Captain's blogle, Jogle day 20, July 9: Fowey to Land's End, Jogle stats: 71.1 miles; 9:00 riding time; 5,715 ft ascent; 2,766 calories; 98/140 average/max heart rate.
We made it! We even went through Hayle (the town, not a mis-spelled daughter). The day was characterized by some massively steep hills. Even though ridewithgps had predicted a maximum grade of 13.9%, we went up a 1:5 hill, which my mathematics says was 20%. However, it was but a mild incline in comparison to Trewarveneth St & Adit Lane in Newlyn or Mousehole. This latter was the lung buster of the entire trip. It felt and looked like 45 degrees, but I daresay it was marginally less - nonetheless, our front wheels were in danger of lifting off the ground as we went up. I had to stop three times and lean over the front handlebars, gulping air and wheezing. As another blog mentioned about a steep hill "a mountain goat was hitching a lift", but in this case, it wouldn't have even been able to stand to put its thumb out. I am proud that other than the unrideable farm path mentioned on day 16, I cycled up every hill and didn't walk up one. We cycled along National Cycle Route 3 for part of the day, which included a section of the so-called "Mining Trail", which went past old Cornish mines and mine working. No doubt it is a tourist attraction, but I was saying "Bloody Ross Poldark, give me a decent surface to ride on"! We rode past Susan in Penzance and told her that we'd be another 1:30-ish before we finished. At about 6:25pm, Hayley & I got to Land's End and rode to the finish post together. Tim & Lucie (1st cousin once removed) Haddon met us along with Susan at the finish post, bringing a bottle of bubbly which we guzzled. I feel great that we've finished but feel almost lost - the trip has been such a big part of my planning over the last few months, and then a continuous three weeks, that I hardly know what to do with myself. However, I did solve a bit of that by stuffing my face at a Nepalese curry restaurant in Penzance (Hashtag: EarnedIt!).