Up To The Fort In Assos

Holidays are always a difficult thing with a family as large as mine, where to go, who to take, who will be disappointed at getting left behind locked up for 2 weeks. The lady and small people in my life know how much I need 2 wheels in my life! 

I have lost paitence with sitting on the beach, sun lounger and all variations of such past times. I face another challenge, I am an early riser and everyone else is not. With every challenge, comes opportunity, and whilst the family sleeps I can get out for 2-3hrs of no-strings, guilt free riding. I only have to consider bargaining during waking hours.

So for the 2nd year in succession my trusty Scott CR1-SL has accompanied us on the family holiday to Kefelonia, a beautiful island in the Ioanians of Greece. It is to Greece what St Tropez, Cannes, Monaco is to France, but without all the ponsy-ness and bullshit! It was the setting for the Nicholas Cage epic Captain Corellis Mandolin, and neighbours the birth place of Achilles the Greek Legend. 

You need to get out before the 10:00 sun, otherwise getting caught on the wrong side of the moutains (with the coast road closed), can provide a suffereing unlike you have never seen before. 

Starting from Fiskardo (close by), the road only point only one way, and that is up. For the moutain goats amongst you, you are in good company, but me not so. I am of the descending breed, my lack of climbing ability is made up for by the size of my testicles to go down hill fast. All the same you have to take what the roads throw at you, so for the first 40-50 minutes, we will be climbing. 

I have two canine road buddies, who every morning great me in the same place, and chase me down the road to the same spot and then turnaround and lay down again. My destination today is Assos, a beautiful inlet, that juts out of the mainland,  with a castle ruin sitting on the top of it. Looking down, in on the town that sits at the bottom, the views are spectacular, but it then reminds me of the climb back out. 

So for the next few minutes I am descending into Assos from the top of Karia, switch back after switch back, break pads are wearing nicely. The roads are some of the best I have ever ridden, smooth and uncharacheristically well maintained. You can swing round open corners, tucked on the drops. But Kefelonian road have a habit of catching you out, either by very tight switch backs after fast sections or the other road inhabitants - mountain goats. 

When I get into Assos, it so early, the only people alive are those on their boats preparing to set sail to their next destination. So I decide to climb up to the castle along the path, not sure if I supposed to or even allowed to, but I do it anyway. I may get a sneak KOM if I am the first to attempt such an ascent. I am clearly an oddity to the walkers and runners, as I get some very funny looks. You are spoilt with good views, the iPhone is getting a good work out, but you have to capture it so the sleepy heads back at the villa can see what they are missing. May even encourage the to get up earlier! 

I reach the bottom and time to climb out of Assos, my goal is to better my last time the year before, I am confident about that. I am in better shape and lost some terry, and more motivated to climb. My real goal is to get the KOM home, the fast undulating run leading me back to the pool and poached eggs for breakfast.

The climb out of Assos has it moments, an the first one comes within the first 100-300 meters. This first section is over 10%, but once you are past it the climb is pretty manageable. The only steep sections to come are the switch backs, but take them right and you can get a little boost from them. As you reach halfway-ish you have sense you are nerly at the top, beacuase of a large familiar looking wall similar to the top, but it not, you round the bend and you can spot the top. I think that is the challenge with this climb, from a decent distance you can spot the top, and it doesn't seem to get closer. 

The road home is fast, and if you can stomach the lactate pain, you can push hard all the way home. You have to be wary of traffic at all times, but sometimes this drivers who don't see cyclist on the roads a lot are surprised as you come hurtling past them! That said the, the locals and Greeks are very accomodating roads users, the same cannot be said for some of the tourists! 

Cycle Kefelonia, you will not be disappointed.