Its a long way down!!!Making a habit of these early morning starts 5amish, missing breakfast for the first time and heading in to the mountains. There's a very large smile on Kenny's face today since they - CHELSEA - are through to the next round of the Champions League. Unfortunately its turned out that they will play Liverpool again in the next chapter - no worries!
The early morning mist still hangs over Sweet Lamb as the recce car approaches. The steep ascent from the start line over soft surface stone suggests that no competitor will average a quick speed along this initial section of the Selectif. As the gradient levels out at around 1200 feet, the way forward is twisty and demanding but the views from the top over looking the Plynlimon's (Pumlumon un Cymraeg) and the near by wind farm are awesome. The route then decends down to the main complex where there are two water splashes to negotiate before heading back in to the clouds, across the next headland and towards the end of this fantastic and famous of tests. While at Sweet Lamb a famous rally driver is having a work out with his newly acquired Ford Focus - I wonder if our intrepid Steve can match his times on these closed roads!
Some say Steve is as fast as Superman - but I can assure you, he wears his inside his trousers! Pant's that is!
So on to Aberystwyth and Kenny is working on a test never ever used previously on any rally! Quite impressive I am told, so watch this space?
The route heads north and linear once again, and on to Taliesyn Forest. A classic stage from by-gone times - 1960/70's rock band Deep Purple wrote an album about the Book of Taliesyn in 1969 - just a slice of nostalgia for us older statesmen in motor sport. Here this Selectif climbs forever upwards in to the mountains before descending rapidly in to Artists Valley. Talking previously of rock bands and maybe 'air guitars', Taliesyn has numerous 'fresh air' drops which will scare the pants of anyone, including our man of steel, Steve F! - but what a fun Selectif this will be!
On leaving Taliesyn and the Plynlimon's we head North and on to Machynlleth, famous for the original Welsh Parliament and Princes of Wales who sought conflict on numerous King's of England - well let battle begin in our next collection of forests. Pantperthog and Dyfi await the unsuspecting competitor and this is where Kenny expects the results table to change dramatically on the day! "These beautiful yet skillful woodlands demand 100% concentration when driving through the trees. Further large drops and hairpin bends will challenge even the best of drivers as the route plays Tango before Waltzing to a crescendo in to the valley's below. This IS rallying at its best!
So on to Dolgellau and the overnight stop off point for our brave recce crew. The Ship Hotel in the centre of this Welsh town plays host, but the welcome is far from British. A Polish receptionist greets the team while a Romanian Porter leads to the room. However, the waitress is thankfully a Spanish Senorita, so Kenny can show off his Espaniol skills! "Te Querio Corathon" is greeted with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders! Never mind, better luck next time C of C and at least a black eye is avoided!
So our bold team have a bed for the night and a later start in the morning at the Forestry Offices in Dolgellau.
So see you tomorrow for some more tales from the forests of deepest Wales and hear more about our famous driver Steve as he tackles mountains and valley's, rivers and streams, goats and rubber boots!...guess he's been watching Sound of Music again on night time TV!
See ya tomorrow!
The Chief Blogger.
