Carpet of trees

I headed out on the bike today, to conquer the Brocken mountain hat I had failed to get to the top of last week. I chose a more sensible route this time, following one of the main paths up to where it met the main access track for the hotel at the top.

The last 5km felt like a Tour de France summit finish, in that the route was lined with walkers also making their way up. I was determined not to lose face in front of  any of them as I ground my way up in my lowest gear. It was a great feeling to reach the top. 

I took this picture on the way down, whilst stopping on a bench to finish the rest of my lunch. There were some moody clouds building over the different layers of trees.