Scotch College

From chocolate desert to apple isle

'Do you have any mountain bike tours leaving on May 12, to either Californian National Parks or the Grand Canyon?' was the question asked in Peter and Jane Trembath's e-mail.

There was a prompt response from the tour company - Western Spirit Cycling, offering five different options. They strongly recommended their five-day ride through the remote Capitol Reef National Park, finishing at Lake Powell on the Colorado River, just north of the Grand Canyon.

We met the tour in Moab, then headed off to Boulder, Colorado with four others and our two guides. The camping gear and mountain bikes were provided, one of the guides drove the 4WD van and trailer; the other cycled with the group. The rides covered about 70km each morning, and were technically less difficult than our favourite trails near Anglesea, however the call of "its chocolate time" was eagerly awaited by us all to indicate the end of each day. The mountain ranges and gorges were spectacular with hues of red, ochre and purple, the fascinating geology eagerly described by our guides. With temperatures of about 30ºC when we travelled, this was the last trip before the excessive 55ºC of the summer. Day three included a

five-hour walk through a canyon initially about 1Km wide, gradually narrowing down to shoulder width. Soaring cliffs, about 50m high on either side, sheltered us from the direct sun, huge chokes provided climbing exercises. We were pleased to reach the end and a mountain 'stream' about 3cm deep: just enough to cool our feet- one of life's simple pleasures.

Our American companions, were planning to cycle in Ecuador this year; we settled for The Great Tasmanian Bike Ride, a 7 day tour in January from Hobart to Launceston along the East Coast, well organised by Bicycle Victoria. The weather was excellent, the hills challenging, the coastal and mountain scenery a breathtaking contrast of greens and blues.

The experience of travelling up to 90 km each day with 798 other cyclists, camping on 5 football ovals, visiting small isolated towns, smelling and feeling the countryside and discovering the history and beauty of Tasmania made the days fly by. We felt exhilarated riding into Launceston and were greeted enthusiastically by the ride organisers as we reached the finish.

The only question to be answered is, 'where to next'?