Day 43: Lorca (Ciclo)

A day for an off-road adventure, and so it came to pass!

After cycling passed Castile de Lorca the road surface quality deteriorated, but was ridable to the highest point of the day: according to Garmin (navigational aid) the elevation was approximately 726 kilometres.

Then I had roughly 25 kilometres of off-road to cycle on my gravel bike with 35mm wide slick tyres! What could possibly go wrong!

Well, I must admit there were a few sketchy moments, nearly off moments and the odd let's get off and walk moments (in total about 300 metres or so). But, mostly I took it easy on the steep descents and generally kept the pace down to a safety first level.

Even so, looking for the best/safest line to take on the path/track/river bed/gravel road, I became aware that trying to stay safe meant I spent only moments looking at the scenery!

Here are some photographs showing some of the scenery I did see:

A doer-upper! Just needs a wee bit of tlc!

It is worth noting that at times I was cycling down ramblas (Spanish for "dry riverbeds") of varying kinds. So, should you choose to cycle this route, I recommend you find out if it has recently rained. Otherwise you could be in for a rather nasty surprise!

Also, having wider treaded tyres would definitely be the way to go, and would likely provide for a more fun ride!

• Distance driven: 0 miles
• Distance cycled: 56 kilometres
• Weather: Sunshine and clouds. T's about 15°C. Light to moderate winds.

Today's route: