Day 11 - to Lygern Lake

Boy were we glad to find a lake to swim in after today’s ride. It’s been a scorcher! 

Having taken breakfast at the beach, todays Ride took us through some less picturesque industrial areas where timber was being stacked up in enormous quantities.

We took our first snack break at the quiet port of Bua. It was a tranquil scene and a picnic bench, toilets and a water tap convinced us to stick around. Anyone who’s been on a tour like this or a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award type hike will appreciate the sense of simple joy that can be obtained from spotting an unfrequented, well positioned picnic bench.



Eventually, we got going again, feeling a little more tired than we had of recent days. Around midday, we stopped again at a sandy beach and after some more food, fell asleep for half an hour in the sun.



Without shade, it was impossible to rest properly, so we pushed on to the next inhabited area, past a old windmill. A shady park bench providing a much better rest than being sparked out on a rock in the blazing sun. Even better was the purchasing of a plate of chips from a nearby kiosk. 



While in Åsa we found some more gas for the stove and filled out panniers with food to cook a big meal later and stashed a few treats too. We set our sights on getting to Lygern Lake where we hoped we’d be able to both camp and swim, but were unsure if either would be an option and indeed, if we’d even get that far! The route went through farm land, road side and by the railway at times too.


 

Then we left the coast and headed inland in search of the lake.

It was a hot and dusty ride. Possibly the hottest temperatures yet? Into the 30°C mark I’d guess.



After a final short uphill section, the lake came into view and we both had the feeling that everything was going to work out nicely.



There is a natural dam that forms the western end of the lake, from where you can still see the coast. We also found a water pump, so filled out bottles before rolling downhill and finding a stunning area to camp right here:



We couldn’t pitch up right at the waters edge, but could hardly complain about the view. We got into the shade and required multiple brews and a Danish pastery before we were ready to swim (or move!). In fact it was 7pm by the time we walked down over the rocks to test the water, but still plenty warm enough.



Clare made no hesitation and was soon in with her trade mark Olympic standard dive. I bombed in after her! It was a lovely temperature and I came out feeling cleaner than I had felt in days. Afterwards, we dried off in the evening sun and returned to camp for a much needed huge feed of fresh pasta, chicken and avocado. Quality camp cuisine. Looking at the map, it’s starting to feel like our current target of Gothenburg is getting within reach...



Total Ride: 59.9km