Hills

I'm just about recovered from an excellent weekend staying in Malham, up in the Yorkshire Dales (or even down in the Yorkshire Dales, depending on where you are in relation to them). The defining moment for me was cycling off-road for a long stretch over occasionally boggy moorland atop the dales. The majestic sight of Pen y Ghent was to my right, and my vision of it was suddenly obscured by a white sheet of what looked like sudden, thick fog; instead it turned out to be a hailstorm (neither the first nor the last of the weekend).

We'd already been cycling for a couple of hours by this point, and though I was thankful that the wind was behind me (not a reference to the previous post) for the first time that day, it also meant that the hailstorm was heading towards me. I redoubled my efforts and for what seemed like several minutes, I was cycling on the very edge of the storm as it followed in my wake. Finally I had to stop as I realised I needed a large intake of sugar - in the form of chocolate - since my energy levels were showing signs of dipping. Me and my two companions sheltered by a wall as the hail continued beating down on us, I ate my chocolate as swiftly as I could, and then we continued on our way.

Several more hours were to pass before we reached the warmth and comfort of our accommodation in Malham, including a long stop in a cafe in Horton in Ribblesdale. The beer and pub food that evening were well deserved: and we did it all again on the Sunday, ending up in a blizzard before our final descent back onto lower ground.

I didn't take my camera with me, which is a shame in the sense that there were many stunning views, especially with all the dramatic changes in the weather. On the other hand, if I'd had my camera in my coat or my backpack, it would have felt like an accident magnet, and I really didn't want that to serve to distract me.

I'm glad - obviously - to have finished up with no injuries, serious or minor (or anything else). Now I'm suddenly hectic with other things again. My evenings this week are being taken up with further work on music, since I've been booked to play again very soon. Which is one way of explaining the fact that I haven't had - and won't have - much time for visiting other people's blogs for the next few days. No doubt the weekend will be over all too soon, what with the upcoming event, and that of my birthday also.