A third visit to the GR1 Sendero Histórico

This my third visit to the 1000 km GR1 Sendero Histórico, a trail which crosses northern Spain from the Cantabrian Mountains in Asturias to the Mediterranean coast in Catalonia.  I walked it last March (knee deep in snow in parts), persuaded Cicerone that it was worth a guide book and then committed myself to another two visits.  I did the western half again in September and have just walked most of the eastern half.

Leaving Riglos on Day 1

Final Visit to the GR1 Sendero Historico

Writing the guide for the GR 1 has been a mega winter project.  I've completed a first draft but now there is a ton of checking and gap filling to be done, and pulling together all the maps and photographs is taking forever. With plans for other walks coming up fast and furious, the challenge is to sustain the enthusiasm needed to finish it.

A ready source of motivation is the prospect of another visit and a walk through some of the best bits of the whole GR1.  From the 11th to the 27th of April, Christine and I are walking from Riglos in Aragon through to L'Espunyola in the heart of northern Catalonia.  My Spanish friend Juan Holgado has booked all the accommodation so all we have to do is put one foot in front of the other.

Cycling in SW India - A Review

My blog is called ‘johnhayeswalks’ so how come it’s got a description of a cycling holiday through SW India in it?  Well, this ‘old dog’, although suspicious, is not quite past learning a few new tricks. With escaping a wet English winter a guaranteed reward, it wasn’t too difficult to persuade me that a trip to part of India completely new to me might be a good idea.  It was, and although I’m not ready to change the name of my blog, cycle touring is definitely something I want to try again.

My introduction to cycle touring involved a fully supported (organized by Exodus, 10 days on a bike - 3 rest days) journey through the Indian States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.  There were 13 of us in the group, all in our fifties and sixties, and we cycled along mainly country roads for about 500km. It was fully supported with a guide, a back-up guide and a mechanic who followed us in a minibus. In terms of the Exodus grading system the trip was classed “moderate/challenging” with the challenging element concentrated on going up 1600m and down 2000m in the Western Ghats.

Day 10 - Cycling in SW India -Varkala

The last day on a bike and a tough one.  The morning started with the engines of the houseboat being turned on and an hour long trip up river (during which time we had breakfast), to an embarkation point and rendezvous with the support vehicle. This resulted in a later start than usual and meant we were later cycling through the heat of the day.

The last day's trip

A day on a houseboat in Kerala

Another day away from the bike and another new experience.  A trip on a house boat is a classic thing to do in Kerala and none the worse for that.  All there is to do is sit at the front of the boat, eat and drink and watch the world go by.  There is lots to see.  People watching, wildlife watching or just watching the other boats - it was a nice 24hrs.  Yes, we slept on the boat in a comfortable air-conditioned mosquito proof room - excellent.  Another blog lite day so I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Day 9 - Cycling in SW India - Alleppey

After a rest day, it was good to get back on the bikes again, although to be honest the scenery was similar to the long day approaching Fort Cochin. 

The big news today is that after 8 days of incident free cycling three of the party sustained minor injuries, and two fell off their bikes.

Bloodied knees

I was slightly involved in Ken's crash and if I'm guilty this should be read as my confession.

I was at the back of the group when Rinto overtook me and shot off to his usual position at the front. Roger suggested (I'm already spreading the blame) that we go out after him and without giving it a second thought I set off on a lung bursting chase.  We were soon hurtling through villages with Rinto in front, me on his wheel, Roger on mine and Ken on his.  After a couple of kilometers, in a village and approaching a junction, Rinto was either slow to signal or I was slow to spot his signal. I braked quite hard but safely, but behind I could hear brakes locking with wheels and tyres skidding on the road.  Roger stayed upright but Ken fell off, his fall arrested by his helmet and the rear bumper of a Tuc Tuc.

Running the gauntlet

Apart from grazes to his knees which were treated at a tea stop 2km further down the road in a cafe full of flies, Ken did not suffer serious injuries.  Ken did point how that the brakes we have on these bikes are on opposite sides to the ones you get in Europe, something I hadn't really noticed.

Feeling slightly guilty I stayed at the back and missed Tom's crash.  Apparently he spotted some railway lines late and braked too hard while crossing one of the many speed humps.  He went over his handle bars and his wife fell off trying to avoid him.

Roadside rubbish

A lovely welcome

Happily, we arrived at the Heritage Lodge without further incident and, after 60 km, in good time for a wonderful lunch.  It's located right alongside a classic Keralan backwater and we spent the afternoon watching vast numbers of house boats glide past. it was a very pretty spot, but also a perfect place for mosquitoes.  Our little heritage hut has air conditioning but no mosquito net.  Mosquito queues up to bite me so this place may be pretty but it's my idea of a living hell.

Blogging

Postscript

I did bring a mosquito net with me, a single net, and with the aid of coat hanger managed to suspend it from the bamboo ceiling.  This meant that I was on the inside, protected while Christine was on the outside.  Now, apparently the reason that some people get bitten and some don't is that some people produce an odour that repels the little buzzers.  Christine is apparently an odour emitter so was safe in the death zone.

Cycling in SW India - Roaming around Fort Cochin

Fort Cochin is a great place for a roam around.  A truly cosmopolitan port, a key node on the spice route, connecting the Far East with China and the Middle East, the impact of a range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions hits you as you wander around the town.

Anyway, I took a lot of pictures a sample of which is included below.

...