Day 40: Llíber (Cycling)

Dawn this morning was similar to yesterday - just about freezing! Warm by 10am, when I set off for today's voyage of discovery.

I chose to cycle up the Vall de Gallinera, previously I have descended the valley towards Oliva. Also, making an ascent gave me the opportunity to make a detour up the closed road to the Mirador del Xap from Benialí. You may recall from an earlier post that I approached from the opposite direction to the Mirador only to find the road closed.

So why cycle from the opposite direction you may ask: I just wanted to see what I could see and how far I could cycle up the 3.6 kilometre climb at an average gradient of 8.9%. Firstly, the early stages of the climb are pretty steep; secondly, I was able to cycle approximately 2.3 kilometres before my progress was barred. However, the good news is: work does appear to be in progress to repair the road. A "digger" was actively doing what diggers do when I took this photograph:

And here is a not very clear, zoomed in, photo taken from the main valley road showing the extent of the work needed to make the road passable again:

The ascent up the valley is pretty easy, typically the gradient rarely goes above five percent, the road surface is good and there are scenic views to be had. However, I did notice the road had recently been salted and, there are road signs warning of snow and ice. Here's a view looking down the valley towards Benissiva, with Miserat off in the distance.

Later I found myself cycling on roads that were new to me. Here's one as I head towards Vall d'Ebo:

Eventually I passed the junction of the Mirador del Xap road, which I ignored, and continued on to familiar roads heading towards the village of Val d'Ebo and beyond.

• Distance driven: 0
• Distance cycled: 92 kilometres
• Weather: Similar to yesterday but, some cloud in the afternoon.

Another enjoyable route: