ITERA - Presented by Open Adventure
Biking to Barmouth
Rob Howard / 12.08.2014
Often when a race has an alternate route on bikes, teams can have an easy time of it – but not at ITERA – not today.
After the teams made the estuary hike-a-kayak from Portmerion they stopped at Ynys to pick up their bikes to ride to Barmouth. This was the alternate take out point when the kayak around the coast was cancelled and it was a wild and open spot in the marsh land alongside the estuary.
Ynys means island, and when the support crew first drove in there to drop the bike boxes they found out why – at high tide it is an island! In the dark they were unsure how deep the water covering the road was – but made it across. The race staff all have their own adventure along the way too!
When the teams left here they were on route plan B again, but this alternate bike ride was no easy option.
There was a section on the roads to begin with, but then the route made a long, steep climb up into the hills, staying high on mountain tracks above Barmouth, and finally descending steeply (and very rapidly) down into the town. The wind was still blowing hard against them and the constant wind since the start of the race has been very energy sapping, and is starting to wear the team’s down a bit.
As the teams began to descend into Barmouth they had a stunning view of the Mawddach estuary far below, the huge expanses of sand glimmering in the patchy afternoon sunshine. Across the estuary they could also glimpse their next mountain summit – Cadir Idris, but it was not an encouraging sight. The peak was wreathed in heavy and dark rain cloud which did not look promising.
Once in Barmouth teams found their way along the seafront to the leisure centre which offered a dry retreat for transition, and a place out of the wind for a while. What it didn’t offer was a place to sleep as the Skandia team found out.
The race rules prohibit sleeping in transition and when one of the marshals found the Danes asleep in a corridor he told them this. Sleepily they dragged themselves outside and lay down against the back wall of the centre – asleep again in no time.
Leaving Barmouth on foot for Cadir Idris the teams again had to get to the far side of a big estuary, but this time it was a lot easier. An impressive rail bridge about a kilometre long spans the estuary and has a footpath platform, so they made their way to this to cross over, and begin their next trekking stage, which is where most of the teams will be on the second night of the race.
SleepMonsters
