0:00:26 > 0:00:31# Gotta get another mile or two
0:00:35 > 0:00:40# Gotta get another mile or two... #
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Well, that appears to be working,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46but this month on The Adventure Show we'll see if I'M working
0:00:46 > 0:00:49as I take on 300 kilometres of cycling
0:00:49 > 0:00:52up some of Scotland's toughest climbs.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Well, you saw me suffering last time
0:00:54 > 0:00:57but I think I got the long straw, to be honest -
0:00:57 > 0:01:01compared to what you're facing, I'd take on my challenge any day.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06300 kilometres of uphill ascent... isn't that, like, 185 miles?
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Yes, thanks for reminding me.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I'll be taking on the Snow Roads Audax,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13that's over 16 hours in the saddle, probably 17, maybe 18,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and I'll be climbing 4,800 metres
0:01:15 > 0:01:18up some of these really, really tough climbs.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I've absolutely no idea why I'm doing it,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23but it's the challenge of taking it on...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25bad idea!
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I think you're just charting our descent into the abyss, aren't you?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- This is... - It does get worse than this.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Pedal goes up, pedal goes down, pedal goes up, pedal goes down.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41The thing about an Audax, it's important you do it
0:01:41 > 0:01:44self-sufficient and unsupported, but don't tell anyone,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I'm being supported by Cameron McNeish here,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and I'm delighted you're here, Cameron, because you did Land's End
0:01:49 > 0:01:54to John O'Groats recently, you know all about long distance cycling - am I mad or will this be a breeze?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Well, yeah, a bit of both probably,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but there's a couple of things to remember,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02from my experience, a bit of a hint and tip -
0:02:02 > 0:02:05faster is harder than longer.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08You don't have to go fast. And it's long, but it's actually easier
0:02:08 > 0:02:12than going fast. You'll be fine, you're young and you're fit and...
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- Well, maybe not so young now but... - I was young.- You'll be fine.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- You were young once. - Once, yeah, exactly.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20You're a veteran of some of the great races in Scotland,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22you know, the Strathpuffer and...
0:02:22 > 0:02:27- I've made a mess of many events on The Adventure Show and I've come to...- You'll be fine.- ..a sticky end
0:02:27 > 0:02:31- in one or two of them as well... - No, you're right, we're not allowed to actually support you
0:02:31 > 0:02:34so we'll have to be very careful in how we sneak you energy bars and whatnot.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Yeah. So you've got all my drinks, all my water, all my stuff in the car and all that.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42You're not supposed to be supported but frankly, 185 miles
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and all that climbing, I'm not telling them if you don't.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It'll be fine. Sshh!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Later in this month's Adventure Show, Cameron heads to Norway
0:02:51 > 0:02:53for a wild weekend in the mountains above Voss,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58and we'll discover they do it in style over there.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- Oh, we're not going to go hungry. - Nope.- Wow, look at that!
0:03:02 > 0:03:05And back in Scotland, we'll be polishing up
0:03:05 > 0:03:10our paddles for a taste of white-water kayaking.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I've had many, many scary moments on the river.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I still get them now, it would be odd not to.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You need...you need a wee bit of fear in your life, I think.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Wahaaay!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But first to the Snow Roads Audax,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29that very, very long bike ride ahead of me.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33It takes place on the roads north of Dundee and west of Aberdeen.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35From the small village of Kirriemuir,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38it's north-east for 65 kilometres to Banchory,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41with a gruelling hill climb on the way.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It's then another 90K to Dufftown.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But there are two killer ascents still to come -
0:03:47 > 0:03:49there's that steep climb over the Lecht,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and after 200 kilometres in the saddle to Braemar,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55there's an equally tough one over Glenshee,
0:03:55 > 0:04:00and if I survive all of that, it's back to the start at Kirriemuir.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04You have to be crazy! I'm afraid
0:04:04 > 0:04:06once it gets in your blood, there's no stopping you.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08To me, cycling is stupid, you know,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10because it's that miserable most of the time.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12But the fitter you get, the harder it is,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15so you never really get anywhere. It's only a bit frightening
0:04:15 > 0:04:18when you're going down a hill on a tandem, that's the trouble.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I shut my eyes because I cannae see very well anyway.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It's like... like being a kid in some ways,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26you get to go out and play all day and, er...and it's...
0:04:26 > 0:04:28that's fun, you know?
0:04:28 > 0:04:29What fun, eh?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I think, erm... I've been worrying about this for a long time,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33which I often do before doing events,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but I didn't sleep at all last night.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I had two hours' kip so I hardly slept, it was dreadful,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which is wrong, I should... I actually should go and go out
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery I'll ever see
0:04:43 > 0:04:45from the back of my bike, but actually, I'm not.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Now you can catch the rivers of perspiration!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56APPLAUSE
0:04:56 > 0:04:59And here we go. Good luck, guys! Good luck, Dougie!
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Rather them than me!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Let's be clear on one thing, this isn't technically a race.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09It's not a sportif, either.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's an Audax, a sport that has its origins
0:05:12 > 0:05:16in Italian endurance events of the late 19th century.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Success is measured by just completing the event,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but there's also a pride in turning in a good time.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24It's a long distance challenge
0:05:24 > 0:05:26where people have to cover
0:05:26 > 0:05:28a route of a certain distance
0:05:28 > 0:05:30within a time limit.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32There's a maximum time limit beyond which people, you know,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35can't go, and there's also a minimum time limit.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Maybe the last five or six years that the sportifs have
0:05:38 > 0:05:40become the biggest thing in cycling,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I mean, what do you guys think about things like that?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45There's an old joke, Dougie, that you may have heard.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48What's the difference between a sportif and an Audax?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50A sportif is for people who like to pretend that they're racing,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53an Audax is for people who like to pretend that they're NOT racing.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58What sort of person takes part in an event like this, because it's... I mean,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00it's not usual, is it, I mean, it's a big challenge.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Oh, there's... there's all kinds, from the really super-sporty
0:06:03 > 0:06:05to the quite eccentric,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07so it's all types.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11There's a lot of contrary people in the world of Audax.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15I think it's... it's a very special niche, I think.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Somebody described it to me as kind of being one of the most
0:06:19 > 0:06:22bad-ass things you could do but nobody would know it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Erm...because it is...it's a personal challenge that nobody...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30people would almost look down at you
0:06:30 > 0:06:32if you tried to go round really fast.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34There's a pride in having that second scone
0:06:34 > 0:06:37when you stop at the cafe.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Second scone or not, this is a deadly serious event,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43one of endurance and determination.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47The Cairn o' Mount's in about three or four miles...
0:06:47 > 0:06:53- Yup.- ..which is the big Category 2 climb, which,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57for anyone who knows their cycling, means it's a monster...
