See my YouTube of this trip here

Being back in full-time employment and camping/riding at weekends was really tiring me out, so I took two weekends out relaxing at home to re-energise myself.

We’re having a nice hot sunny summer here in the UK, it’s rained a little today in Banbury, the first time in around 7 weeks. And that was a heavy shower, but the heat keeps on coming. It’s fabulous, can’t believe so many people are complaining about it! For me, walking out of my freezing cold air-conned office into the heat makes me throw my arms in the air every time, praising the sun! I love it!

After having two action-less weekends, I really wanted to get away camping and riding. I wanted somewhere within three hours driving distance, so I could leave straight from work Friday night and have enough time to set-up camp before dark. I wanted to take in a trail ride and a bike park ride.

North Wales is too far a drive, so it would be somewhere south/west. I was keeping my eye on the weather patterns, and thought Exmoor would be a good bet, finding a campsite not too far from the beach. For a reason that I can’t remember, possibly because there wasn’t a bike park near by, I decided against it late Thursday night. And that I would return to the fab Middle Ninfa Campsite near Abergavenny in Wales.

I was in two minds whether to go at all as rain was expected in the south/west late Friday afternoon and would continue into the night. Also another point was than when I contacted the the lady that runs Middle Ninfa on Friday morning, she said I couldn’t have the pitch I wanted.

I really wasn't sure whether to go, I was thinking it would be a complete washed-out disaster. But anyway I set off from work around half five Friday, the traffic was atrocious. The M40 was stop/go, the M42 was stop/go and after an hour I’d not got far at all. It was like a bad omen, and that really I should turn around and forget it. As well as the heavy traffic it was raining too!

I persisted with the journey, and although heavy traffic, the M5 was moving well. The rain was heavy at times. I arrived at Middle Ninfa Farm at around 8pm. It was raining when I arrived. The driveway up to the farm is a very steep concrete road, and it was wet. It took me around six attempts to get my car up it, with either the wheels smoking or my clutch slipping. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t make it! Again, with the rain and hammering my poor car, it felt like another bad omen and I was regretting coming out at all.

Eventually getting up the drive, Rohan the lady that runs the campsite greeted