It's freezing out there - literally!

Christmas is approaching and the gorging has begun. I've polished off two pots of cream this week, pretty much single handedly! The sweets have started to appear. The office gannets (off which I'm one) can destroy a tin of Quality Street in less than a day. When Christmas does arrive the excess will go into overdrive. It's my old pal, Spot's wedding at the weekend, so with that and Christmas shopping not even touched, I see the mountain biking is going to be difficult to squeeze in. Work's hectic, but despite this I'd hoped for a half day off to grab a spin around Afan or Glyncorrwg. Yesterday it became obvious the morning was scuppered. I took the bike into work with me, but at lunchtime the afternoon evaporated in front of my eyes. Fortunately I'd foreseen this and bought my AyUps with me!!

So, as soon as the clock struck 5, the meeting I was in wrapped up and I shot out like the proverbial off a hot shovel. A quick change and repack of my Camelbak and I was off. I was going to be solo, in the dark, on a cold frosty night, in a deserted forest/hilltop. I figured it prudent to go for my safest route - Penhydd. I know this trail like the back of my hand - it was only last Sunday when I was up there last.

It was magical. No one around, just animals moving in the undergrowth and owls hooting in the trees. The fire-roads were beautiful in my lights with the frost, like someone had sprinkled my route with glitter. The puddles were rapidly freezing over and the muddy bits were starting to harden. I had a moment when a muddy patch couldn't decide whether it was soft or hard and finished up deciding that either way I was better off in the adjacent ditch - Oiks! Apart from that it was comfortably uneventful. I even did one climb with the lights out. Once upon a time I suprised a small herd of deer there and I wanted the element of surprise on my side again, but saw nothing. It was surreal climbing up the fire-road, by moonlight, alone!

I didn't really have enough clothing to be safe: shorts with a liner, a lightweight long sleeve and a short sleeve. I had my lightweight waterproof jacket in the pack, just in case, but never used it. However, I was warm enough moving, and stationary pauses were kept to a minimum. By the time I'd got back to the car my shoe laces and the neoprene headset cover were frozen!! Cool ride - in more ways than one.