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Ha! I think that described it well.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Yeah.- But you're looking good, you're going well.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04You're pumping away, you've got a good rhythm going.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08It's quite interesting, Cameron, I've driven up the Cairn o' Mount
0:07:08 > 0:07:10many times, and you know it's steep
0:07:10 > 0:07:13when you have to put the car into first gear.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16I'm just about to ride up it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21We're now just at the start of the first big hill
0:07:21 > 0:07:23over the Cairn o' Mount
0:07:23 > 0:07:26and this is where it's going to get really tough for our riders.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29It's the first really big ascent, and it goes on for quite
0:07:29 > 0:07:32a long time, two or three miles of pretty steep uphill.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Cairn o' Mount's always the hardest one, and once you get over there
0:07:37 > 0:07:39you know that there's not going to be anything as hard
0:07:39 > 0:07:42as that for the rest of the day, and I always find that
0:07:42 > 0:07:44the hardest hill on the entire route,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46the first one we would get to.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Do you think that's kind of partly psychological as well,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51sort of getting the first big thing out the way?
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It might be, but it is very... it has got a very steep start
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and a very steep finish, so, er...
0:07:55 > 0:07:57that...that tends to... You've...
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Many a time I've felt like stopping halfway up but I've not, I've always managed to cycle
0:08:01 > 0:08:05all the way to the top without having a rest, but the temptation to stop
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and have a breather gets very strong about halfway up.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- It must be very strong, yeah.- Yeah. Soon be there.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13You just need to get in a suitable low gear
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and pedal away for a while, then eventually get there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Even Anne Mustoe, who was a great round-the-world cyclist, when she
0:08:21 > 0:08:26first went across the Alps, she was frightened, daunted, but she said,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29"You just keep at it, and after a while you go down the other side."
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Easy, really.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Nearly there! Slowly.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I have a big, long rant about physical meditation -
0:08:38 > 0:08:42there are a number of things like the dervishes in Islam,
0:08:42 > 0:08:47and the marathon monks in Japan, and the Lung-gom-pa runners in Tibet.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48All of these people do long endurance stuff,
0:08:48 > 0:08:54because just like yoga, it occupies the body and leaves your mind
0:08:54 > 0:09:00relatively free, and it's a very meditational sort of experience.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02You don't want to be impatient, though.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05If you think you're going to beat that guy to the corner
0:09:05 > 0:09:07and then overtake him,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11you're likely to find several hours later that you've blown something.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Oh! Ha-ha.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'I wish I'd had these tips beforehand.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19'It's a pretty disastrous start.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:20That was horrible.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'And my bike is having as many problems as I am.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Dougie's had it. - How are you doing?
0:09:27 > 0:09:31A bit of a mechanical problem. It's not good.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32Is that you rattling?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- Yep.- Have you got a problem with the bike?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- Maybe get you up the top and stop and see if we can...- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- I've lost my chain three times.- Aye.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43And it doesn't make it any easier, does it?
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Just let it happen.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Let it happen, don't worry, don't fight it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52'And things are going from bad to worse.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Chain's just broken. Oh, it's so annoying.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59The annoying thing was, I mean, that was, the climb was tough,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- but it was...- You were going so well down there as well.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03But it was doable.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You'd caught up with these guys and you were going really, really well.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10My chain was off three times down there, and then that's broken.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11The chain came off, eh?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14That's what I'm saying, it came off three times. Oh, no!
0:10:16 > 0:10:20'Typically, I haven't got the right kit with me.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- The chap coming up has just got a chain splitter.- Has he?- Yeah.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26'Luckily, someone is always willing to lend a hand.'
0:10:26 > 0:10:27Oh, fine. You're a fine man.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30'It's a temporary fix, but thanks to expert help,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32'it's enough to get me going.'
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- You got away with that one.- I know. - OK.- Thank you very much indeed.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38You're not getting away with not riding it!
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Yeah, a wee bit of a push to get me going. On you go, go on.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Just get my feet in there.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Are you in?- Yup, thank you. - Good lad.- Thank you!
0:10:49 > 0:10:52The great thing about an Audax is that other participants
0:10:52 > 0:10:56are happy to help out, even when someone's as badly equipped as I am.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58That's hard work.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Everybody sort of mucks in, you know, if you need help on the ride,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07you know, if you want company, then it's there to help you, you know,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12if you get into trouble, somebody will be there to help you, you know.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Everybody sort of helps each other
0:11:14 > 0:11:16because they all know it's a long, hard ride.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19# On the road again.... #
0:11:19 > 0:11:23If somebody's flagging, people will stick by them.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28No rider left behind, apart from those that are.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34It's just a hardened crew of nutters out there, who all seem to be twice
0:11:34 > 0:11:39my age and whip my ass every time, and I don't know how they do it.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41They're just amazing!
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Well, all that pre-race adrenaline has now gone
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and our riders are well and truly into the hard slog.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50For now, though, we're leaving this road bike epic to join Cameron,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54as he escapes the Scottish weather for somewhere slightly more exotic.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07I just love this country. I've been fortunate enough
0:12:07 > 0:12:09to visit Norway several times
0:12:09 > 0:12:12over the past few years, and I've come to the conclusion
0:12:12 > 0:12:14that Norwegians are my kind of people.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Everybody here explores the great outdoors either on foot
0:12:17 > 0:12:22or on ski, and indeed you're deemed to be rather strange if you
0:12:22 > 0:12:25don't have a pair of hiking boots or a pair of cross-country skis.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29But they treat the outdoors just a wee bit different here than
0:12:29 > 0:12:33we do in Scotland, and I'm here to find out more about that.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39'Train to Voss from platform two, soon ready for departure.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41'All aboard, please.'
0:12:46 > 0:12:48This is a big train and it's a busy one,
0:12:48 > 0:12:49because it's Friday afternoon
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and everybody's heading for the mountains.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I'm off to a place that claims to be
0:12:57 > 0:13:02the extreme adventure capital of Europe, a town called Voss.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I'm essentially a backpacker at heart,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I like nothing more than to take my tent and my rucksack with
0:13:13 > 0:13:17everything in it into the wilds for a few days at a time.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19But here in Norway, they do it differently,
0:13:19 > 0:13:24there's a huge network of mountain huts, all run by local associations,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and it's those huts that I've come to experience for myself.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43It's a wee bit wet.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's too late to head into the mountains now,
0:13:47 > 0:13:52but fortunately there's a hotel right on the station platform,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56one that was built in the grand Swiss style 150 years ago,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58when people started flocking to these hills.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I've always been an advocate of the full Scottish breakfast
0:14:10 > 0:14:12before a day in the mountains,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16but here in Norway they actually put the Scottish breakfast to shame.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18There's everything you could imagine, bacon and eggs,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22all kinds of bread, all kinds of fishes, cereals, yoghurts,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26including Mediterranean salmon fillet with cognac and juniper.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I think I'll have some of that,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and I think I'm going to be well set up for a day
0:14:30 > 0:14:32in the Norwegian mountains.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This area is close to where I grew up, it's high above sea level
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and it's open, and you can see it's got good views,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49and you can walk for days and find new spots.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I've been walking here for many years but it's...
