Ride four - kantara castle

Made to the top!

The top of the 'goat' road

'I'm the king of the world!!'

After a very late night this morning, I was exhausted from a lack of sleep and an excess of karaoke. The bar was full yet only I and two others got up and sang..some people need to lighten up! That aside it was a fun evening and I was lucky to share the evening singing with my friend who also happens to be a world class singer (no joke she is).

Beautiful rock formations everywhere remind me of America

At 11am I set off again on Celeste hoping that the new crank set wouldn’t let us both down as we head out towards the Mountain at Kantara Castle. I have ridden this climb several times before and was really looking forward to it. The foothills are not as easy as they may look as there are some thigh sapping gradients and the ever present north easterly wind that blows almost constantly across the plain in front of the mountain. Riding along I felt confident in the new ‘gubbins’ on the bike and although I could feel the Christmas excess I felt good. The wind was draining my energy and although I had pre hydrated before the ride I was already slugging back the high five zerodrink in my water bottles. It was HOT.

Kantara castle ramparts

Kantara castle

The climb proper began and I found myself winding my way slowly up the seemingly never ending switchbacks on the old road that leads to kantara Castle from Bogaz on the coast. The road surface here is poor, definitely DO NOT ride down this route, up is ok, but down would be lethal. Potholes and loose shingle everywhere. But the views as I climbed were as spectacular as ever and made all the effort worth it. There were long sections where I had to ride out of the saddle just to keep moving as I don’t have triple chain set.

Where are the red indians?!

Riding along the raod to Kantara Castle on top of the world!

Celestes about 30% up the climb from Bogaz

Celeste posing halfway up the climb

Inside Kantara Castle

I stopped a few times to take pictures and re gain my breath. There were more cars than I have seen before on this climb, mostly full of fat chain smoking tourists heading up to the castle at the top. The locals tooted and waved encouragement at me, the fat chain smoking tourists just blasted past within inches like they would back in their fat chain smoking countries.

Switchbacks on the climb to the Castle

At the top I turned right and headed along the top of the mountains to the castle at kantara. Here I met an American lady and her Norwegian partner. Both were gobsmacked that I had ridden up the road they had just narrowly missed killing me on as they chain smoked their way up that hill. We got chatting and I couldn’t resist showing off and telling them that not only had I ridden the mountain but I had cycled across the states and the Rockies etc. They put out their cigarettes, took my photo, and disputed my gps elevation reading which stated I had climbed nearly 800m (the final figure for the ride was 959m) as clearly being car driving chain smoking athletes they knew best.

GPS showing climb so far looking down to the northern beaches

The little bloke with a goat in the kiosk smiled took 5 TL (Turkish Lira) off me and promised faithfully not to steal, or allow anybody else to steel Celeste, as I embarked on the final stages of the climb on foot. The pathway up to the castle is very dicey and I would not advise it to anybody with mobility issues or an inability to remove high heels in favour of proper boots or at least training shoes.

Iskele village square on the way back

The views from here are simply stunning. I took my time here; I had earn’t it on the climb. I took in the views and the moment and stored it in my memory, alongside of some of the most spectacular views I had seen on my Trans American cycle ride. This place is just the best ride, it has everything, rolling hills, good roads, dodgy roads, stunning scenery, sunshine, goat herders, an amazing climb, a Crusader castle and to top it all the most thrilling downhill back to the coast, perfect!

Tonights sunset from my appartment

The ride today was IRO 35 miles, but it was up and along a mountain. If you come to Cyprus and don’t cycle this route you would need your head checking lol! On return to the apartment I ate a tin of tuna fish in some strange delusion it will turn my thighs back to Olympic champion status and hit the sun terrace. I'll upload the pictures as soon as this prehistoric wifi kicks in. It's so slow it takes about 20 minutes per picture!!

Great ride. Job done!

VIDEO HERE

Thought this pink house was cool!