Today, we were back to the coast, with Chris and Karl deciding on an easier gravel trail down to the sea.

Who can blame them? 34 miles along the Bidasoa river for lunch, juuuust over the French border in Hendaye. For both of them, it was a day to go soak up some rays and beach vibes.

For the rest of us it was similar to Day 2 with out BasqueMTB guides taking us on a mountain to sea run in the morning and then back up for some mountain action in the afternoon. Actually we ended up not far from Chris and Karl, on the western, Spanish bank of the river at Hondarribia. It’s bit like the Northern Irish border round here – one minute you’re in Spain, then it’s France!

The morning run was fairly tame but it seemed that everyone and their dogs were out walking on the coastal path. We spent a lot of time having to stop and either our group or the walkers needed to edge into the undergrowth. This meant low speeds and lots of stops.

The afternoon was back in the mountains proved to be quieter and away from the crowds.

I was struggling with fatigue in the afternoon as the cumulative battering on hands and arms and pelvis took its toll. I chose to sit out the last two uplifts, which is just as well. The trails were more technical, with Prof having two offs (one of which was quite big even by his standards) and Brian one. Fortunately all survived to tell the tales over dinner.

It turned out to be the first night of the summer festival and it was loud. Thumping music from the fair, lots of drums, shouting and someone sounding a very loud horn, randomly, all night.

The party was still going strong at 6.00am in the morning. Gnarly!

About the author