0:14:52 > 0:14:53I always find new places to go.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'I'll be exploring these windy mountains above Voss
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'with local outdoor enthusiast, Are Mossefinn.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'Norway's huts tend to be about a day's walk apart,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05'so there are lots of options
0:15:05 > 0:15:09'for a long weekend or better still, a week of walking here.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'And it's not just the huts that make things easy, there's also
0:15:13 > 0:15:17'an intricate system of marked trails stretching right across the country.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:19As you can see there is a six to seven hour walk
0:15:19 > 0:15:22down to Torvedalshytta,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and another six hours to Volahytta,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26or you could do this,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28they're really close.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33And then there's a six, seven hours walk to Voss.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37There are several good starting points to the west which will take
0:15:37 > 0:15:40you through the area of Stolsheimen in about a week, or you could
0:15:40 > 0:15:44go down to one of these valleys and take the bus back to Bergen.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52- This is where the track splits in the DNT track network.- OK.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53So we're walking towards Selhamar,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and if you continue that way you get to Asedalen which is
0:15:56 > 0:15:59another four hours of hiking to a different hut.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01How is this mountain hut system organised,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03who is behind the whole network?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The mother organisation is the DNT,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10the Norwegian Trekking Association, which organises
0:16:10 > 0:16:12the network of huts.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18The different huts are owned by local departments of DNT,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22like, Bergan Turlag, which I represent.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26All our huts are self or unequipped and we leave them
0:16:26 > 0:16:28open all year, so there's...
0:16:28 > 0:16:31you don't need a key, you can just walk in.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Whereas other organisations within DNT, they have equipped huts
0:16:35 > 0:16:39with people, with staff, run more like a hotel would be.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- And can anybody use these huts? - Anybody can use them.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46It's cheaper if you're a member but they're open to anyone.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Are, is this old snow or has it fallen recently?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- This is snow from last year. - Oh, really?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So this probably will never melt.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'We own the huts but we look after the tracks,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'like the network of tracks going to and from, in-between the huts.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10'We mark them with red Ts.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15'This is all done voluntarily, it's coordinated by people that
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'work within DNT but it's done by volunteers.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- There's one that's fallen down.- Oops!
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'It's a way of making the mountain accessible.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32'Most Norwegians are used to think of going from one red T
0:17:32 > 0:17:35'to another, it makes you feel safe.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:37That's it, well done.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44That must be hard work, gathering up sheep by hand
0:17:44 > 0:17:45and not having a dog to help you.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you have to be patient as well,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50as you can see, the sheep keep running away.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Every year in Voss there's a skjelte,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- which is a festival for the sheep's head.- Oh!
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Because we don't just eat the mutton,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00we eat the sheep's head as well.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Do you have the eyes still in it?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- The eyes still in it... - And the teeth?- And the teeth.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We don't eat the teeth but we do eat the eye, it tastes good.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's just a muscle and just, of course, you pick out
0:18:09 > 0:18:11the black parts of it and eat the rest, which is just a muscle...
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Quite chewy?- Chewy, it's good. It's quite good meat.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I hope you've got something better in mind for our dinner tonight at the hut?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I do, yeah. We don't... we won't be eating sheep's head tonight.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Well, that's a relief.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29'A number of years ago I heard a word called friluftsliv,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32'but it was explained to me,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36'it seemed to encapsulate what the outdoors was all about.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38'It's outdoor living.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41'Very many like hiking, some like climbing,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46'some like going sea kayaking, it's very common in Norway.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'Would you say it was part of the Norwegian DNA?
0:18:48 > 0:18:50'Yeah, I would.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'A lot of Norwegians get taken out from they're very young.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56'For instance, I've met children six months old at DNT huts
0:18:56 > 0:19:00'with their parents, so, yeah, it's very much part of the DNA.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:07- Well, Cameron, there's the hut. - Oh, fantastic!- Yeah.- Fantastic!
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Well, that's closer than I thought it would be.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10What a beautiful position it is.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- It's a good location, just between the lakes.- Yeah, absolutely!
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- Well, let's go and get the kettle on.- Let's go down.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Ah, here we are, the kitchen!
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Ah, right into the kitchen.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- Oh, we're not going to go hungry.- Nope.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Wow, look at that! Look, tins and tins of food...
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Tins and packets of food.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- As long as you like tinned food... - Yes.- It's all good.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Well, we could probably start at one end
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- and just work our way down and across.- Yep, I think so.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Oh, wow, this is nice and cosy!
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- And a wood-burning stove?- Yeah. - Oh, just the job.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49So do you reckon there's anybody else staying here?
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Well, we can just check.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53One of the main rules is that the first thing you do
0:19:53 > 0:19:56when you go into a DNT hut is to write your name.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- And you pay here as well?- Yeah. You can pay either with cash
0:20:00 > 0:20:03or with these authorisation forms.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06It's just leave your name and numbers and details,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08just note everything you eat
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and then you sum it up in the end and just leave it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- And this is all based on trust? - It's all based on trust.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Yeah? Is it ever abused?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Very, very rarely, it works really well.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20You know it's a terrible thing to say,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but I'm not sure that would work in the UK. I might be wrong.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25We do have a lot of people from the UK coming over here
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- and using our huts... - Yeah, and not paying.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- And not paying.- I'm sure they do.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32- I'm sure they do.- I'm sure they do.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36OK, what's next, do we find somewhere to put our heads down on?
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Yeah, then we'll find beds, and get food,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and light the fire, yeah.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Ah, this'll do.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Oh, my billet for the night.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Oh, nice and comfy.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I could be Wee Willie Winkie.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I've got a nice duvet quilt, so all you have to do is bring
0:21:03 > 0:21:05a sheet sleeping bag to use, so you don't have to carry
0:21:05 > 0:21:10a sleeping bag and things, so, yeah, I think I'll be fine in here.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I've never done this before, getting water out of the lake.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21But I tell you, it looks beautiful,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and I'm really looking forward to spending a night here.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29'What about main course, what do you think we should go for?'
0:21:29 > 0:21:30'I like the bacalao,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35'which is actually one of the best tinned food we have.'
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- 'Is it, what is it?'- 'Dried fish which is boiled again afterwards.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:47So it's been a great day today, I've really, really enjoyed it,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and I can't help but thinking if I was at home in The Cairngorms,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I would be lying in a tent just now, probably shivering, whereas here
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I'm in the height of luxury, so I look forward to a good one tomorrow.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02'Join me later in the programme
0:22:02 > 0:22:05'when I'll learn more about the DNT hut system,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09'and I'll be having a go at freefall skydiving, without an aeroplane.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Right now though we're back to a wet day in Scotland, although
0:22:14 > 0:22:18that's probably an advantage if you're into white-water kayaking.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Scotland is a fantastic place for white-water kayaking.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Unlike the Alps where you maybe get springtime snow melt, we do require
0:22:35 > 0:22:38a bit of bad weather, but a great thing to do on a day like this.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Scotland's blessed with lots of natural environments,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46lots of natural places to go paddling,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50but to have something that is just this unique that we can get on
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and be predictable at this grade of water, so it's great, yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00'We've come to the River Moriston near Loch Ness, with Dave Rossetter
0:23:00 > 0:23:05'and Iain Murray from our national outdoor centre, Glenmore Lodge.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'These are ideal conditions for white-water kayaking,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'but as we'll see later,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14'even the best instructors can find themselves
0:23:14 > 0:23:15'in a difficult situation.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:21'Dave Rossetter - he's a good paddler, good coach,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25'a great guy to be on the river with, nice and chilled out,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27'and if ever I've got questions about...
