Looking back in Isolation

Or .. Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble explained.

One day, back in the late ’70s, Ted and I had an idea that it might be fun to walk from Kanangra Walls to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, NSW. It was 1976 or maybe 1977 so we were young and silly.

We got the maps and dehydrated food from Paddy Pallins, the bushwalking shop in Sydney. We organised transport (although quite how we got to the Walls I can’t remember now) and we set off on the 4 day, 3 night walk.

It was a great walk and a personal nightmare. At the end of days 1 and 3 I “hit the wall” – completely and utterly stuffed. Despite this, it was really enjoyable.

The route took us over many climbs; the first major event was to climb Mt Cloudmaker. The way to the top of Cloudmaker was to climb a ridge with 4 peaks – Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble.

“But this is a cycling blog!” I hear you cry. Well, the significance is that, in memory of the climb to Mt Cloudmaker, I have in my mind called the 4 hills on Wilmore’s Lane after them – Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble. I have mentioned this in previous blogs but never explained why. Now you know.

After a recent ride, I pulled together the following video to document Wilmore’s Lane and the four R’s in a bit more detail. I was carrying out a loop ride back to Longford and the shops so I could also claim this as a Cycle Life Challenge ride.

First : the video

The route was chosen to give me an extended “ride to the shops” which is allowed under out current living restrictions. The objective was to dump several expended printer cartridges in the special box at the Post Office and to visit the Apothecary for monthly drug collection – blood pressure reduction tablets. It would come under the headings of Exercise and Essential journeys.

Turning right at the end of Wilmore’s Lane I enjoyed a significant gentle downhill run to Illawarra Road. This is not usually my favourite road being short on hard shoulder and long on truck traffic. Today though, perhaps a benefit of COVID-19, there was not much on the road at all. It was an easy cycle down to the Longford roundabout and up into town to the small shopping centre.

There I was able to deposit cartridges in the bin and get my hands on some pills. All the time staying behind the barriers now erected between Customer and the service provider.

I tried to get some hand sanitiser with no success. No worries though. Overnight I listened to Dr Karl’s podcast and he reminded me that Metholated Spirits (Metho to Australians) is alcohol and just the job to kill nasty virii. As I have some left from my last overnight trip all is well.

Notes:

The log in the pannier caused no problems but did cause some unevenness in bag hang. It got home OK.

What do I use the wood for? To burn in the OzPig – a wood stove used by campers. As we can’t go camping at the moment I am using mine in the back garden – when it isn’t raining.

I am having some minor irritating hassles with the trike and a mistake has been made by me but I will report them when they have all been fixed. What a cliff-hanger!

So, that’s all for today.

Fingers crossed for the COVID-19 curve flattening out soon. Everywhere.