A month of local bimbles by bike and sea kayak in lieu of grander adventures deferred…
Close to Home Archive
Spring
A spot of spring to lift the spirits….
The West Wind, and Other Things.
A collection of mid-winter monochromes to close out the year.
Reflection, Renewal, and Choughs
Thoughts around reflection and renewal as the year draws to a close, with a sprinkling of Cornish Chough.
On a Northerly Heading
A ride on tracks and trails through the empty heart of Wales.
Bits and Bobs from the Far West
A round-up of pictures and accompanying “micro-stories” of no particular significance….
RIP Dummy, and Other Things
Happy days, and not so happy days; a story of the untimely end to the greatest bicycle I’ve owned, reflections on what could have been, and an atmospheric micro-adventure in the far west.
Being More Sparrow
A quick midweek post-work / pre-work two wheeled escape featuring a sweaty coastal bivy and some musing on being more sparrow.
The End of Spring
The summer solstice marks the end of the astronomical spring, and while inspiration was hard to come by I did manage to capture a little bit of what spring is perhaps meant to be while out riding around… I think. Maybe.
Spring Bunny
When defined solely in terms of riding, despite being limited to the narrow confines of the far west, the past year has been an unexpectedly rich one; I explored new trails, discovered stories I might otherwise never have known, and stitched together routes that likewise may never have happened.
Carn Galva etc
The closest thing to a summit here in the far west is probably Carn Galva, a granite outcrop on the Penwith moor, just a bit west of Zennor, a mere 827ft above the Atlantic crashing on the cliffs far below. It is unlikely that books would be written of a ride to the summit of Carn Galva, however in a world shrunken by Covid it does, perhaps, represent a worthy objective for a morning on two wheels.
Dawn Pastels & Cornish Trees
It turns out these things might have a life of their own after all; pictures and ramblings to wrap up 2020, a new year campout, and thoughts for a new lockdown.
Wiggle Room
Although geographically constrained by the ocean, the far west of Cornwall has a great deal of “wiggle room” – opportunities to use a bicycle as a means to strengthen my connection to my home, with the added drama of winter weather.
October
October in Cornwall is very much a month of transition as the trails turn to slop, and, as the early season storms sweep in off the Atlantic, the wind charts change from summer’s cool tones of blue and green, to the oranges and reds of winter. It is certainly an interesting month, so here is something of a photographic riding diary.
Penwith Pootle
Hitting the eject button with a two-day micro-adventure close to home in the far west of Cornwall. Linking together a bunch of muddy tracks and trails with a night on the cliffs made for a perfect journey of (re)discovery.