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'whether it's my own coaching or whether it's just,'
0:23:30 > 0:23:32you know, out, any advice,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35he's great for that as well. A good guy.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'I've paddled a bit with Iain and we've done expeditions
0:23:39 > 0:23:42'in this country and abroad, and he's great, kind of just
0:23:42 > 0:23:44'his infectiousness, you know.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45'He's just great to keep'
0:23:45 > 0:23:47high spirits going, but a talented boater as well,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50so to have somebody there that can look after me
0:23:50 > 0:23:53'as well as work together, I can look after him at times, we can
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'just have the craic together, you know, so a good guy to have around.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'We're on the River Moriston kind of coming here,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02'and it's one of our dam release rivers that we've got in Scotland.'
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'It should be around about now where one of the hydroelectric guys
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'will turn the tap on, the river will fill up,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'and the rafts will be there for the paddling.'
0:24:12 > 0:24:14You'll find to get in and go boating,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18it's a little bit of a slide down into the water and away we go.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21The easiest way to get in really.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28'This river, of the dam release rivers that I've been on,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'has to be the best one.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35'A short section of river, packed full of rapids, you could go up,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39'do a few laps on it, you can paddle it several times, get the most value
0:24:39 > 0:24:43'for money, so to speak, and there's another great section downstream.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45'Steep, narrow, the power of the water as well, eh?
0:24:45 > 0:24:47'So in some of the rapids we've got
0:24:47 > 0:24:49'quite a lot of power coming through, so...
0:24:49 > 0:24:53'and that's what puts the grade up.'
0:24:53 > 0:24:57'I've had many, many scary moments on the river.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01'I still get them now, it would be odd not to.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06'You need a wee bit of fear in your life, I think,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'it keeps you on your toes, keeps you focused.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'And controlling that fear is a massive part of the thrill
0:25:13 > 0:25:14'and the adrenaline that we kind of get,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'so you can control it so therefore it's great, you know,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'to have that bit of buzz that makes you feel alive, really.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:23THEY LAUGH
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'When we get to the take-out, we'll just walk back up,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'carry the boats to the top, it only takes ten minutes,
0:25:32 > 0:25:37'and do it again, until we get tired.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'I'll see a lot of crossover between, say,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46'downhill mountain biking and white-water kayaking.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'The difference, I suppose, being that we're not moving
0:25:49 > 0:25:53'but the water underneath us is moving, so we have to adapt,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58'you know, using tactic and technique, to ride the water,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'because we can't fight it, that's what the water is,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04'we have to ride it to get the best way down.'
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'On one level it's definitely just the adrenaline and the buzz,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12'I'd definitely go with that,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15'but for me there is that bigger aspect of the sport,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17'and it is that working with the environment,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'being in the environment, using the environment to travel through,
0:26:20 > 0:26:21'that journeying through it,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23'and just the multiple ways that we can do that.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26'The rivers have been here for a long time and it's great to
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'use them and see their path down through it, so adrenaline,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31'absolutely, but I'm definitely
0:26:31 > 0:26:34'about more than that, as well, on the river.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'Even rivers that we do know, you know, there'll be times
0:26:39 > 0:26:42'where you want to get out and just check your line.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:44'You know, it is a natural environment,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46'it's been windy, there might be a new tree down
0:26:46 > 0:26:50'that we don't know about, there might be a new rock been shifted.'
0:26:50 > 0:26:52So we're looking to find the smooth, dark water,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and we're just going to go on that rooster tail we'd call it,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and that'll just kind of kick us nicely, and it'll avoid then
0:26:58 > 0:27:02the stopper, the recirculating area that we've got at the bottom.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06'On the Moriston, we have stoppers, we try and jump over them
0:27:06 > 0:27:09'or punch through them.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13'Basically the water's returning back into the drop,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17'and if you don't get through this backwash,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'then you might be in for the ride of your life.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Dave, he's in a stopper! He's got a problem, I think!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'It's a very sticky little hole there,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33'with the wee backup rock there,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35'so I'd got to go into the depth of it, kept pulling,'
0:27:35 > 0:27:38kept pulling, and the boat's not particularly edgy so I couldn't...
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I just didn't manage to get myself over there,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44maybe needed a bit more energy.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So I tried to go backwards and that didn't work.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48I just spun around, flipped upside down,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and I was getting very tired then so I just thought,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54"Well, I need some swimming energy,"
0:27:54 > 0:27:58so pulled my deck, swam, got to the side before the next drop.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03'Definitely a psychological effect, both of us had switched off.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'Tired, we'd been going for a long day, kind of up and down,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09'having lots of shots, we were getting tired on our strokes,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'lazy on our strokes, not really finding the kind of correct line,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'and we just didn't have the energy to fight it, really.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:18'That's it, national TV!
0:28:18 > 0:28:20'It's an ego thing, really, but that's...
0:28:20 > 0:28:23'It's just one of these things, you know, I got stuck,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'I gave it a good fight, I swam.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'I've got to be philosophical about it,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30'but my friends will love this, that's for sure.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:36'I didn't have to swim off, I could've waited for a rope.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38'I've spent a lot of time swimming in these waters
0:28:38 > 0:28:40'and I made the decision, once I'd caught my breath,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42'to save a bit of time.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45'Dave was downstream of me so I had some
0:28:45 > 0:28:47'backup downstream, gave it a go,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50'and swam through, caught the eddy.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'A little embarrassed but, hey-ho, we're all between swims.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:57'Expert kayakers, Dave Rossetter and Iain Murray showing us
0:28:57 > 0:29:00'how exciting this sport can be.'
0:29:08 > 0:29:11'Welcome back to the Snow Roads Audax.'
0:29:11 > 0:29:12We're well into the route now
0:29:12 > 0:29:16but unfortunately Dougie's bringing up the tail end, and that's
0:29:16 > 0:29:19largely because of the problems he had with his broken chain and having to replace it.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22And of course when you bring up the rear, that brings
0:29:22 > 0:29:26its own psychological problems, and he's been having one or two wee dips
0:29:26 > 0:29:29in confidence, but physically he's looking quite strong, and I think
0:29:29 > 0:29:33pretty well-prepared for some of the big hills that still lie ahead.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37This can't be the right way, into the wind again?
