Day 2 of the North Coast 500
The second day of the NC500 has a reputation as being one of the toughest. With elevation of around 1,500ft, we were promised some amazing views.
And that’s exactly what we got.
If day 1 had eased us gently into the physical challenge we had taken on, day 2 was a baptism of fire.But I loved it!
We packed up our tents and camping gear, re-attached it to our bikes and cycled out of the campsite early towards Bealach na Ba. The climb to the top of this mountain pass built in 1822 is likened to the great mountain passes in the Alps. With hairpin bends and gradients of up to 20%, Wikipedia assures me it has the steepest ascent of any road climb in the UK.
As you can tell from the video above, the weather was deteriorating fast. The wind was picking up and the clear blue skies that had greeted us on the first morning was being rapidly replaced with heavy clouds.
A much-needed pitstop
Damian and I were ready for lunch after such tough cycling and found a beautiful spot at the Shieldaig Bar & Coastal Kitchen. To say this place was remote is an understatement. Again, the views were stunning and as you can see in the photo to the left above, I was still smiling.
Re-fuelled, we set off again heading North towards Gairloch, just shy of 40 hilly miles away.
As the afternoon wore on and the miles passed, a problem with one of the spokes on my bike I had noticed earlier in the day seemed to be getting worse.
It had been making a noise for some time and at 19 miles from our planned overnight stop in Gairloch I noticed that the securing nut on one of my spokes was missing.
My plan was to find a bike mechanic close to Gairloch, a strung out Highland village perched on the Western coast just north of Torridon. We free wheeled into the campsite at Gairloch late afternoon and pitched our tents in the shadows of the surrounding hills. The weather felt ominous as the clouds became greyer and the wind stronger. My optimism was fading a little.
To find out how I got on and to read about Day 3’s adventures, click here.