Jeff Fraser (Silver Fox), Bob Turner (Cap'n Slow), Jim Pinnock (Big Jim) and I, Andy Lander Stow (Fixer), entered and completed the Rally and this is our tale.
The Rally is primarily for the large 'trailies' like the KTM 990 Adventure and the BMW R1200GS.
Friday the 17th arrived and so did Bob and Jeff. We had arranged to meet Jim on the M5 (Jim lives in Croyde) with the idea that we would both be leaving home at 11am. Plans do go awry and we didn't leave my house until 11.30....this was Ok tho' as Jim didn't get away until then either!
We managed to get all my stuff as well as 3, 20 litre, jerry cans and a fuel jug into Bob's Kia and off we went. We met Jim at Taunton Dene Services and Jeff travelled with Jim so easing teh overcrowding in the Kia.
The drive to Dolgoch was fairly uneventful with lots of planning being done in both vehicles enabling us to have a plan for any eventuality. We stopped at Beulah (the nearest village to Dolgoch only 10 miles away!) and filled the bikes up with fuel as well as all of the Jerry cans and three 5 litre cans. Jim then transported the fuel to the Hostel.
We arrived at about 4.45pm and had a look around what was doing a good job at camouflaging itself as a hovel. The advert on the YHA website says that the hostel has gas lighting! It didn't mention that the water came from the stream outside (although it was filtered) and could not be drunk unless it was boiled! The garden to the front of the building has a bridleway running through it and although we didn't see any horse riders there were several horses grazing on the 'lawn'.
L-R, Bob, Jim and Jeff having breakfast under the gas lamp.
The front 'lawn'. Bob misunderstood when we said we were going to another country and packed his shorts and flip-flops!
The beds were quite comfortable and we coulkd use the 5 bed room as well as the 4 bed room giving us all a lower bunk to sleep in.
The night was a nightmare as I was full of apprehension for the following day and then Bob started to snore. At 3.45am I was awake and reading my book totally unable to sleep. I cat-napped for an hour or so before giving in and getting up at 06.45.
Jeff was up shortly after and he started to cook breakfast using the provisons we'd purchased from Beulah the previous day. Sausage, Eggs, Bacon and toast I believe was the order of the day.
Jim was kind enought o act as fuel bowser as you are only allowed to refuel in the Start/Finish area and there are certainly no filling stations anywhere near the venue! Jim drove up to the start - a whole 2.5 miles from the Hostel - and we then joined the queue for the numbers and tokens for the food wagon.
Finally it was all was done, the bikes and helmets had been scrutinised - my bike got an advisement to fix the footrests as the return springs had long vanished - and all we had to do was hang around for 2 hours as our start time was 11.55am!
L-R, Bob, Jeff, Me, Jim. All stood around Jim's bike with the luckless KTM Adventure S which got thrown down the track at least once by it's rider (none of us).
Post-scrutineered bikes - as far as you can see!
The first part of the course took us along a fabulous greenlane full of puddles (deep) and rock gullies until we suddenly had to leave the track, climb a grassy, muddy smaller track and get into the forest. The grassy track was my undoing as a rider on an African Twin was having a 'mare of a time ascending this slippery little route so I decided to ride round him. On a Trials rear tyre this was not a good idea with me crossrutting and making an ass of myself. I did get through Ok but I was quite warm afterwards!
Then it was through the forest to a small deviation through a mud puddle. Usually no proble for the TVTR members we sailed past quite a few bikes struggling to get through even though most of them had motox tyres on!
Carrying on we passed over the Beulah to Tregarron road and back into the forest finally exiting to cross the Llandovery road and arrive at the first special test - 22.5 miles from the start.
The special test was 2+ miles long and as time wore on the track became rougher and rougher so the faster you went the more air you seemed to get. The first lap was a sighting lap so the clock wasn't running.
Then a 3.5 mile run to the 2nd special test which was nearly 5 miles long and quite exhausting. The finsih of the 2nd special test was only 0.7 mile from the Start/Finish area and it was time for Bob and Jeff to refuel both their bikes and themselves whilst Jim refuelled himself and I stood idly by!
Bob's KTM400EXC has a very small tank and seems to be quite thirsty. Jeff was being cautious and refilling as his bike also has a small tank whereas Jim and I both have larger fuel tanks and reckoned we could do lap two without refilling.
The sighting lap had taken us 1hr 34mins to do 34.5 miles
Jim, Bob and Jeff at the end of the 1st special test
All 4 of us at the end of the 1st timed special test
Arriving at the Start/Finish area we helped Jim load up his bike and used one of the two coupons for free food. The organisers had given us two tickets worth £3.50 to spend at the 'Burger Van'. £3.50 got you a cheeseburger (which was a real meat burger topped with a slab of cheddar and onions if you wanted them) and a cuppa. I opted for the addition of a piece of apole and raspberry pie for an extra £1.30.
I left to go back to the Hostel first with the intentions of borrowing a brush and a bucket to wash the bikes in the stream. I managed to blag a hand brush and a squarish bowl and rode back along the rough track that leads to the Hostel (only 0.6mile but it takes 20 mins in acar as it is very rough) to the optional ford where I parked the bike in the stream and got on and washed it. Jim returned and follwed me to the stream and gave his bike a wash but Jeff and Bob opted for the more energy efficient, lazy option of having a shower themselves and dang the bike!
Jim washing his CCM650 whilst my CCM404DS looks almost pristine after it's wash.
The pub was actually the Talbot Hotel and the food was reasonable in price, quantity and taste. I can't answer for the beer as I don't drink alcohol. Whilst we were sitting there we were treated to a fashion display as the local girls (I presume they were local as Tregarron is the only place for miles around) marched into the bar for a swift drink before catching the bus to Aberystwyth. I think 4 older men actually enjoyed a sight for sore eyes.
