On paper, this, our first day of four in Snowdonia (Eryri), was a relatively straightforward mountain bike ride. Over fifty percent on small roads and with only one long climb, it should have been a routine, but very scenic day on the bike.

But Storm Amy intervened and it turned into one of the wettest days on a bike I have ever experienced. Views were fleeting and often scanned through eyes screwed up against the elements. Roads were carpeted in wind-blown acorns (like ball bearings), conkers (shiny pebbles) and fruit like apples and crabapples.

The mountain bridleways were running like rivers, frequently hub deep, whilst a whipping gale blew in random gusts and pushed and pulled us from all angles.

The drive down to the start at Machynlleth in central Wales was dry until the last half hour through the hills. From then onwards it rained almost incessantly and at times torrentially for the rest of the day.

We met John, Liz, Dave and Richard at the railway station in Machynlleth and, after re-assembling our bikes (all ferried down in our van), we headed out into the rain.

Minor roads took us some 15 miles to Abergynolwyn, where we met Julie (who is our support van driver) for coffee and cake at the village hall cafe. The owner mopped around us as we dripped steadily as we ate.

A few more miles (passing the famous Bird Rock on the way) saw us at the foot of the day’s main climb, up over the shoulder of Cadair Idris. Tarmac surfaces and a stiff tailwind hastened us up the 400 metre hill.

At the top the road became a cart track and after a weather beaten run over the top, we descended on a shattered wreck of a road, running like a river in places and rocky, rutted and rough throughout.

A precipitous tarmac road then fed us the final couple of miles to the valley floor and a five mile (tailwind blown) ride up the Mawddach estuary on a gravel former railway line.

35 miles took us to the door of our overnight stop, a B and B in Dolgellau.

The day was saved by the benign temperatures, which meant that, although soaked, we never got too cold. The gale was also more often than not behind us. And we were not delayed by punctures or mechanicals.

In fact, we all enjoyed most of it: the scenery was still stunning; the water and cloud made for some great light effects; and we navigated effectively by using whichever device was currently not struggling with a wet screen, lack of a signal or rapidly discharging battery.

The e-bikers kindly opened and closed most of the gates and held back on the climbs. The human-powered riders probably kept a little warmer.

Julie did a great job of supporting us, whilst slipping in a couple of bonus cafe stops and a fish finger sandwich lunch that clearly hit the spot!

Tomorrow…. let’s hope the rain, at least, abates !