Pathetic Fallacy, meaning: where the weather echoes the feelings of the main character. One of two things I remember from GCSE English, that and onomatopoeia. Unfortunately for me today it rained and it rained a lot. It all started very well. I just had to endure one cow bell as I woke up on my trampoline and I could see that the cloud was looming low around the Alps so I tightened up my sleeping bag, rolled over and woke up again an hour later. The coldest morning yet so I systematically got ready in the sleeping bag and Brigit had shown me the toilet I could use so had a wash and was feeling ready for what Brigit warned was going to be a very hard days climbing. I said my goodbyes and got back on the trusty cycle path that followed along the major road to Davos. Stopped for a spot of breakfast, couple of croissants did the job and pushed on along the cycle path that gradually peeled away from the main road and followed along side the river. I was fine with this even though the track wasn't tarmac, I thought Nigel would have to experience a few rocks at some point. After around 2 miles away from the road the track split in two. One way, a very steep up hill that there was no way of riding but it led to a tunnel by a railway that I thought would be a more flatter option eventually. Did i take that way or the other route that followed the river and meandered away from me into some trees. I went with the push up the hill. Face to the handlebars Nigel had doubled in weight with how ridiculously steep this hill was. Sweat pouring off my head I eventually got to the tunnel which ran parallel with the railway's tunnel. I cycled for about 20m out the other side of the tunnel and my path turned into hillside and the railway turned into a bridge that crossed over a very sudden gap in the mountain. Back down to the other route it is then! Being very careful not to crash on the way down I eventually got back to the path that followed along the river. Cycled for an extra 500m or so and at the exact same place as the railway bridge, the cycle path had collapsed into the river! This is annoying I thought, looks like I have to go all the way back to the town where I had breakfast to reevaluate the situation. If the cycle path is closed then how am I going to get to Davos? As I again very carefully tried to nurse Nigel back down the rocky path I had cycled up I heard a twang at the front. Oh no, spokes gone! I've had one broken spoke before and they're by no means ideal. On closer inspection it was worse. The rack that I knew would fail as I couldn't do anything to stop it from failing permanently had done so in the worst place possible. I wasn't close to a town, the town that I was close to wasn't big by any means but at least it wasn't raining I thought and its not like I have a time limit. I took the pannier off and eventually made a backpack out of it with some parachord. My initial elaborate attempts failed miserably so I resorted to a one strapper just like all the cool kids had in year 7. A couple of people were hiking by and I sent them back as the way was shut and they said ah well we will just follow the path on the otherside of the river. There you have it then, that was my plan C! I got to the other side and that soon went wrong, overgrown and unsuitable for Nigel forced me to go all the way back to the town I had breakfast in. 3 hours had gone by and I had travelled about 9 miles in total but most of that was going back on myself. I had to sort the pannier/backpack design as it just wasn't comfortable for what was still a 25 mile slog to Davos to find a cycle shop. I decided to bungy the front pannier on the back with the tent and sleeping bag and nurse Nigel all the way to Davos. After cycling around 10 miles on a road that a local said bikes could go on although it became very clear that the drivers didn't want me on, I arrived at a small town. I asked a lady where the nearest cycle shop was and she said in Klosters which was 10km before Davos and a town that Brigit had mentioned that the Royal Family had a skiing holiday at. By Royal Family, I do mean Prince Charles and Harry etc and not Ricky Tomlinson. First mistake of the day, getting my hopes up about a town that's good enough for the Royal Family selling front Racks for panniers, only set my self up for a disappointment I'm afraid. After waiting till 2pm as they have 2 hours for lunch it seems, I went to two Cycle shops and nothing. "In Davos?" I asked, possibly was the reply, to be fair to them they didn't get my hopes up as much as the previous old lady did. I asked for the direction to Davos and the man replied with directions I'm sure would sound ridiculous anywhere other than in the Alps. "Straight down this road, take a right that you can't miss with the sign saying Davos and then up!" He wasn't wrong, it was straight up. By this time the rain was getting heavier, temperature colder, visibility darker and air thinner. Hopes of finding something in Davos were not high and by now my feet and hands were freezing. The sound of screeching brakes, car spray flashing past me, lorry engines all combined with the weather put me in a situation I really wasn't enjoying and the main shame was that this was the Alps, a place of beauty when the weather is right but not in this case. I survived the pass to Davos and arrived cold and wet. The first cycle shop, no luck but there were two others she said that could help. The second, a "specialized" shop that I didn't hold my breathe for because specialized are more of a mountain bike make. The guy there was really helpful. I had a coffee, he thought of different options but the trouble was that they don't get their orders in until Thursday and all the cycle shops were away Thursday and Friday at an exhibition. He was positive though and he lifted the bike and thought it could handle the weight. I'm sure Nigel handled a similar load cycling 900miles to Inverness which I happened to complete the same
milestone today incidentally. This time though, I need to be able to do a further 10,100ish and so no front rack wasn't helping me. We had a sit down to see what route I will take out of the Alps and the guy at specialized was very knowledgeable and has really helped me with my next 2 days. Before I left he stopped me and gave me a beer and 2 bars of chocolate, "you may need some energy tomorrow" not only this but he gave me a heads up on where I could camp for the night. An absolutely top bloke that I'm gutted I didn't get the name of. As I pushed Nigel to the third and final shop I really wasn't holding my breath. The man looked at the bike and the outcome was as i had expected. No rack, exhibition on Thursday, they don't really specialise in touring equipment mainly mountain bikes. He then proceeded to tell me everything that was wrong with Nigel. Taking a completely different attitude to the last shop, I was shown all the best bikes, all the best equipment and all the high prices. This is great I thought but let's stick to the first issue, I need a rack. Now I'm in noway under the illusion that nothing will break on Nigel but if I were a man that wasn't going to so something just incase something may go wrong then I wouldn't leave my house and I certainly wouldn't be trying to ride to South Africa!! To be fair to the man he did try to help but I was aware that the next few days especially I have to be the smoothest rider and probably be the one with someone looking over him if I am going to get out the Alps, let alone get to South Africa. I said to the man, "thankyou for your help, you never know until you try and I will just have to pray that bit harder" with that I left. Back into the rain and back up another pass towards a ski resort called Pische. The specialized guy said there was a sheltered area up there, as its never used in the summer months nobody will be there so I should be good. I cycled under a car park shelter where there were a few unused caravans and cars probably being stored there and just rolled out my mat by an old cable car. I laid all my panniers out and cooked some pasta and just lay there thinking. Do I lose some weight now? Is there anything I can get rid of to lighten the load? As the rain continued to pour down, I drank my beer and thought about the last man's attitude. Maybe his is right, maybe the gear I've started with isn't good enough but there's no point crying about t now. I can get out of the Alps in 3 days max, just ride smoothly like today and ill be ok. One things for sure it's not going to be easy but I always knew that. The Alps are proving rough, but I'm made of stronger stuff, I just pray Nigel is too.
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