If you've ever been to Benidorm and looked in land all you can see is huge mountains.
Today I started my latest tour and day one saw me heading straight into those mountains.
I managed to follow my route out of Benidorm well and after about three miles I took a small track beneath the motorway to pick up with the road open the mountains and after a further half mile rear panier managed to fall off.
One of the two mounting hooks managed to detach itself from the bag, fortunately it wasn't broken and after dissembling the bag I managed to refit the hook, 30 minutes lost not a great start.
Once I reached Polop the gradient really stepped up, about 100 cyclists on their road bikes must have passed me laden down with two heavy panniers. The road just got steeper the gradients were 15% and persisted at last for long periods. My legs weren't ready for a lot after weekend Benidorm and my ride was very much start stop.
I laboured my way up to Confrides and had to stop to get some refreshments. Much refreshed I cycled the last 500ft to the Port de Confrites which stands at 3200ft.
A fast ride down followed all the way to Gaianes from there I powered up 800 feet on some crazy hair pin bends.
From Rafoi de Salem I took another dirt track to avoid a very busy road and all was well until just before La Pobla it took a nasty uphill turn with a gradient of about 15% and after more hard work I was in Beniganim.
So slow was my progress it had started to get dark so I stopped to put lights on. I cycled across the dam at the Bella's Reservoir however it was too dark to take my usual video or even take a photograph put the dam looked enormous.
I took a small Road into Bellus and there were only 10 miles remaining. However I was out in the sticks it was now really dark and I had three further Hills to climb with a combined elevation of almost 1, 500 ft
I eventually rolled into town at 7: 30 about 1 hour after sunset and I must admit I was drained having done 65 miles and almost 5, 400 ft of climbs.