0:29:37 > 0:29:40We just keep on going towards that hill and round that,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43and then away from that hill and then straight towards it again.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47I'm glad I came with you guys
0:29:47 > 0:29:49cos I would've been completely and utterly lost.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- Do you know where you are, Dougie? - No.- No idea?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Not a clue. I knew I was in Aberdeenshire.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59So, that's me sorted... well, kind of, anyway.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03'Way ahead and out in the lead as they come into Banchory
0:30:03 > 0:30:04is a group of four.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Deziree is there to meet them.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- So first control point, how's it feeling so far?- Not too bad.
0:30:11 > 0:30:17We've got quite a long way to go still, but we've refuelled,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20a coffee and a bun will get us to the next control, I think.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23And how are the energy levels amongst the team?
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Aye, not too bad, aye.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27We're just trying to keep a wee group together
0:30:27 > 0:30:28because it's a headwind.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31There'll be a headwind up to about Dufftown or something.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33One of the good things -
0:30:33 > 0:30:35yes, I really did say there were some positives
0:30:35 > 0:30:38to cycling 300 kilometres with nearly 5,000 metres of ascent -
0:30:38 > 0:30:41is that there's a whole range of bikes on the course,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45including a tandem and this one.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48The recumbent, I find I'm quicker on,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51it's more comfortable over long distances,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54your weight's supported on your back,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and the main advantage is air resistance
0:30:56 > 0:30:59so you're a bit faster on the flats and downhill.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02So have you got a bit more of an advantage, then,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06over the others today, if you're saying that this is a bit faster?
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Not really because I'm lazy and slow uphill.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10So they'll all pass me going uphill
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and I'll maybe pass them going downhill.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Provided there's no engine, you can use any bike in an Audax,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21and unlike a professional race,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24there's no formal peloton or team cycling.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26'You quite often do some of it on your own,
0:31:26 > 0:31:31'you can ride it with a group of you come together and ride round,
0:31:31 > 0:31:36'or as often happens with me, if I ride an event where
0:31:36 > 0:31:37'I don't know anybody at the start,'
0:31:37 > 0:31:40you form road buddies along the way
0:31:40 > 0:31:42and you might form
0:31:42 > 0:31:46a friendship for a while and help each other along.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Good morning!- Hello. - Nice to see you.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53The thing with Audax, it's the least disciplined group cycling
0:31:53 > 0:31:57you'll ever get, because actually it's an agglomeration of
0:31:57 > 0:32:01solo riders that happen to be in the same road space, so it's different
0:32:01 > 0:32:07from group riding, but there is some wind-drafting benefit from it.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11'For me, anything that helps is most definitely welcome.'
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Oh, man!
0:32:13 > 0:32:15I'm feeling a bit weary at the moment.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21'Right now I'm heading towards Oyne, and I'm struggling.'
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- Oh, not up that hill! - Yeah, I'm afraid so.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28See, these aren't even marked in as climbs, are they?
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Just think of the cappuccino and cake that's coming up shortly.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38They're evil. Evil, the people that set this course.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43The roads have been pretty flat hereabouts
0:32:43 > 0:32:45and I think the lads have been quite enjoying the flatness
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and the fairly rolling countryside, but now and again you get
0:32:48 > 0:32:51these little short, sharp hills, that are wee stingers
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and we've just noticed this one and it's certainly silenced them
0:32:54 > 0:32:56for the moment.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Yeah, just when you think you're doing fine, wallop!
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Agh!
0:33:05 > 0:33:07'While I slog up this hill,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10'one that's not even mentioned in the course description,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13'ahead of me many have completed the first third of the course.'
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- Good 100K.- Yeah, that's not bad at all.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- I've got one of the beasts dealt with, a few more to go.- OK.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25I'll get some soup in us to fortify us for the next bit.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- I'm just warming up nicely. - OK, 100K warmer, yeah?
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Yeah, well, I usually get loosened after about a hundred miles.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40So I just had to eat soup, a sandwich, and a scone in 20 minutes,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44and that takes quite a lot of skill to manage to do.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- See you.- Cheers guys. Have fun.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50'And it's not that long before I get to this rest stop.'
0:33:50 > 0:33:54I need a coffee now, that last bit I was just feeling a wee bit...
0:33:54 > 0:33:57- Aye.- Mm.- So the wee break's come at just the right time.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Yeah, I just...I kept on thinking about, that's us just got
0:34:00 > 0:34:04over a third, and the prospect of how far to go, just for that
0:34:04 > 0:34:07last five miles or so I was thinking about that and I was, "Oh, no!"
0:34:07 > 0:34:09But I need to get back into the head again.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10- Nice cappuccino and cake now. - Exactly.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I was trying to think about eating, and I don't want anything,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15I'm not hungry at all, and my guts feel...
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- Yeah, but eat anyway. - I will eat. Force it in.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Good, well done!
0:34:21 > 0:34:25'There's no question, this is a monster event.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28'I did try to train for it, but I'm not sure how you can be
0:34:28 > 0:34:32'fully-prepared for something this long and arduous.'
0:34:32 > 0:34:34A lot of it's up here. It's just...
0:34:34 > 0:34:37because it's such a long distance,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and you've just got to be sort of psyched up for it really,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43and just, you know, if you're having a bad patch, you've just got
0:34:43 > 0:34:47to say, "Right, well I'm going to get the next 20K done," or whatever.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49- Hi.- Hello.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53The trick, I find, is not to look at it as a long distance,
0:34:53 > 0:34:54but break it down into sections,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56so rather than thinking at the start
0:34:56 > 0:34:58you've got to cycle all 300 kilometres, which is quite
0:34:58 > 0:35:02a daunting prospect mentally, if you break it down into sort of 50, say,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I've got to cycle 50k to Banchory and then 53 to
0:35:05 > 0:35:08the next place, and that tends to, on the mental side, help.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14It's a long day out on a bike, you know, you look forward to the next
0:35:14 > 0:35:19control point and spending as long or as little as you want there and
0:35:19 > 0:35:23then moving on to the next one, but the last 50 miles is always hard.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27No matter what you do, the last 50 is always purgatory.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Right, I'm getting on with the feeding now.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47It's early afternoon
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and the riders will have covered nearly 120 miles by this point,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54and in front of us a 20% gradient up to the top of the Lecht Ski Centre.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58If they're not feeling tired already, they will be soon.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02'How's everything going?'
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Oh, it's good.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05Good now the wind's turned,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07but...
0:36:07 > 0:36:08A nice wee bit down from Dufftown
0:36:08 > 0:36:11was quite a fast section.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15'Well, this is... have you seen what's coming up now?'
0:36:15 > 0:36:16- We see it.- Yeah, we see it OK.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18I'm just looking through the handles.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23Brian Sproul and Colin Crawford have been having a great ride,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25and after 200 kilometres in the saddle they're now
0:36:25 > 0:36:27way ahead of the rest of the pack.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Meanwhile, I'm still at the back of the field,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33thinking about that last break.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34'And did the last little stop help you?'
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It helped me massively.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39A big cup of coffee, big bit of cake,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43and just a chat about what I had still got to do.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I know we've still got a lot to do but not...
0:36:46 > 0:36:48you know, thinking about it, it's not quite as bad.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50'You're feeling a bit more confident now?'
