Stu - 0, Gravel - 1

Blue Ridge Mountain Pennsylvania

Yesterday was a pretty rough day. Started off with things being overcast and kind of cool. As I started climbing and turned round a corner the clouds suddenly cleared and the temperature just soared. I climbed from 600 feet to 2123 feet, and then did it again, and again. Severely dehydrated I went looking for some water.

Turned into a picnic area and stacked the bike bad. I was on a gravel path and some stone lifted and turned me front wheel so it wasn't straight when it landed. I went arse over tit and landed on me face. Picked meself up to find blood pouring from me face. A guy with a three year old daughter at the picnic area called us an ambulance and I got a trip to hospital to get cleaned up properly. I was only in there for a few hours before I got a lift back to me bike. I even got picked up by a Belgian while walking down the hill to find a motel for a couple of nights. Wounds include the odd scrape and cut on me limbs, but the worst injuries were to me face. I ate a load of gravel and shredded me bottom lip. Me top lip has been badly bruised so both lips are twice the size they should be which makes eating and drinking not as easy as it should be. I lost some skin from my nose, but the worst was the chunk of skin I lost from underneath my nose. Think Freddy Kruger but on a very small scale. I lost a portion of mustache so this may be the end of me beard. I was hoping to have a handlebar mustache once home, but now it'll just look ridiculous.

In hospital, Bedford PA

Finally, two milestones have been reached. My unintentional and failed acrobatics happened near enough on the 2000 mile mark. Also, many thanks to the Tilbrooks for taking the fundraising total past the £500 mark.