Up at first light, ready for a day exploring one of the world’s great cities: an exciting prospect. I packed a light rucsac and jogged past the Obelisco, across the immense 12 + lane central highway , then down to the Plaza de Mayo, the centre of the city surrounded by grand buildings including the famous Casa Rosada. I jogged gently through the new dockside development of Puerto Madero and located the wetlands marking the entrance to the Costanera Sud nature reserve. It hadn’t opened yet, but I still got guira cuckoo, crested duck, water rail and others before stopping for an unhealthy yet enjoyable breakfast of Coke and ‘Milanesa’, breaded pork cutlet. After this, the reserve opened and I spent a very happy couple of hours jogging around, birding every inch of it, and enjoying the superb views of the city rising above the Pampas and the wetlands, palms, jacarandas and lilies. Birds were many, but highlights included glittering-bellied emerald and white-throated hummingbird. Good views of the River Plate further out on the reserve.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Patagonian Mountain Biking
MTB Route: Puerto Madryn-Punta Loma-Puerto Madryn
Distance/Area: 40k+, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina
Having arrived in Puerto Madryn on the Patagonian coast this morning after a 20 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires (preceded by a 14 hour flight from Manchester via Amsterdam) I hired a bike from El Gualicho, keen to avoid ‘downtime’. I picked up a reasonable looking Raleigh mountain bike, and cycled down to the coast, and along it to pick up the dirt track to my planned destination – the sea lion colony at Punta Loma. This was 20k away, but I hadn’t realized that would all be on gravel and energy-sapping sand tracks, into a headwind and quite hilly over what were presumably giant ancient dune systems. My bike started slipping gears immediately and it turned into an unexpectedly adventurous and tiring outing – I looked on it as highly unconventional training for the Tour of Flanders. A headwind was distressing, and the road surface very hard going. I saw a dwarf armadillo (pichi), my first, disappearing into shrub, then stopped for photos of a superb dune system above the sea. Birdlife was scarce, but I did get Chilean swallow, black-chested buzzard and Patagonian mockingbird. After a sharp and tiring hill, a flat section led to Playa Parana and a shipwreck (Le Folies). Two more long uphill drags over Cerro Avanzado led to a spectacular section of coast and the entrance to Punta Loma. My nationality ‘Gales’ not questioned; just entered into the book with a respectful nod. Another 800m drag led to the viewpoint over the colony: a fantastic sight and a sensory overload. Deep blue skies, emerald green sea, crashing waves, hundreds of South American sea lions, adults and infants groaning, roaring, sleeping and swimming. Fantastic to see them in their natural state, not performing in a zoo. This was just days before the adult males go ‘foraging’ for food thousands of miles out into the South Atlantic, and the perfect time of year following the breeding season. Of equal interest to me was the colony of breeding rock cormorant, a specialist and geographically restricted species: giving superb close up views. Numerous kelp gulls completed the exhilarating scene. Puerto Madryn looked very distant indeed, my bike was malfunctioning and slipping gear, and a storm was gathering inland. It seemed best not to linger. I pulled my buff further over my head in an effort to protect myself from the fierce sun (it didn’t feel hot this close to the sea, but the air temperature was actually 30C+). The ride back was better initially, with more of a tailwind. But after cresting the final hill and reaching the numerous new builds on the far southern end of town, my rear gear mechanism sheared off completely – leaving the bike useless. I was at least 5k from home at this point, so walked with the bike to the Punta Cuevas (where the Mimosa migrants landed and sheltered in 1865: the visit to these bleak caves had the air of a pilgrimage for me) before heading back to the Welsh museum with a new one.
Distance/Area: 40k+, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina
Having arrived in Puerto Madryn on the Patagonian coast this morning after a 20 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires (preceded by a 14 hour flight from Manchester via Amsterdam) I hired a bike from El Gualicho, keen to avoid ‘downtime’. I picked up a reasonable looking Raleigh mountain bike, and cycled down to the coast, and along it to pick up the dirt track to my planned destination – the sea lion colony at Punta Loma. This was 20k away, but I hadn’t realized that would all be on gravel and energy-sapping sand tracks, into a headwind and quite hilly over what were presumably giant ancient dune systems. My bike started slipping gears immediately and it turned into an unexpectedly adventurous and tiring outing – I looked on it as highly unconventional training for the Tour of Flanders. A headwind was distressing, and the road surface very hard going. I saw a dwarf armadillo (pichi), my first, disappearing into shrub, then stopped for photos of a superb dune system above the sea. Birdlife was scarce, but I did get Chilean swallow, black-chested buzzard and Patagonian mockingbird. After a sharp and tiring hill, a flat section led to Playa Parana and a shipwreck (Le Folies). Two more long uphill drags over Cerro Avanzado led to a spectacular section of coast and the entrance to Punta Loma. My nationality ‘Gales’ not questioned; just entered into the book with a respectful nod. Another 800m drag led to the viewpoint over the colony: a fantastic sight and a sensory overload. Deep blue skies, emerald green sea, crashing waves, hundreds of South American sea lions, adults and infants groaning, roaring, sleeping and swimming. Fantastic to see them in their natural state, not performing in a zoo. This was just days before the adult males go ‘foraging’ for food thousands of miles out into the South Atlantic, and the perfect time of year following the breeding season. Of equal interest to me was the colony of breeding rock cormorant, a specialist and geographically restricted species: giving superb close up views. Numerous kelp gulls completed the exhilarating scene. Puerto Madryn looked very distant indeed, my bike was malfunctioning and slipping gear, and a storm was gathering inland. It seemed best not to linger. I pulled my buff further over my head in an effort to protect myself from the fierce sun (it didn’t feel hot this close to the sea, but the air temperature was actually 30C+). The ride back was better initially, with more of a tailwind. But after cresting the final hill and reaching the numerous new builds on the far southern end of town, my rear gear mechanism sheared off completely – leaving the bike useless. I was at least 5k from home at this point, so walked with the bike to the Punta Cuevas (where the Mimosa migrants landed and sheltered in 1865: the visit to these bleak caves had the air of a pilgrimage for me) before heading back to the Welsh museum with a new one.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Wrexham half marathon
