27-Jun-2020 -- This report is the seventh out of eight reports reaching confluence points during a 5-day bicycle trip (901 km) from Tallinn to Riga. The story starts at 59°N 26°E and continues from 57°N 26°E.
I cycled all day on gravel tracks with loose rocks – very tough for cycling. As I write these lines, my fingers are still partially numb. In the late evening, I reached the confluence area via tracks between agricultural fields.
I thought that it was enough time to visit the confluence that evening and started hiking with shorts. As I don’t read previous reports at the time of my visits, I was not aware of what was ahead.
Up to a distance of 250 m progress was quick and easy. The next stage was a very high standing meadow – here I began to regret not to have taken my long pants. At a distance of 130 m I found myself suddenly in front of a huge water channel that didn’t look crossable. So I started to walk along it through forest with a lot of undergrowth. Suddenly, one step and my leg fell in a deep hole that I hadn’t noticed due to the undergrowth. Moreover, inside the hole, something bit me! I was scared and decided to quickly return to my bicycle. When I reached my bike it was already dusk. My leg was still hurting and I was a bit worried if I would survive the night. Obviously, that did happen as it is me writing these lines one week later.
After camping 450 m from the confluence on agricultural land near a high seat, I started a second approach in the early morning at 6 AM the following day. This time I was equipped with long pants and a lot more time until sunset.
I took another approach, but soon reached the channel again. I hiked along it until I found a section where I was able to jump over it (with only one foot getting a bit wet). I was probably lucky, as it hadn’t rained for two weeks such that the water level in the channel was low. Now the rest of the approach was straight-forward in the truest sense of the word. The confluence is in a beech forest with undergrowth.
After the confluence visit, I continued westwards, reaching Riga for lunch.
CP Visit Details:
- Distance to a road: 750 m
- Distance to a track: 450 m
- Distance of bicycle parking: 450 m
- Time to reach the confluence from the road: 40 minutes
- Time at the confluence: 6:40 AM
- Measured height: 97 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy: 4 m
- Topography: flat
- Vegetation: birch
- Weather: sunny, 22° C (felt temperature)
- Given Name: The Huge Channel Confluence
The story finishes at 57°N 24°E.