0:36:50 > 0:36:52I feel, well, confident's maybe not the word,
0:36:52 > 0:36:53but certainly positive.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57'Do you guys find it helpful cycling together?'
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Yes. Oh, yeah.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Big time.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Conversation helps you get along.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03It takes your mind off it.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It just eats up the miles when you're blethering, it's great.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09Who's the biggest bletherer?
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I'm a mammal, a middle-aged man in Lycra, and I'm proud of it,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21but I'm not quite sure what makes me,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25or anyone else, dust off our skin-tight shorts every weekend.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29I was hoping someone would tell me why I like doing this.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30I've no idea.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33I suppose it started off as a bit of a challenge, you know.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34It still is a challenge.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40I started Audaxing kind of as a personal challenge.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42I had ridden some shorter rides
0:37:42 > 0:37:46and I realised 50 miles was quite achievable, and then the next ride
0:37:46 > 0:37:50I did was 65 miles, and I thought I was fine with that,
0:37:50 > 0:37:51and then I did 100 miles,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and it was just a natural evolution - how far can I go?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I could happily jump into the back of the van just now.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Not that I'm being helped in any way at all by being
0:38:02 > 0:38:04a foot and a half behind...
0:38:05 > 0:38:06..the filming camera car.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10That's lovely.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15You won't show this on the television,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17that I'm drafting behind the camera car?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Because that would be frowned upon, that's not in the spirit.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25He won't grudge me a little bit of help, surely,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28especially as we're now leaving the action here at the Snow Roads Audax
0:38:28 > 0:38:30and once again heading over to Norway,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32and one thing's for sure
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Cameron's had a great night in the mountains above Voss.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38I'll be back shortly, though, still in the saddle
0:38:38 > 0:38:42and struggling to complete this 300 kilometre bike ride.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Sunday morning in the Selhamar hut brings low cloud, rain, and wind.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56We're in no rush to leave.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I've never cooked pancakes before.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06This is a bit different from the breakfast
0:39:06 > 0:39:10we had yesterday in the hotel in Voss,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13where we seemed to have a choice of everything under the sun.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15I hope they're all right.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16They must be.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18They don't look too bad, actually.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20But here on the mountain,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24when food is flavoured by mountain air,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27then I think pancakes
0:39:27 > 0:39:31and eggs will be just as good.
0:39:31 > 0:39:32That was OK.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35It's good mountain food.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Every member of the DNT is a joint owner of the huts,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and that of course brings its own responsibilities.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Well, the whole DNT hut system,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50especially the self-equipped/unequipped huts,
0:39:50 > 0:39:51based on people doing the washing,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55doing the little things that have to be done every day themselves,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57by that we keep the prices down
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and by that we are able to keep this,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02the whole service.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05You are expected to do it... you have to do it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08It sort of... that's part of the contract.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14We have a word in Norwegian called dugnad,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17it means volunteer activities, but it means something more than
0:40:17 > 0:40:20that because there's a social aspect to it, the part of getting
0:40:20 > 0:40:25together and doing something voluntarily for the greater good.
0:40:27 > 0:40:28So that was us for this time.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33- Yeah.- Ready for the hike back?
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Good Norwegian weather!
0:40:35 > 0:40:36Never mind, it could be worse.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37It could be worse.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41We've got quite a peculiar looking mountain in front of us,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43it's got a sort of red summit.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- It is.- Is that unusual for this area?- It's completely unusual.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49It's the only red mountain you'll find in this whole area.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51And what causes that?
0:40:51 > 0:40:54It's actually, it contains a rock called serpentine,
0:40:54 > 0:40:58which contains iron, so that, what you see is actually rust.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59It's rusted iron.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00A rusted mountain.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02It's a rusted mountain.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03That's incredible!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05What would rusty mountain be in Norwegian?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08The name of the mountain is Laudberg.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Laudberg, that sounds much better than rusty mountain.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Gryteberget?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Gryteberget, that's the name of this rock.
0:41:16 > 0:41:22It very roughly translates into "pot hill" in English,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- because of the pots being carved from it.- OK.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28As you can see, there are still some unfinished carvings.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31So someone has started to try and cut this out?
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Yes, exactly.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35So they've cut out a big sphere of rock?
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Yup, and then they would just hollow it out and then they...
0:41:38 > 0:41:40They'd hollow it into a pot or a bowl?
0:41:40 > 0:41:41A bowl in one piece.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44And how long have people been doing that?
0:41:44 > 0:41:46- I think they've been doing it since the Iron Age.- Phew!
0:41:46 > 0:41:47Which is a very long time ago.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50But there's a number of them one, two, three...
0:41:50 > 0:41:52- There's quite a few of them...- Four, five, six.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55You can see several of them if you follow along the rock.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Are, how did DNT actually begin?
0:42:02 > 0:42:04What were the origins of it?
0:42:04 > 0:42:06From the beginning of the nineteenth century,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10English upper-class people started coming to Norway to go
0:42:10 > 0:42:12mountain climbing, mountaineering.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14They would take their boats,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17as long as possible, into a fjord, and they would ask
0:42:17 > 0:42:21a local farmer for accommodation and guiding into the wilderness,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and the Norwegian farmers would do that, and after a while
0:42:24 > 0:42:28they realised that we need, sort of a system, because every farmer
0:42:28 > 0:42:32would do this in his own, at his own farm, but there was no organisation.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37As part of that the Norwegian Trekking Association started
0:42:37 > 0:42:41to form as a network of huts and people offering accommodation,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44so it's been doing the same from the beginning up until today.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56This is a fascinating country, physically so similar to home,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59yet with such a different mountain culture.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03The hut system and network of paths makes walking a social event,
0:43:03 > 0:43:07and this whole concept of "friluftsliv" means so much
0:43:07 > 0:43:11more to Norwegians than its literal translation of "outdoor living".
0:43:12 > 0:43:15I've come back to the mountain town of Voss,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17it's Monday morning, and my wild weekend isn't over yet.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24I couldn't visit Norway's capital of extreme sports without trying
0:43:24 > 0:43:28an extreme sport, so I'm going to go skydiving without an aeroplane.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45This is a five million pound freefall simulator,
0:43:45 > 0:43:50a vertical wind tunnel, and it's run by a Dane
0:43:50 > 0:43:53five times world champion skydiver, Martin Kristensen,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57although I'm starting to think his alter ego is Superman.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14It's like the perfect trampoline.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Oh, yeah, absolutely, with no burns. It just... Yeah.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20I mean, gymnastics, trampolining, everything rolled into one.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22- That's flying.- That's fantastic!
