A day in the Pyranees

Working in France again so we took a chance to spend the day in the Pyrenees  after a pleasent few days noses to the grindstone and running my rental 208 along the fantastic D625 between Mazerres and Mirepoix.

First we drove down to Foix and got onto the excellent D17 up the col du Marrous. Awesome run up the col and the 208 with tiny steering wheel was actually quite good fun, no grunt but decent turn in and nicely balanced. I kept it sensible has I had a colleague on board but still tipped it into a few before easing off when it got narrow as the snow encroached on the road.

After a steady twisty climb the route became inpassable and we had to turn round, stopping briefly to admire the depth of the snow, whip out the iPhones for some snaps and other things for a wee.

So back down the col and along to Terascon and a run up the next one, the  Col du Port (D618) Yay, the sign said it was open (albeit with a worrying snow chain sign) so we had another fantastic run which was clear to the top and, it has to be said, quite good fun in the 208. It would be superb in an Elise. Stopped at the auberge at the top for a beer and a smile and once again to admire the simply stunning view and exercise our camera phones. 

As we watched, a lone snowboarder set off up the mountain to take advantage of the powder - what a way to spend a friday afternoon eh! almost as good as getting in the north sea. 

We then headed down towards St. Girons, and discovered the other side was a bit more sketchy but passable. 

We got to the bottom no probs and followed the excellent road down the gorge which included a cool one way run  (D3) through some tunnels (oh for a sports exhaust).

Finally we pointed the nose of the Pug at Toulouse airport and got the hammer down on some more quality cross country roads (D627 being excellent out of St Girons) taking a wide route into the eastern side of the city.

This should be the end of this post but we hit terrible traffic on the Toulouse peripheric, got lost trying to avoid that traffic and very nearly missed our flight. The day was saved by some inspired google maps navigation on my part, the violation of a few traffic laws (starting with ignoring red lights), some insane 'french style' driving, rental car abandonment, 3mins to spare at check in and the tail end of the final call to board. The sting in the tail being that we were meant to be presenting our findings for the week to a guy from the venture capital company for the company we were working for. Queue lame jokes as we boarded about lead times, being Lean and just in time delivery.

Not yet finished I had another airport sprint to my 767 to Edinburgh connection which BA initially told me I had missed!

Now sat sitting sweating in 23k fully expecting my luggage to still be sat in Heathrow. The end to another mad week of 2013.

Crazy day at Bellhaven

It had been a good forecast all week and all over the east coast meetings got cancelled, wives got abandoned, output deminished and and those that liked riding waves made excuses.

Naturally the forecast shrunk as it firmed up but it was still running at 14 seconds period so good waves were coming and i had a window. Got to the beach 6.4 in hand and surf was certainly up, well up and very clean.

Starting my paddle out I watched a guy catch one on the outside and although he was ahead of it he was being chased by a healthy sized barrel...

Things went downhill from there, I wasn't getting out, in fact fifteen minutes later, and feeling flogged I was back on the beach. I moved along and had another go and finally made it out having taken an absolute hammering.

I got one early and it was a big old lump, made it to the bottom before as it closed out and I ejected and faced that paddle again. I followed this up with 30 minutes of dodging some big dark sets and losing the feeling in my right hand due to a hole in my glove. 

After some mincing around I talked myself into another one and just kept telling myself to paddle hard and that I would have loads of time to make the drop..just keep calm. So I paddled hard for a big one and it went down hill from there. I made it to my feet but got caught and pitched by the lip - tried to hold on which seemed to make the situation worse and finally went over with the wave and took an absolute battering. Found the surface, sat outside for a while and called it a day, soundly beaten and kicking myself for being such a kook. 

Luckily the Internet made me feel better with reports of others who had struggled and suffered a similar fate.

Average day at the local

Good few hours in the water, bit of a small tight crowd on a small peak but a nice enough session, especially when people went in.

This post is dull so i have included some barbie pics

Late run on the Devils Beef Tub

Quick update on the cooper d as I am at a loose end enjoying one of easyjet's a320s out of Southend.

Story so far has been that the cooper handles nicely but I have been struggling to get to grips with breaking and downshifts approaching corners all just a bit grabby.

So I found my self again late at night rolling onto a deserted devils beeftub, a glorious stretch of road heading up out of Moffat and all the way to Edinburgh.

The first ten miles are arguably the best, The road winds up the hills, initially throwing in some hairy tightening bends before loosening up into a supurb run of sweepers which can be taken as rapidly as you dare or the headlights allow.

setting off on full beam plus fogs revealed far improved vision in standard evening weather and i coupled that with pre-planned theme of heal and toe for downshifts to third or second and standard shifts when coming down to fourth of fifth. 

The result was I got the car properly hooked up for the first time and it started to deliver on its early promise. The surface was damp which lessened the grip levels and bought the car alive, no slides or craziness well within the limits of the car, but it really 'got down the road nicely', as Brewer might say.

Only on catching and passing a lonesome x5 did I realise the speed we were carrying, sweeping by as if it was stationary. I did the same again to a chavvy rover a few minutes later and At around this point I also realised that the car was staking a place in my top ten night drives list, genuinely giving me a bit of a 'driving moment'.

Despite the relative lack of power it was delivering where my Leon fr failed, enjoyment and chuck it down the road type fun. Its not brilliant, too heavy and underpowered for that, but very very good.

Downsides, the quoted mpg is a pipe dream at the best of times but when you push on, boy does it like a drink!

Other than that 4,000 miles in and I am warming to the clubman, it does most things I want out of a company car, and is working well as a surf vehicle.

I wouldn't be surprised if the SD does not give similar economy and if so, with the extra shove from the engine, it must be a cracking car.

Landing in 25 mins.....

Nice start to the day

East coast line, checking all the reef potential from seat 58a

Loads of untapped reef potential around this place my old place of work.

Mum's new toy

Hook a Brian James to the back with the Elise on, fill the garage with boards and head south to Europe. Do you think I would be missed.

"please pull me to the alps"

The Wall

Sometime there is far more depth to a good wave

its about:

waiting

monitoring the forecast

reviewing the diary and lining it up

good warm up sessions and being ready

shuffling work into the evenings to cover the time

getting up and out in the middle of the night

getting to the beach at the right time

and knowing the tides and the nature of the wave

its about

talking yourself into going out

the cold change in the wet car park

pushing your limits a bit

getting into the spot in the line up

and when the time comes and the big one approaches

its about having the nuts to turn and go for it

to give the extra paddle

and then you are up and in the moment

that big drop

that wall

the turns

the escape or the fall

that sensory overload on your brain

and the way it captures snapshots of the moment for later

then its over

just a bloke in a wetsuit

sitting

smiling

waiting again

 

 Left home 3.30 am and was in Yorkshire before sun up, called it to perfection and they were rolling in. Last wave was on one of the larger sets of the day - we figured after it was maybe the best we had seen through- what a fricken drop, the biggest thing I have caught on the east coast no question - I made it no question too, I think that's what I am so stoked about. I'll not forget that wall for a long time either. funny thing was the shear drama of the moment eclipsed the wave before which was right up there in my all time list of waves. when the big ones drew the water off the reef it got so f*cking good.

what a run, if I went for bath now i'd probably find waves.

what a fricken surf - magic.

40 Mins in at the Shallow End

Called it perfect, low tide home in Scotland and had 40mins of heaven before the swell lost the bottom. Head high at best and a-framing to allow two or three good turns before hitting the channel, which conveyed me back to the line up perfect.
 Just me and a seal too, it went to crap just as the next guy paddled out. felt a bit smug.