Our last day of the trip started with a long section of tarmac. The terrain was….undulating. I think I must have heard that description a hundred times during the week.

Anyhow, we kept climbing up towards a trail head. My rear shifter had gotten stiffer and stiffer and finally, with a loud snap stopped working. I was stuck on third gear in the back I think. Pushing the bike up the hill I was mentally recapping the last four weeks. We had been riding a lot in tough conditions. We’d had several water crossings in Finland and Scotland as well as riding in rain for days. So it was no wonder that the bike was starting to yield to the pressure.

The ride consisted of a climb, undulating highland terrain and a descent. It was beautiful, but it was nothing we hadn’t already seen. Except maybe for the sunshine and extremely fierce wind. 
It was bittersweet. Every kilometer gained put us closer to the end. It had been a very good week with new friends made and outstanding riding done. I felt a little sad knowing that I would soon have to say goodbye to everyone I had shared all this with. Most of these people I would never meet again. You always exchange contacts but the fact of the matter is that you forget what has passed, during the things to come. 

After a descent plagued by the high winds, we arrived in our destination, Applecross. There, on the shore of Applecross Bay, we had some cake and a glass of Irn-Bru, before packing our bikes on the rack for the last time. The ride was over.