Race: Wrexham 'half marathon' (14m)
Time/Position: 1.23.16/1.18.59 (26th from 450)
Another cock-up at the Wrexham half, bringing back memories of two years ago when a misplaced sign saw the first 40 runners go wrong at the 9m point. This time, the problems occurred immediately and can't really be blamed on a narrow-minded farmer. We went left after a few hundred metres, then the shouts went out and the entire field performed a giant angry U-Turn. We were then behind the tail-enders, all hopes of a PB gone. I spent the next mile trying to weave through hundreds of runners and get some clear road in front of me, but realised we'd all gone wrong again when I went through the first mile in 9 minutes! No idea who was to blame, possibly nobody, but it was all rather vexing as I had plans for sub 77m and had trained specifically for this. The rest of the race was a non-event: I just concentrated on keeping a decent 6 min/mile pace churning over. We ended up doing just short of 14 miles, and worked out half marathon time via other people's GPS results (just sub 1.19 in my case, so well off target anyway).
Time/Position: 1.23.16/1.18.59 (26th from 450)
Another cock-up at the Wrexham half, bringing back memories of two years ago when a misplaced sign saw the first 40 runners go wrong at the 9m point. This time, the problems occurred immediately and can't really be blamed on a narrow-minded farmer. We went left after a few hundred metres, then the shouts went out and the entire field performed a giant angry U-Turn. We were then behind the tail-enders, all hopes of a PB gone. I spent the next mile trying to weave through hundreds of runners and get some clear road in front of me, but realised we'd all gone wrong again when I went through the first mile in 9 minutes! No idea who was to blame, possibly nobody, but it was all rather vexing as I had plans for sub 77m and had trained specifically for this. The rest of the race was a non-event: I just concentrated on keeping a decent 6 min/mile pace churning over. We ended up doing just short of 14 miles, and worked out half marathon time via other people's GPS results (just sub 1.19 in my case, so well off target anyway).
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Famau storm run
Just the normal weekly route up Famau from the Collie, but this was particularly memorable and notable for its appalling conditions. Jez and I had already agreed to meet at 5pm, and I just crossed over the M6 Thelwall Viaduct en route from work before it closed due to the winds. By the time we crested the hill above the leat, we were into the teeth of the ferocious gale: falling debris and some trees already down. The leat itself was nicely sheltered, but it was a biblical struggle to gain the open hillside above the farm. This was actually the safest place to run in these circumstances, with no debris or trees. However, we were blown down and intermittently blasted backwards by the 85mph gusts. I wonder if we broke the world mile record on the descent with a tailwind? Airborne at times in the dark and howling night, with the wind cutting a swathe through the trees as if a tornado had ripped through. Chose a safe route back away from trees: a memorable run.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Llangollen run
A reprise of the 'strike day' run I'd done with Kate in December. We trotted up Moel y Faen in low cloud and light drizzle, then along to Moel y Gamelin past dozens of Brummie school kids. Then down the little path parallel to the Conquering Hero to the little road further north. From here, Kate ran back to the car and I followed the bridleway (reverse of the Gamelin race route) all the way to the tarmac lane then up to lonely Bwlch y Groes. The double climb over Moel Morfydd and Moel y Gaer is very steep from here, but it gives access to a glorious descent down the Conquering Hero to Llantisilio and down the banks of the swollen Dee to lunch in Llangollen.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Abergele Border League
Race: Abergele 5m (Border League race 3)
Time/Position: 28.00 (16th from 272 [3rd V40])
A brief weather window in the midst of an appalling stormy spell. This was a clever improvisation of the usual flat coastal route (which I have always liked) after part of the path was washed away. It made for slower progress, into a headwind initially, then inland up a surprisingly sharp climb to take in a zig-zagging route through the caravan site before returning to Pensarn. I stuck with a small group into the wind, then caught Jez at the 3m point. The field was pretty strong again, and I slowed initially on the homeward leg until I got my second wind at 4m. Felt quite strong for the last mile and picked up two more places to finish just 3 seconds outside my 5 mile PB. Very tight in our category after three races, two points between 2nd and 4th!
Time/Position: 28.00 (16th from 272 [3rd V40])
A brief weather window in the midst of an appalling stormy spell. This was a clever improvisation of the usual flat coastal route (which I have always liked) after part of the path was washed away. It made for slower progress, into a headwind initially, then inland up a surprisingly sharp climb to take in a zig-zagging route through the caravan site before returning to Pensarn. I stuck with a small group into the wind, then caught Jez at the 3m point. The field was pretty strong again, and I slowed initially on the homeward leg until I got my second wind at 4m. Felt quite strong for the last mile and picked up two more places to finish just 3 seconds outside my 5 mile PB. Very tight in our category after three races, two points between 2nd and 4th!
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