probably pretty lucky for Scotland. There were no mechanical problems (naturally) with Nozomi the Raven.

Here are some photos to close things out. I may do a post later of pics that didn”t make it into round one, but I like, or have a good story to go with them.

1  Alt Cranaidh waterfall. It’s a 15 min hike over mud and rocks to get here, so there aren’t many tourists.

2  I thought this was a loch, but it’s just an unnamed ( on GoogleMaps) river flowing into Loch Laxford

3  Coastline near Durness

4 Lucky rainbow on my last morning. If you look carefully you can see the rocks in the river bottom. The River Ness is 100m across but only 1m deep as it flows through Inverness towards Beauly Firth.

Quote from: Matt2matt2002 on November 13, 2024, 07:47:50 PM

...
At 71 tomorrow, I now think of tours now as perhaps my final one. I'll be happy that I have chosen Thailand if it is.....

You are a month and a half ahead of me.  My tours are getting more road oriented where restaurants and grocery stores are more frequent, am now less interested in touring far off remote areas.

Snap. At first I was upset with myself at this 'decline' but then reasoned that I have a good number of fantastic tours over the years and the body can't keep cranking out the miles and hills.
Now, it's more about breaking the routine and getting out of my comfort zone while experiencing different cultures and food.

Matt