The Great Escape

We're on a long weekend with the Fabulous In Laws - escaping the builders, the DIY & sorting out we need to do and a much needed couple of days off work. The plan was to install Fabulous In Laws' broadband and do a little mountain biking.

Just a gentle walk to report yesterday - I'm still not 100% although the sniffling is declining markedly. I also spent a frustrating hour tracking down the last pair of men's bathers in Torquay as we forgot to pack any swimming stuff. Husband now owns possibly the most turquoise trunks in existence - only £3 so I won't be upset if they go STCC (straight to charity shop) after our swim tomorrow. Husband successfully installed broadband & sorted out a few issues with the PC here - so i can now blog! Our walk was a wander along Babbacombe beach. Dinner with the very lovely T & B last night - more than enough calories to offset the walk!

Lungs still not up to much today so I went to the beachhut in the car for breakfast - it felt so wrong! Good to see the Fabulous In Laws' buddies J & E down there.

Dartmoor jailbreak this afternoon - we all went to Princetown & whilst the Fabulous In Laws walked, we did the 22.66K Princetown route from the Rough Guide - very impressed! Nice little climb to start with on a renovated track that still had rocks & mini gullies to negotiate - good to realise that Dartmoor granite isn't slippery when wet. Then a long rocky 2 mile descent that got technical in a couple of spots. The kind of downhill where you need to keep focussed the whole time. And yes, I had a good few walks!

Very pretty bit going across a grassy pasture with the path littered with big-ish smooth rocks. Short road section (reservoir & waterfall views) going up steeply to join a disused railway - it was the highest in England. Very muddy mile or 2 before the terrain settled into more typical disused railway mode. Stiles to lift the bikes over. The weather closed into a foggy drizzle which kept it all very Hounds of the Baskervilles - almost claustrophobic feeling. The whole railway section was a very gradual climb, taking us back to Princetown.

More tired than i should be now - but I'm glad I was able to ride.