For several years Rob and I had meant to enter the Wild Wales Challenge, but we either didn’t enter in time or it clashed with something else. Then last year we entered in time. Two days before it I hurt my neck and couldn’t turn my head, so I helped out at the headquarters preparing food for the 500 odd riders and Rob rode round without me. So this year I carefully did nothing to jeopardise my chances of riding. I even took an afternoon off work ten days before and did a 50 mile non-stopper in the hills. Then my Dad had a stroke and I spent the week before the WWC driving between home and Birkenhead, so the bike got ignored. Dad improved, got sent home from hospital and the day of the WWC dawned.
9.15am on the Sunday and we got our cards stamped and set off from Bala, north on that little minor road that takes you to Cerrigydruddion, lots of ups and downs to start the day. The route took us through some superb little roads (all very steep) towards Betws y Coed. There were large groups of cyclists all travelling at different speeds, we rode with Phoenix CC for a while and Rob had a Welsh lesson from one of the Scousers. At the top of one of the climbs we met the Cheshire Roads and then caught up with some of the Macclesfield Wheelers a bit further on. Rob rode round in circles at the bottom of the 1 in 4 climbs waiting for a gap to ride up as bodies were strewn over the road, weaving, riding in gears so low they were going backwards, walking and falling off.
The first control point and refreshments were at Betws y Coed after 22 miles, where after getting your card signed there were free teas and Club biscuits. Whilst drinking our tea we were accosted by a Welsh man who lived in one of the little villages we would pass through later. He had left Bala at 8.30am and had been walking down the hills because he didn’t want to fall off. When we left the control point the road went up a narrow steep climb through the woods, just north of the A5 and we passed him walking up the hill, so he probably didn’t do much riding that day. Down a tremendous, steep, winding decent onto the A5 and across up another narrow road. Eventually we headed down and down and down a long, long road to take us to Portmadog.
We stopped at the road side and ate our chicken sandwiches and then into Portmadog where we had our cards stamped and found a nice café for a drink and piece of apple cake. Then off over the causeway, inland and the inevitable upward climb, which was described as a long gradual climb past Tan y Bwlch station. This was not my idea of a “gradual” climb, it was a bottom gear grovel, but the worst was yet to come. We turned off the main road and up an un-signposted road to Gellilydan to the last control before Bala. This was a steep, endless climb, with just the thought of tea and biscuits dragging you upwards. Everyone you passed asked “how far is it?”. Everyone just plodded on and on and on. At the village hall, teas were handed out by hot and tired volunteers – the windows were locked shut in the hall and the kitchen was like a sauna – they probably felt worse than the riders. Cyclists swarmed around outside, blocking the road, while two young local girls rode round and round, meandering through the crowds, round the back of the houses and back again, probably thinking what a lot of wimps we were, what’s so difficult about riding a bike?
The last bit! Up past a Roman fort, superb views and then down and up to the A4212, up a couple of gears and on to Bala on the back road – 81 miles. Back at the headquarters with cards signed, we collected our engraved slate, a well earned cup of tea and plate of food, then went and sat outside on the half finished veranda. Wrapped in a pleasant glow of satisfaction we could hear other people recounting their rides and reliving some of the route. Yes, we’ll be there next year.
550 riders entered, most of them started. How many didn’t finish we don’t know, but judging from the number of people we passed very early on struggling and walking, there must be quite a few who don’t get round in the time allowed.