Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Getting through the Summer pictures

29th September 2013: I must at least try and catch up with pictures already stake. This was a visit to Oily Hall and then up to Wicken Fen.It turned out that there was an endurance event on although I only really saw a  straggler. Although he wasn’t straggling because he was unfit – he had taken a wrong turn.

The event was being assisted by a Search and Rescue team – CAMSAR – Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue, a charity that often works in conjunction with other services such as the police to locate missing people.

In this case they were following on behind the event to provide emergency assistance to an Ultra Marathon in this case a 45mile race starting and ending in Ely, after running to Cambridge and back.  It is being run in 2014 and the blurb mentions it passing through the desolate Fens.

Although we tend to think of mountainous areas such as the Lake District or The Highlands as places where people get lost – it isn’t that difficult to get lost in the Fens either. There are few highly visible landmarks (although Ely Cathedral is one) and it can all look the same. I have come across lost cyclists and walkers a reasonable number of times.  Generally their problem was they couldn’t locate themselves on their map.

The “Veld” at Oily Fen

A path alongside Commissioners’ Drain, Oily Fen

A Wooden Bridge over Commissioners’ Drain

A volunteer from Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue on the Burwell Lode Footbridge

A burnt-out car – Newnham Drove (stolen and dumped?)

The route of the Ultra Marathon race doesn’t cross the river until Clayhithe. Here is heads alongside Bottisham Lode to the River Cam and then down the East bank.

Quite a “Run Route” – more than I cycle – most times!

4 comments:

  1. Swaffham Bulbeck CyclistDecember 4, 2013 at 5:12 PM

    If there is a knack to wheeling a bike over that wooden bridge above Commissioners' Drain- I've yet to discover it! Still, keeps motorbikes out I guess.

    Hope your back is much better and you'll be back in the saddle more frequently again soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What I do is pull the bike into an upright position and then wheel it along on the back wheel, holding the handlebars. My handlebats are particularly wide for some reason. It isn't perfect but it works.

      The back is much better, but I have decided to give it a rest until the new year.

      Delete
  2. Swaffham Bulbeck CyclistDecember 16, 2013 at 1:19 PM

    Thanks for the tip Jme- it sounds ideal and similar to my method of dealing with kissing gates, (though I worry stuff will drop out of my panniers).

    Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2014.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've spotted the snag :-)

      Sorry for the late reply, I can't believe how one minute it was the Autumn and then all of a sudden Christmas is here.

      Have a jolly good Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let's hope for some early, fine Spring weather.

      ---Jamie.

      Delete