0:44:22 > 0:44:23That's flying.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Of course I have to try it out.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30There's a detailed briefing, lots of safety equipment,
0:44:30 > 0:44:32and a deep breath
0:44:32 > 0:44:37before giant fans recirculate the air at over 100 miles an hour.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42The basic position you're going to have is on the belly,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and from there on, you kind of need to get into a balance feeling.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51So you won't be doing flips and stuff like that
0:44:51 > 0:44:54because that would be the next step, I would say.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03The awareness of how you use your body is something that's completely
0:45:03 > 0:45:05different to most people in the wind
0:45:05 > 0:45:07because the element is different.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12So I'm going to, through being in there with you,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15try to give you the tools you need to do it on your own.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20Is skydiving similar to the weightlessness that astronauts
0:45:20 > 0:45:24would feel in a spaceship, or is that a totally different feeling?
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Ah, that's a very different feeling.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30The fact that you have the gravity in skydiving
0:45:30 > 0:45:34gives you the pressure of the wind,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36which doesn't make you feel weightless at all.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40Oh, that was amazing!
0:45:41 > 0:45:44It's much more exhausting than I thought it would be.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- Yes.- I feel it in my shoulders.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Maybe I was too tense, but it's quite a magical feeling
0:45:49 > 0:45:51when you're floating around, and the couple of occasions
0:45:51 > 0:45:54when you let me go, it's just... oh, it was just like flying,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- it's what man has always dreamed of. - Yes.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01I can now see the great fun and joy you get from jumping out
0:46:01 > 0:46:04an aeroplane at that height and just floating down.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08For this being your first flight, I think you did a perfect job.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10You were focused on
0:46:10 > 0:46:14trying to get balanced and breathing,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17and you flew like a good jump.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28Shortly, I'm going to be heading back to bonny Scotland,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32but I've had the most fantastic wild weekend here in Norway.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36It's an interesting thought that Norway has a smaller population
0:46:36 > 0:46:39than Scotland, yet it is three times the land mass,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43and 32% of that land mass is above the tree line,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47so Norway is a fantastic country for mountain adventure
0:46:47 > 0:46:48and mountain exploration.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53And the big bonus of coming to Norway for a wild weekend
0:46:53 > 0:46:55is the people.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58The people are so tuned into the great outdoors that you just
0:46:58 > 0:47:01feel very much at home, and I'll tell you,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04it's not going to be long before I find myself back here again.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08And to find out more about Cameron's wild weekend, and catch up
0:47:08 > 0:47:13on all the news from The Adventure Show, follow us on Facebook.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Right now, though, we're all back to that long,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18long bike ride I'm trying to get through.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21I'm in no doubt about why many say an Audax is
0:47:21 > 0:47:24the toughest of all cycling events.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38This event is called the Snow Roads Audax,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40simply because it goes
0:47:40 > 0:47:42over the roads that are often,
0:47:42 > 0:47:47and very usually blocked by snow during the winter,
0:47:47 > 0:47:51which means, of course, it's the high ones, and to get to
0:47:51 > 0:47:54the high ones, you've got to go up,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58and up, and up,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00and up some more.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Oh, it's tough!
0:48:06 > 0:48:10We're about three or four miles from Dufftown now, heading up towards
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Tomintoul, and I think Dougie's going through a bit of a bad patch, to be honest.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17His legs are feeling heavy, he's taken some snacks
0:48:17 > 0:48:20just to get some of that energy, but he's kind of looking a wee
0:48:20 > 0:48:24bit on the grim side, I have to say, but, you know,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27this happens in cycling and he'll get through this patch,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31I'm sure he'll get through this patch and go back to the happy
0:48:31 > 0:48:33Dougie Vipond that we know and love.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37This is not funny.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43It's quite interesting that we've been up a pretty steady
0:48:43 > 0:48:46climb for quite a few miles now, and it's a hill that nobody
0:48:46 > 0:48:49really talks about, they talk about the big hill...
0:48:49 > 0:48:52the Cabrachs and the Lechts, and all the rest of it,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55but this is probably as steep and as sustained as coming over
0:48:55 > 0:48:59the Cabrach, and the point is, Dougie wasn't really expecting this.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02'Earlier he was talking about, you know, a nice flat road
0:49:02 > 0:49:05'to Tomintoul and then the climb, so this has probably taken him
0:49:05 > 0:49:09'a wee bit by surprise, and it's pretty relentless, I have to say.'
0:49:09 > 0:49:13Come on, Dougie, mate, you're doing well, pal. You're doing really well!
0:49:13 > 0:49:15'Doing well? I don't think so.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19'This is grim, and there's no getting away from the fact that even
0:49:19 > 0:49:23'the fastest will be in the saddle for at least 14 hours.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26'In my case it's going to be much,
0:49:26 > 0:49:28'much longer.
0:49:28 > 0:49:29'The word Audax is Latin for bold.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35'I don't feel bold, just worried that this ride will never, ever end.'
0:49:35 > 0:49:38You know, when I was quite young and fit and I had all my teeth
0:49:38 > 0:49:41and hair, a lot more hair than I have just now,
0:49:41 > 0:49:43I used to take it pretty serious, you know,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47but nowadays, just getting up in the morning is enough preparation
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and hoping you'll finish it at night without ending up in a coffin.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57I cycle 24 miles every day to work, so just...
0:49:57 > 0:50:01I do a hundred miles cycling a week just getting to work and back,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04and most weekends we'll be doing kind of 200 kilometre rides
0:50:04 > 0:50:06throughout the year,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09and maybe around about spring
0:50:09 > 0:50:12we start doing slightly longer rides, so this year I've
0:50:12 > 0:50:15already done a 300 and a 400, we'll be doing a 600 later on, so you
0:50:15 > 0:50:19kind of work up to the longer rides, but you do less of the longer rides.
0:50:19 > 0:50:20Out in the front,
0:50:20 > 0:50:25Colin Crawford from Edinburgh has now completed over 230 kilometres,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27that's well over two-thirds of the course,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29and he's just coming into Braemar.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Deziree is there to meet him.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Can I just ask how you're feeling being here?
0:50:33 > 0:50:35You've got one big climb to do
0:50:35 > 0:50:38but you're on the home straight, you've broken the back of it now.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Yeah, there's about 40 miles to go and I feel good, I feel good.
0:50:41 > 0:50:46I know it's not too steep until the last quarter mile up to
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Glenshee, and then it's more or less downhill after that so...
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Coming into this final control point just a couple of minutes later,
0:50:54 > 0:50:58are Findlay Watt from Dunfermline and Brian Sproul from Dundee.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00I went through a bad patch after the Lecht,
0:51:00 > 0:51:04just pedalling squares, as they say.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06Yeah, your pal was saying...
0:51:06 > 0:51:07Oh, I was just...
0:51:07 > 0:51:08When you came in, they just said...
0:51:08 > 0:51:12I hadn't eaten enough, I think, so it would be nice to see it done now.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16There's a shower back at the hall just got wur names on it so...
0:51:17 > 0:51:19With just one big climb left,
0:51:19 > 0:51:23these three riders really are on the final stretch.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25I'm still on the wrong side of the Lecht,
0:51:25 > 0:51:29and it's just as steep as I thought it would be.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31'You're doing good, Dougie! Keep it going.'
