Unfortunately my time off from the ever hectic ME Marketing office coincided with thermo-nuclear melt down in Scotland. What had looked initially like some useful consolidation turned instead into a drastic thaw which even the most optimistic winter warriors were struggling to see a way back from. With winter climbing ruled out it was time for plan B which, less excitingly, was to continue the winters training/ suffering on the bike. Happily this was to be followed by a week of sun rock and immaculate tarmac in Mallorca…. or at least that was the plan.
I love Mallorca, not only are there some of the best sport crags in Europe but it allows me to indulge my penchant for being a continental cycling fashion victim without looking out of place. There aren’t many places where you can be on immaculate limestone one day and wearing white lycra with a straight face the next. Sadly this year the weather didn’t work out and, apart from one fantastically warm day at Gubia, it was pretty cold and windy. Shorts and t-shirts at the start of the week were rapidly replaced by clothing more suited to Alpinism than Euro-sport. Even crags billed as sheltered like S’estret required lowering off straight into a duvet jacket to preserve what little warmth you’d built up on route.
After a winter of riding hard in the Lakes I was at least well prepared for the strong winds, relative cold and occasional wetness even if the wardrobe I’d brought wasn’t. My heavier duty bike gear all lay abandoned on the cellar floor in Kendal and by the end of a shivering 9.5km descent into Sa Callobra I was beginning to regret it. A couple of coffees in the cafe and the subsequent full tilt climb back out soon warmed me up but this wasn’t the sun drenched mileage I’d hoped for. Each day dawned to more wind and more miles. Towards the end of the week people were being blown off bikes in exposed spots and the flying down wind sections were become little compensation for the savage head and cross winds that followed.
It wasn’t all bad though, some great routes were climbed, I hit my target mileage for the week and research into the use of Cava as a recovery drink continued. Hopefully this will put me in good stead for a great summer on the rock and a ‘properly quick’ Fred Whitton amongst other things….. there may even be some respectable routes in the Alps if I can put the two together!
Rich B.
