I did it! Again!

This time the goal was to "do" the Granite Way, a dedicated cycle route from Okehampton to Lydford on the track bed of the former Dartmoor railway which originally ran all the way to Cornwall and follows the northern border of Dartmoor passing several of its Tors.

My track: 94.2 miles, 2045m elevation gain, average 10.3mph

The outward journey was the same as for the Tarka trail up to Crediton. To ring the changes my return journey started with a segment of A30 which is a major trunk dual carriageway with very fast traffic and then veered northwards at Whiddon Down crossing the mid-Devon aka Tarka branch line several times.

A carefully dosed administration of magnesium ions in the form of supplement tablets and, on returning home, an Epsom salts bath successfully warded off cramp which on former long bike rides has plagued me.

You can view my photos here. Some notes on the photos in order:

• The trail starts at Okehampton station which is currently being resurrected from 50 years of inactivity;
• The trail is initially adjacent to the still existing but disused railway track as far as and which served a quarry; 
• Beyond the quarry the trail goes over the Meldon steel girder viaduct, after which I deviated to view the nearby Meldon reservoir and dam from which the viaduct is visible;
• Later on it crossed a second smaller viaduct made of granite
• The trail terminates rather abruptly in Lydford, a charming village where everyone I met was very friendly;
• I went a bit further to check out Lydford castle and church;
• To return I retraced my steps, stopping to snap a lovely beech avenue, a sample of the short stretch of unpaved surface, and a view of the Sourton Tor on the skyline;
• Some more views of the Meldon viaduct and its inner workings;
• I left the trail just before its end to access the A30 as suggested by Google maps and to do so had to masquerade as an Emergency Vehicles Only;
• I've included a couple of views of where I crossed the mid Devon line.

Whilst 94 miles in one day seems like an achievement for me, it was nothing compared with the guts and stamina and tenacity we have witnessed in the 2020 Paralympics.