Spanish TET Day 5 Part 1 & Part 2.

Humbled by human kindness.

I didn't mention all the details of yesterdays weather misadventure as we're travelling fast and fitting in the blog where possible.  When we arrived in Ripoll i was freezing cold, my bike trousers were so wet that a cold puddle formed in the underside of the thigh area.  When i accelerated the water rushed into my pants like a testicle freezing tidal wave and when i stood up it drained down my leg into my boots.  Pleasant.

The chap at the hotel 'La Trobada' noted our position and acted with kindness, his mother bringing towels and a mat for me to stand on whilst i stripped, shivering like a wet cat, in the garage. He sorted the drying of our kit and was an all round kind chap. He didnt need to help, he just did. 

Today something similar happened when the chips were down, but ill get to that later.

We awoke early to get a start on the day and move out of the area before the bad weather hit again.  In the garage, whilst prepping the bikes, i saw the biggest worm ive ever seen.

...Check this out next to an adult mans foot. Its snake sized!

We were heading to Tremp about 220KM west of Ripoll, as we pulled out of the garage my bike wouldn't start, no power at all.  I had just been faffing with the headlight so i suspected a blown main fuse.  About 5 mins later it was fixed, i was packing a spare thankfully.

The road section was spectacular, a twisting band laying over the landscape like a giant ribbon.   We made good progress, stopping only for the odd photo.

82 KM of road section completed and we reach the first off road section, turning right onto the trail and we begin to climb.   The snow and weather looming ominously above us, this didnt seem right.  We'd purposely chosen a route to avoid the highest mountain passes in Andorra and with it the weather.   A quick check of maps reveled we'd gone the wrong way - doh. We turned a sped back the rain just about to start -  we did not fancy getting wet today!

Lazy Cow

After sometime retracing steps we found the correct trail and motored on, the weather getting hotter and hotter.  We travelled on this trail for miles, up and down and round the mountains.  At some points the trail was eroded with sheer drops to the right, i could hear Jasons warning on the bike intercom 'stay to the left, really really left!' 

Up here we passed six other bikers going in the other direction on KTM and Honda dirt bikes. On seeing our bikes loaded with bags  (they only had small light bikes) they asked Jason 'What are you mad men doing up here?'  :)

After hours and with a hunger we came to small village that promised food, but delivered a closed barn.  Take a look at the notice board below. (its in the background on the first photo and zoomed in below.) See anything odd about the Donkeys?

After a short break we moved on. More rocky mountain trails that are really hard on the bike and rider. My bike started making a clanking sound behind me.  Upon checking the luggage rack i noticed a bolt had sheered off snapping in two. I couldnt fix it on the trail and had to move the luggage about the bike (im carrying too much as i feared days ago.)  I did tighten the other two bolts, but all the weight was now on the exhaust fixing, meaning one wrong bump and the exhaust would fall off snapping the bikes frame.   That would be game over.

Picking down the hill trail with the care of a mother nursing a baby we made it to the road and went to the nearest village for food.   It was here, in the middle of nowhereville,  i needed to find a drill and bolts.....  Instead we ordered Tapas and Beer... .

will update later....


...and waited for a drill and bolts to come to us, which they did! We ordered every tapas on menu to the surprise of the owner and whilst eating a lad in his late teens popped out to a van parked in front our bikes. (my bike was in bits on the pavement)  Unbelievably the lad had tools and bolts in his van and gave us both!  Turns out he is an off-road motorbike owner and rider.  With his help and and mothers tapas we were sorted.  He wouldn't accept a tip, but we left money as thanks with his mum.  (humbled)

In the afternoon we made our way over the mountains and came upon huge circular valley full of colour.  The Tremp Gaus Basin is bright emerald green,vibrant and fertile.

Following Jason we joined the TET again rode around the lake taking in the scenery.

We decided to stay in Tremp in the middle of the basin and picked a hotel.  My room had an 'interesting' feature in that the toilet was in the shower cubicle, but the toilet roll was not.  Really really odd. Who does that?

The lady from the hotel, who looked like she was from a tight knit family (*cough), suggested we eat Willies. Which we did.  The town was nice, Willies good.

 The yellow ribbons feature heavily in the Catalonian region, a symbol of their political wish for independence.  Some politicians, who Jason pointed out, resemble 'Chas and Dave' were locked up and their 'Freedom' posters are everywhere. 
Note -i challenge anyone to an 80's pop quiz with Jason. We're talking Mastermind levels of knowledge. My money is on him.

Something odd we noticed about Catalonia is its distinct lack of women.  Where are they all, stolen by the other regions? We chatted on the bike intercoms about it and nick named the region Cougarlonia - we decided we'd seem enough and would leave the next day.