RTG1 - Flipbook - Page 27
Day 13: Neochori to Delphi, 12 October 2024
Design: K-Design
Keith and Norah Ashworth, 1967 Ford Mustang
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
from the night halt, and by way of
a warm-up, 58km of hills took us to
the first Regularity from neraida. a
low sun played with our line of sight
as we threaded through the trees and
crawled from village to village.
The second Regularity to agia Triada
was very much the same. narrow and
precise and, once we’d reached the
end of this section, we began to think
about the Time control in the Montana
Hotel & Spa, Karpenissi. However, we
needed to climb to 1870m and cross
Mount Tymfristos before relaxing
with a well-deserved cup of coffee and
piece of cake.
Back down in the valley a Route
check in Megali Kapsi led us to the third
Regularity to Ypati. Then it was lunch
at the Time control in the Tempelis
Restaurant in Gorgopotamos, a town
made famous during WW2 thanks
to its railway bridge and the terrible
fighting associated with it.
Olive groves and cotton fields lined
the road as we began the climb to a
Route check atop the Old Brallos Pass
on the slopes of Mount Kallídhromon
Roy Stephenson and Peter Robinson, 1968 Morris 1800 Mk2
and towards the Regularity at Inohori.
no doubt some of the crews began to
breathe a sigh of relief. There was only
one more timed section left and soon
they’d be chilling out in the amalia
Hotel in Delphi, looking forward to
tomorrow’s final push to athens.
But the last regularity to Karoutes
proved to be a tough one, with almost
15km of loose dusty gravel “and
exposed bedrock” to deal with. added
to this were two Timing Points before
we felt tarmac beneath our wheels
again, just before the Route check in
Tritaia where we caught sight of the
deep blue of the Gulf of Iteas.
Thankfully the run to the night
halt was an easy one, and soon the
amalia’s car park was filled with dusty
rally cars and the bar with thirsty
rally crews. Sadly, the gutsy almex
Escort of Ean and alison lewin gave
up the fight shortly before lunch and
finished the day on a flatbed truck
with a broken rear axle bearing.
www.rallytheglobe.com
