Distance: 86 km
Time: 3 hrs 54 min.
Speed: 21.3 km/hr
Climbed: 793 ft
AHR (Average Heart Rate) 98 bts/min
Cum Distance: 1104 km
Cum Climbed: 20,378 ft.
Punctures:0.
Talk of two contrasting days! Yesterday climbing in cool dry heat on a dry and acceptably busy road; today descending for a long time in heavy torrential rain with lightning and ripping thunder on roads awash with soil-laden water.
Yesterday was one of great satisfaction; today was also enjoyable in that we made it through those awful conditions.
Breakfast today wasn’t till the late hour of 8am but I was out shortly after 5.30 to see the first light and capture a few images. It was windy but dry but overcast. The light didn’t really get down into yesterday’s valley but the view across the lake to the hotel was pleasant. But just after 7 the heavens opened for a period.
After breakfast it had eased off and rain gear was donned by all. Lights were also important today as we would negotiate 5 tunnels..front light, back light and head light. I decided to leave the legs bare but availed of the helmet cap. Today's route wasn’t for a paceline so the 5 of us agreed to travel down at our own pace.
By 8.30 we were off on the first stage. Once back on the main road (7C) we faced into the tunnel and we would cycle to the end of this in convoy (1.3 km) for safety. Not much traffic in either way. The tunnel slopes downwards straight away and no lights after the first few metres (total length 900m). I was grateful to Charles for the strong light I had. I did manage a photo as the surface was predictable but not a steady hand.
At this stage no rain and visibility was good. Down, down the road contoured dropping as it went along. Spectacular. And I’m getting the chance to cycle down that! The road disappeared into the cloud further down the valley of the Arges river. Since I tarried around with the camera, others headed off immediately and I could see them dropping quickly.
In a way I pitied those cyclists climbing up with full panniers but I’m sure they experienced the same elation as ourselves when they went through that tunnel to Balea Lake. The shepherd was back at the Monday job no matter what the conditions were like.
Around 6km I stopped to view the clouds coming up towards me, moving at great speed. Both photos just a second apart. Once they had enveloped me it became as dark as night and I needed that front light to guide me. And then the rain started. Not gentle Irish rain but buckets of it coming straight down. Now progress (especially around the hairpins) was very cautious. I was glad of the almost non-existent traffic coming up. And then the lightning and thunder started, not rolling thunder in the distance but the ripping crashing variety. I had this from the 6th to the 65th kilometre. 
Occasionally I halted under one or other of the avalanche shelters asa break.
For a period I cycled behind John and Marian Brady (Canada) but John tells me his grandparents are from Cavan. We made progress but conditions remained the same. My hands (although feathering the brakes continuously) and feet (no pedalling) were beginning to get cold. Finally when the slope flattened out somewhat, I went into a very low gear and pedalled like mad just to deactivate the feet.
After 15 km we were back into trees and the road straightened out somewhat. The rain still just pounded off the surface of the road. Loud gushing streams rushed down from higher ground and poured freely in a yellow river across the road. 
I didn’t feel threatened by the conditions. I was rather enjoying the adventure. Now and again I came up with other cyclists. At 20km as the road was reverting to a up-and-down profile Helmut (San Diego) fell on with me and we cycled out the day together.
At 29 km we came level with Vidaru Reservoir, a 10 km by 1.5 km body of water created in 1965 by the erection of a major dam downstream. And it did seem to be at a low level at present. And still the heavy rain, lightning and thunder persisted. No point in trying to keep dry but rather to keep moving.
In so many places, especially where people can turn off to view some attraction, I notice lots of litter thrown about and no facilities for disposal. That has been evident also in many villages we passed through over the last few days. Occasionally one spots a receptacle for plastic bottles.
Finally we reached the dam 40 km and rode across the top after a photo stop. This dam features in Top Gear’s Tour of Romania. On the off-side the drop is immense. Quite a few tourists were around here viewing the spectacle...the first grouping of people I’d encountered today.
Just after the dam we came to the 2nd of the 5 tunnels.It was just 200m long but I had earlier raised the beam of my light for the increasing traffic. So in the tunnel I didn’t have a clear view of the road surface but from the daylight at the far end I could make out potholes. It was a scary few moments.
The road still generally dropped around mighty walls of rock and on occasions loose rocks had fallen out on the road to add to the day’s hazards. One of our cyclists had a bad experience with one of these but cycled on. A bit shook up tonight though.
Around a corner and approaching the 50 km mark we could see the ruins of Poienari Castle perched high above us. This was a fortress of Vlad, the reputed inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. At our lunch stop (58 km) we had Dracula Camping and plenty more premises around were trading on the name. Nobody tarried too long at lunch today; more pleasant to keep moving.
The road was pretty flat for the rest of the day (30 km) but the heavy rain persisted. At one stage the large heavy drops felt like hailstones on my face and we decided to stop in the hope that it might become less heavy. It was just hopping off the road. After 10 mins we made a go for it and cycled on into Cuerta de Arges, our destination for the day.
At 2 pm we pulled into the hotel and the rain had just stopped. And by 5 pm the sun was shining in a clear blue sky.
We all enjoyed this different type of day. We don' t undertake these tours for the easy ride. Cyclists take the rough with the smooth, the hills with the descents.
Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.
Tough guys!
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a lot of rain!!
ReplyDelete