Penmachno

Took a day out with my good mate DyrtMynci today, out on the mountain bikes up and around Penmachno. Crap pic I know but it's the only one I took because I was doing that rare thing of actually taking in the place with my own eyes and ears instead of spending my time squinting behind a lens. I was also doing my upmost to keep peddling without either bring blown off my bike or bucked off by a jaggy lump of rock or a rather sketchy downhilly bit, especially seeing as a far more experienced mountain biking friend of mine broke his collarbone on this very trail less than a year ago.

It was hard work, REALLY hard work, battling against the hail and snow and ohmygodtheutterlyfreezinglyicywind but the downhill bits and the singletrack bits were ACE. If you're into mountain biking and you venture to North Wales you must try and hunt out this little-known gem of a trail, a short stones throw from the more popular trails in Betws-y-Coed. It's only 19k if you don't include the new 12k second-loop-add-on but the downhills are a blast and the uphills take the climb up to about 460m quite quickly.

Loved every minute of it BIG TIME (although note to self:Don't ride on top of a mountain when it's freezinglycold again. My asthma didn't thank me for it hence why I spent the night with a hot water bottle on my chest and one on my back).

Unfortunately whilst I was quite asmthma'd up, I had a phone call off my dad to let me know my uncle had died an hour or so earlier. I didn't cry on first hearing the news, but did feel an incredible feeling of loss all the same: Apart from being a witty, down-to-earth character he was also part of what got me into photography as an art student in the early 90's, when I photographed him in the street one day and was heaped unexpected praise by my tutors. The buzz I got from developing that photo in the darkroom and realising I'd caught everything about him bob-on within the confines of an invasive close-up and a single black and white rectangle is still with me now. Sadly - more than I can put into words - I lost the photograph. And I've lost him now too :-(