Days 26, 27, 28: Matane to St Yvon

Day 26: Matane to Sainte Anne-des-Monts

100km/62m, 6hrs 24mins, 15.65kph/9.7mph, 812m/2639ft of climbing.

The coastline became progressively more rugged today. I'd have taken some nice photographs if the howling gale and driving rain hadn't persuaded me that the last thing I wanted to do was stand still. Anyway, my hands were so cold I couldn't have worked the camera.

Yes, conditions turned a bit uncompromising. A biting north-easterly wind in my face, steady rain for the first four hours, and easily the coldest day so far. A day on which I can reflect on my decision to ride 100km and know with some certainty that I'm a couple of slices short of a full loaf.

However, things did improve, and at least the last couple of hours were dry. And for the second time this trip I find myself sleeping in a yurt. I am at the Sea Shack hostel just outside St Anne-des-Monts, a wonderfully eccentric establishment with one communal building containing kitchen, bar etc., but all the accommodation in a motley collection or huts and yurts. Fun, though not recommended for those of delicate sensibilities. Neither the accommodation nor any of the other facilities are segregated by gender. I'm not sure how appropriate that is for one of my grandfatherly appearance when everyone else is under 25, but nobody seems bothered...


Day 27: Sainte Anne-des-Monts to Saint Maxime-du-Mont-Louis

49km/30m, 3hrs 04mins, 16kph/10mph, 188m/611ft of climbing.

This morning I was about 230km from the town of Gaspe. That's either two long days or three short ones, and as yesterday had been pretty tough I decided to make it three short ones; or, more specifically, to have one very short one today. I also rejected the option of taking the mountain road, and will stick to the coast. I might not have been such a wimp had the weather been better, but it's quite cold at sea level and I suspect it is arctic at 2500 feet, which is where the road goes.

In fact, even at sea level I was today passing shady spots in which there were substantial patches of unmelted snow. Quite surprising. It's 4 June and while I am now as far north as I will get on this trip, I'm still well south of home. In fact I think I'm at about the same latitude as Paris. An interesting illustration of what the Gulf Stream does to moderate our climate, and what things might be like without it.

The coastline is very, very rugged now, with jagged hills coming down steeply to the sea. Waterfalls everywhere, I pass one every couple of kilometres or so on the highway. Lots of ravens nesting in the cliffs.

I haven't looked up the geology of Gaspesie, but there are lots of interesting rock formations. Much of what I am seeing seems to be sedimentary rock that has been lifted through 45 or sometimes 60 degrees in some ancient upheaval. Lots of very narrow distinct strata, which I imagine would be paradise for a fossil-hunter.

Day 28: Saint Maxime-du-Mont-Louis to Saint Yvon.

80km/50m, 5hrs34mins, 14.5kph/9mph, 1116m/3627ft of climbing.

Shut up, legs!

Tough cycling country, this. I had to have serious words with myself to get me up a couple of the climbs today, and that was on the coast road. Heaven knows what the route through the mountain passes would have been like.

Very beautiful, though. I find that I have been cycling alongside an eastern branch of the Appalachian Trail which ends just down the coast near Gaspe. At 2180 miles long it rather puts the Pennine Way to shame.

But despite its charms, it must be hard to make money here. Very dependent on the tourist trade, and the season is short, lasting from about now until mid-September and that's it. Apparently they do get some snowmobilers etc., but the harder the winter in the rest of Canada, the less well they do because it is easier for the enthusiasts to get what they want closer to home. And according to the admittedly miserable owner of last night's motel, since the crash the Americans have stopped coming. So things must be tough, and it is certainly noticeable that there are a lot of businesses for sale - B&Bs, Motels, Cafes in particular. So if anyone who speaks half-decent French wants to escape to somewhere remote, and is prepared to work hard three months of the year to cover their costs but without any aspirations to making much money beyond that, there are plenty of opportunities here.