I drove Bob's Kia back to Dolgoch as he had had a couple of drinks and it was a prudent gesture although I would wonder if a policeman had ever been to this part of Wales!
Back at the Hostel we discovered we'd been joined by 4 male walkers (all older than us) and a married couple driving an MG sportscar. I'm still wondering how they got the car along the half mile track without ripping the sump off?
As there was a lady of the female persuasion present Jeff and Jim had to vacate the 4-bed room. Jeff moved into Bob and my room and Jim opted for sleeping in his van. At 11pm I went to bed hoping against hope that I could sleep through Bob's snoring.
Jim needed to get his van to the Start before Sunday's Rally began so he went off at 08.00 with us following shortly after. We needed to fill the bikes up with fuel and I garbbed my 5litre container and tipped it into my bike's tank only to find it wouldn't take all 5ltrs. My bike was being the most economical out of the 4!
arriving at the Start/Finish area we found Jim sited where he'd managed to park on Saturday and Bob and Jeff used the fuel in their jerrycans to fill their bikes.
WQe ddin't have so long to wait this morning as our start times were 9.55 for Jim, Jeff and Bob and me a minute later.
The left column is numbered 1 to 16 and allows me to use 1 as my projected arrival time at the 1st special test, 2 = my time at the 2nd special test, 3 = end of lap one and 4 = start of lap 2. Then it repeats for the next two laps. You can see my start time (which is immaterial it is only used to space the riders out as the only bits you are timed on are the special tests) at the top under my name.
According to the organisers we were expected to arrive at the first special test after 70 minutes. The organisers also said to take it easy on the transition stages and enjoy the view. We found that most of the other riders that started after us (not many as we'd entered as novices so we were running at the back of the field which kept us away from the really fast guys) would come steaming past treating the forest trails as a Motox track! Slightly intimidating at times!
Ouch! Jeff is on the right with Jim and Bob in the group of 3 behind.
This section was my favourite as it involved more of the stuff we are used to in Devon. Riding through massive puddles, riding alonga stream and up big slate beds and across stone strewn trails...we all thought this was the best bit.
Pressing on we arrived at the first special test (same as yesterdays) in 59 mins so we were ahead of our projected time. Special Test 1 and 2 (also the same as the previous day's) were completed without drama and we arrived back at the Start area only to find Bob had a rear wheel puncture.
Jeff coming sedately through a puddle
Bob having a 'problemette' involving Jim getting his feet wet to help him!
Bob trying to make up for lost time through the puddle - one of a few thousand!
Jim exiting the same puddle.
On the second lap we saw the Air Ambulance landing near the 'Trials Section' so arriving there was ascertained that it was a young Asian lady who'd plummetted off the track and she was OK but sustained a broken leg. The trials section proved to be more fun on the 2nd lap as we knew what to expect and all got through it cleanly. Half way along there was a loud roar from my CCM as the end can came detached from the exhaust pipe. A 5 minute stop sorted it out and off we went again.
Arriving at the 1st special test 3 minutes late - we'd made up 15 minutes with Captain Slow leading (so there's a misnomer) - we managed to finish lap two 3 minutes ahead of time. Lap two took 87 mins which was 10 minutes faster than Lap 1!
We were 4 minutes late leaving for lap 3 but took a middling pace and completed the lap in 90 minutes. We arrived at the first special test (again) 17 minutes early so we'd made up time. All was well until I was tearing along the second special test and the loud roar happened again. I didn't even slow down, I'd just passed a larger bike and was trying to outpace my guardian angel..there was not stopping only half way through the test. At then end I stopped and discovered that the can flapping about had fractured the very end of the rear subframe and I had to refit the end can and carry my tool kit back clenched between my knees.
I've always had doubts about the end can on the CCM as it has a heat spot on the side of the can where I think the baffles are a bit restrictive. A high speed, low gear dash produced too much back pressure for the can to handle and, coupled with the high revs/vibration, slowly worked the can off the pipe.
We all finished the Rally 14 minutes ahead of our schedule even with a difficult puncture and my exhaust/frame problems.
Back at the Hostel we loaded the bikes (without cleaning them) onto the trailer and filled their tanks using the fuel left in the jerry cans. My CCM had been the most economical using an extra (to it's full tank of fuel when we started on Saturday) 13 litres of petrol. Bob's used an extra 20 litres and Jeff used an extra 19 litres. We tipped the remaining fuel into Bob's car to help on the journey home.
We have no figures for Jim as he had a different set of petrol cans so I don't know what he used.
Horses grazing on the front lawn of the Hostel. Picture taken from our bedroom window.
We waited until the pub opened and then had a leisurely meal with a few drinks which saw me driving back to the hostel inthe teeth of a gale. The road had been strewn with debris and leaves since we'd come along it.
The couple in the MG had gone that day but the wlakers were still there and we enjoyed their company. Jeff moved back into the 4-bed room and I went to sleep with ear plugs in.
Rising at 7am Jeff was already up and the walkers were off. We followed at 08.48 and after a leisurely trip across the Mynedd Eppynt to Brecon we arrived back in Ivybridge at 13.48.
A fabulous time in great company.
Cambrian Rally Data and Costs can be downloaded here
To summarise...this event is all about speed off-road, as the 2 special tests are set against the clock. If you do not want to go fast but would enjoy 5 laps of the Welsh Forest and surrounding areas then have a go...you don't have to be competitive on the special stages but watch out for the fast guys creeping up behind you.