0:51:34 > 0:51:36It's a funny hill, the Lecht, you come up to these
0:51:36 > 0:51:38very steep sections, one in five, 20%,
0:51:38 > 0:51:40and then it sort of levels for a wee bit,
0:51:40 > 0:51:42and there's even a couple of slight dips,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46and then suddenly you're into the next steep section, and it's...
0:51:46 > 0:51:48it's kind of undulating but uphill all the way.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Dougie's overtaken a couple of guys now from the group who left
0:51:54 > 0:51:57a good ten or fifteen minutes ahead of him,
0:51:57 > 0:51:59and it helps a lot when you've got somebody in front of you
0:51:59 > 0:52:01and you can see you're making progress,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03it really, really helps you get up these hills.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07'Well done, Dougie!
0:52:07 > 0:52:09'Well done, good man!'
0:52:11 > 0:52:13At the top at last.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16The reward, a fantastic descent down the other side.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20It's enough to remind me, at least till the next uphill,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23that there is something special about being out on your bike.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28I got back into cycling in my early 30s, and I think there's a bit
0:52:28 > 0:52:32of that, do you know that wee boy going down the hill, going, "Whee!"
0:52:32 > 0:52:36and you don't get to do that much as an adult, so I quite like that.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39For me, cycling is about freedom,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41freedom of the open road.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44If you're in a car, you go too quickly to see things properly,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47you don't smell anything in a car apart from petrol.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51You know, you see wonderful sights on a bike and you can go...
0:52:51 > 0:52:56you can travel large distances and you can go to all sorts of places.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58For most people, it's a manageable challenge,
0:52:58 > 0:53:00but it will be, for some, right on the edge of what they're
0:53:00 > 0:53:04able to do, and I think that's quite attractive for a lot of us,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06and that's the great thing about Audax,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09is people are pretty tough, but really sort of mild about it,
0:53:09 > 0:53:14and it's not flashy, it's not macho, people are doing really hard
0:53:14 > 0:53:18things but in a pretty low-key way and I think that's quite appealing.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23There's no question, there are some serious riders on this event,
0:53:23 > 0:53:24I'm not one of them.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26I'm starting to lose the will to live.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29I've done the Lecht and I'm heading towards Braemar.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31It should be a piece of cake they said,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34but it's still uphill.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38People are walking at the top
0:53:38 > 0:53:41I could be joining them very soon.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45This is a P-I-G and no mistake.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Not far now.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49Ah!
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Phew!
0:53:56 > 0:53:57Oh!
0:53:59 > 0:54:00My legs are screaming!
0:54:03 > 0:54:06It doesn't help that I've just been told
0:54:06 > 0:54:08the fastest riders have nearly finished.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Crossing the line first are veteran Audax riders Colin Crawford,
0:54:12 > 0:54:16who's been in the leading group from the very start, and Findlay Watt.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19The hardest part's always when we're going up the hills
0:54:19 > 0:54:23and on this particular route they're quite steep and quite long, arduous.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Enjoyable?
0:54:25 > 0:54:27In a funny sort of way?
0:54:27 > 0:54:29In a funny sort of way, yes.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32It's obviously challenging and you're always pressing yourself.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34Was there a point today when you just thought,
0:54:34 > 0:54:36"Actually I'm really running out of juice here?"
0:54:36 > 0:54:38- Oh, frequently, yes.- All the time.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43It's nice, nice to be finished.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44When the wind turned round
0:54:44 > 0:54:45we were expecting a nice tail-wind
0:54:45 > 0:54:48the whole way back, but it was,
0:54:48 > 0:54:51it seemed to turn, I don't know if it was south
0:54:51 > 0:54:55but it was certainly sort of south-east.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58It's a lot better riding, you know, two,
0:54:58 > 0:55:01just taking a turn at the front each.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04At least Colin and Findlay finished in daylight.
0:55:04 > 0:55:09For me, after a stop in Braemar, it's on to the final major slog.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13it's up to Glenshee and it's not looking good.
0:55:14 > 0:55:1715 hours and 40 minutes into this ride,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20the last big, big climb.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Twenty to ten at night!
0:55:26 > 0:55:27How's it feeling, Dougie?
0:55:27 > 0:55:31It's feeling...just awful.
0:55:43 > 0:55:49It's really starting to hurt now.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01I'm running really short on energy now.
0:56:01 > 0:56:02Well, you can save a lot of energy now,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05you've got some big downhills coming soon so that'll be good.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07- Then you're on the last stretch. - Yeah.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Fantastic, that's the last big climb. Downhill nearly all the way.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13- No more big climbs.- Yup.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15But go for it and we'll see you at the finish.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16I'll see you at the finish.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Good man! Cheers!
0:56:20 > 0:56:23The last big climb may be over but there's still more
0:56:23 > 0:56:27than 30 kilometres to go in the dark,
0:56:28 > 0:56:30and in the true spirit of this event,
0:56:30 > 0:56:34no more ascents actually means lots and lots of undulating ground
0:56:34 > 0:56:39and that translates into lots and lots of hills.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44I'm completely and utterly worn out.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49It's now half past twelve in the morning
0:56:49 > 0:56:53and Dougie's been on the go for something like 18½ hours,
0:56:53 > 0:56:56but hopefully he'll be arriving any minute now.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58So I don't know what state he'll be in,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01I don't know if he'll be in a good mood to even talk to us,
0:57:01 > 0:57:03but let's give him a big welcome when he arrives
0:57:03 > 0:57:05and we'll see how it goes.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Hurrah, go Dougie! Good man!
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Well done, Dougie!
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Good man, congratulations!
0:57:13 > 0:57:14How are you feeling?
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Silly question, maybe.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Do you want a hand off your bike?
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Come on, famous words...
0:57:21 > 0:57:22Words for posterity.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24What's the time, first of all?
0:57:24 > 0:57:26Half past twelve.
0:57:26 > 0:57:27- So what's that, 18½ hours?- Uh-huh.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29That was the toughest thing I've ever done.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31In your life?
0:57:31 > 0:57:32By a country mile.
0:57:32 > 0:57:33- Really?- Without a doubt.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36I don't know if I can get my leg off this, actually.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37Well, I'll hold the bike, eh?
0:57:40 > 0:57:42I'm gubbed.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44I feel absolutely zonkered.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46Yeah. Look, get inside where it's a bit warmer.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Get something to drink.
0:57:49 > 0:57:54Next month on the Adventure Show, I won't be doing that again.
0:57:57 > 0:57:58Oh, God!
0:58:08 > 0:58:11I've learned the hard way what it's really like to take
0:58:11 > 0:58:13part in an Audax.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16Next month we'll be at the Celtman Extreme Triathlon
0:58:16 > 0:58:18in the north-west of Scotland.
0:58:18 > 0:58:23This event is a whopper - a three kilometre swim, 42K of running,
0:58:23 > 0:58:25including up a Munro,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28and a mere 200K in the saddle.
0:58:28 > 0:58:29I hope you can join us for that one.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32Right now, I'm off to bed.
0:58:51 > 0:58:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd