The blog concentrates on motorcycle touring in the Lake District and Cumbia. Route 5 is the route we do on day 2 of our P(ride) of the North Motorcycle Tour. On Day 1 of this tour we explore the Yorkshire Dales and day 3 we explore Northumberland, Teesdale and the North York Moors.
5 Great rides in Lake District and Cumbria
Challenging roads, superb scenery, a designated UNESCO World Heritage area - all on our doorstep in the Lake District, UK.
Windermere and Helvellyn Circuit including Kirkstone Pass
Starting from the beautiful village of Ambleside, this is a gentle tour around Windermere before tackling the Kirkstone Pass and finishing off in Patterdale. This route starts off nice and easy with plenty of stops for coffee, photographs and sightseeing. Hill Top (Beatrix Potters home) in the village of Near Sawrey and Hawkshead village are well worth a visit. The roads are well surfaced but can be busy especially at the weekend and during holiday periods.
The Kirkstone Pass is the highest motorable road in Cumbria and the Lake District. Starting just north of Windermere, this well surfaced flowing road is a great introduction to riding the many twisty roads that Cumbria has to offer. There are actually two routes to the top of the pass, the first is described above whilst the second route, known as “The Struggle” is a narrower, steep single track road. “The Struggle” is very popular with cyclists who seem to appreciate its 1:4 gradient. The pass offers some of the best views of the Lake District and it is well worth stopping for a coffee at the Kirkstone Pass Inn, the third highest public house in the UK.
From Patterdale, rather than re-tracing your route, it is well worth taking the road around the western shore of Ullswater towards Troutbeck before turning south on the A591 towards Grasmere. This route gives great views of the imposing Helvellyn where if the views are clear it is possible to see both Striding and Swirral Edges.
Figure of 8 Circuit Including Honister Pass, Newlands Pass and Whinlatter Pass
This is a picturesque and relatively quiet route starting from the busy tourist town of Keswick. There are some real treats on this route.
Starting from Keswick the route heads south along the shores of beautiful Derwent Water with great views over the lake and Cat Bells. Honister pass starts at Seatoller in the valley of Borrowdale. Near the start of the pass is the Honister Slate Mine and visitor centre which is well worth a stop. After the slate mine the road becomes quite challenging, it is steep and narrow with few passing places for vehicles. The scenery is stunning but it can often be windy and wet so have your waterproofs ready!!
At Buttermere, it is worth taking the Newlands Pass towards Braithwaite. This pass is also a steep, single track road with several hairpin bends with stunning views of the Newlands valley. The highest point is known as Newlands Hause where there is a public car park and a short walk to Moss Beck waterfalls. The Swinside Inn near the village of Stair is a good stop for refreshments.
At Braithwaite turn westwards through Thornthwaite Forest and over Whinlatter Pass. The pass offers great views of Bassenthwaite Lake and there is a visitor’s centre at the top of the pass. At the end of the pass, it is time to turn southwards back towards Buttermere and Crummock Water. Here the views of the lake and mighty Grassmoor are unparalleled.
Calder Bridge to Ambleside including Hardknott and Wrynose Passes
This is a challenging route but is considered a must do by many motorcyclists. The Hardknott Pass in particular, is one of the UK’s most challenging roads. It is the steepest road in England with a gradient of 1 in 3. It is very narrow with numerous sharp, steep hairpin bends and its surface can be unpredictable. The Hardknott and Wrynose are often closed in winter and we would advise that this road is only attempted when the weather is good. It is not much fun in the rain or in the dark.
A refreshment stop is advised before attempting the Hardknott. The Woolpack Inn which is located at the foot of the pass near Eskdale Green is highly recommended. Near the top of the pass is The Hardknott Roman Fort which is located on a spectacular site overlooking the pass. It is a great place to take photos.
If the weather is bad or you just don’t fancy doing the Hardknott Pass, it is possible to avoid the pass by taking the slightly longer southern route from Eskdale Green through Seathwaite to Cockley Beck.
Following on from the Hardknott Pass is the slightly easier Wrynose Pass. The Wrynose meaning “pass of the stallion” is part of an old Roman Road used to serve the troops stationed at Hardknott Fort. It too is very steep but the hairpin bends are less sharp and less numerous – it still remains a very challenging single track road. At the top of the pass is the Three Shire Stone, marking the historic meeting point of Cumberland, Lancashire and Westmorland.
The A686 - Penrith to Alston to Haydon Bridge
Recently voted as one of the greatest driving roads in the UK, this road does take you into the neighbouring county of Northumberland but it is such a good road it has to be included in this article.
The route starts from the old Cumbrian capital of Penrith, the route winds through the beautiful unspoilt villages of Lathwathby and Melmerby. From Melmerby, the road climbs steeply towards Hartside Pass. The road surface is good, perfect for bikes. At the top of the Hartside Pass you are rewarded with magnificent views of the Lake District. On a clear day it is possible to see across the Solway Firth to Scotland. Unfortunately, two years ago the excellent café/restaurant at the top of the pass burnt down. As such, refreshments will have to wait until you reach the town of Alston, the highest market town in England. There is modern service station in the town and several public houses including the very pretty Turks Head.
Heading out of Alston, the road is fast and flowing with great views over the North Pennines Moors. Truly spectacular.
The final leg is through the equally beautiful wooded gorge of the River Allen before finishing at Haydon Bridge.
Lake District Full Circular Route
A 150 mile all day riding route takes in the best of all the Lake District passes. This route is the ultimate, full, intense and challenging Lakeland riding experience. It takes in Hardknott, Wrynose, Honister, Whinlatter and Kirkstone Passes.
This route has a bit of everything to suit all types of bikes and riders. From challenging technical roads like the Hardknott and Wrynose to fast flowing roads like the Kirkstone. On the right day with the right weather this route is unbeatable – a true motorcycle adventure.
Best Times to Visit
Cumbria and the Lake District are best visited by motorcyclists from spring to autumn. Some of the higher passes are closed in the winter due to snowfall and/or ice.
The lakes are popular particularly at the weekends and during school holidays. The area is best visited during the week and not during peak holiday times. Late spring and early autumn are the best times to visit – during these times accommodation is available and the roads are relatively quiet.
It is also recommended that prior to organising your trip you take a look to see if any events are occurring in the area. It is not uncommon for some roads to be closed for sporting events (mainly cycling and running events).
Accommodation
Cumbria and the Lakes do get busy, however, there is plenty of available accommodation to suit all budgets.
The most popular overnight stops in the Lake District are Keswick, Penrith, Grasmere, Bowness-on-Windermere, Kendal.
Cheaper, good quality accommodation can also be found just outside the Lake District but within easy riding distance in Grange-Over-Sands and Carlisle.
In addition, good quality camping including “Pods” is available throughout the Lakes. There are particularly good touring campsites at Hawkshead, Penrith and Pooley Bridge.
]]>Like everyone else in the UK we are also fed up with the whole situation and uncertainty. However, we are extremely confident that even if the UK drops out of the EU without a deal, this will have minimal impact on our European Tours and operations.
There are 3 main concerns/issues which could potentially impact on our European Tours. These are:
1) Eurotunnel crossing including customs and passport control.
2) Increased costs due to drop in value of sterling (£).
3) Requirement for increased documentation (International Drivers Permit, Green Card for Insurance).
Taking each of these in turn:
1) Eurotunnel crossing including customs and passport control.
We are an approved tour operator for Euro-Tunnel crossings. Euro tunnel have been excellent in keeping all tour operators up to date with the latest developments. They have made the following reassurances regarding travel with Euro-Tunnel.
"Yes - the Channel Tunnel will definitely be open after Brexit, and Eurotunnel will be operating as normal whatever form Brexit takes.
We’re in the very lucky position of having the protection of The Treaty of Canterbury which was signed by France and the UK when the Channel Tunnel was conceived – this sets out that both countries will facilitate as frictionless travel as possible through the Tunnel up until 2086."
Euro tunnel have also issued a 'Brexit Promise'.
"We recognise that given all the Brexit stories in the press, you may be wondering when to go ahead and book your travel this year, so we want to give you absolute reassurance that we’re Brexit-ready.
Our shuttles will be running as usual throughout the year, whatever form Brexit takes.
Even in the case of a “no deal” Brexit, the EU & UK have confirmed we’d continue to have visa-free travel this year and next. If International Driving Permits and Green Cards are required, they are cheap and simple to obtain ahead of your travel, but there’s a good chance these won’t be needed either."
In view of the above we are confident that there will be minimal, if any, disruption to our crossings to and from Europe.
2) Increased costs due to drop in value of sterling (£).
We have actually been here before in 2008 when the financial crisis hit. At this time the £ dropped to almost parity with the Euro. We were running lots of European tours through this period and were able to absorb the increase in European prices without surcharging our customers. Some of our competitors did apply surcharges.
WE GUARANTEE TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BOOKED THEIR HOLIDAYS WITH US FOR 2019 THAT WE WILL NOT APPLY A SURCHARGE TO THE COST OF THE HOLIDAY TO COVER A DROP IN THE VALUE OF THE POUND.
3) Requirement for increased documentation (International Drivers Permit, Green Card for Insurance).
There has been a lot of scare-mongering in the press/news etc regarding validity of passports, Drivers Licences, Green Cards etc.
Our take on this is as follows in the event of a no-deal:
a) You will require atleast 3 months remaining on your passport in order to travel. This is actually a common requirement for travelling to non-Euro countries such as US, Australia, India, etc
b) UK citizens will not need a Schengen visa to EU. However, starting in January 2021, all UK citizens will have to obtain a travel authorization prior to their trip to the Schengen Area. This authorisation, named European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), will cost €7 and will last 3 years.
c) If there is a no-deal then you may require an International Drivers Permit (IDP). These are issued by the Post Office, currently cost £5.50 and take 5 minutes to issue. They last either 12 months (Spain) or 3 years (France, Germany, Italy, etc). https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad/international-driving-permits-and-brexit/
d) Green Card. You may need some form of documentation and/or Green Card from your insurance company.
If there is a no-deal on March 29 2019 then we will contact you once we know what the exact requirements are in relation to travel documents. The above is a worse case scenario and we actually believe that there will be very few additional document requirements and these will not be onerous.
TO CONCLUDE
We are very experienced travellors, we travel all around the world with groups of people and cross many borders on our trips. Brexit may result in some very minor changes for holiday makers but these, in our view, will be negligible. The Euro-tunnel will continue to run, we will not surcharge you for any increased costs due to drop in the value of the £. You may need an International Drivers Permit and Green card but this is not at all certain. We will keep all customers aware of any changes in requirements.
TAKE THE PLUNGE - LIFE WILL CONTINUE AFTER BREXIT - BOOK THAT HOLIDAY.
]]>As such we have put together this short blog. All the details can also be found on the relevant web page:
The Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle (above) is ideal for our Himalayan motorcycle tour. Powered by a all new 411cc single cylinder fuel injected engine. For the first time, Royal Enfield has introduced a bike with monoshock rear suspension which gives it 220mm of ground clearance to ensure a smooth ride in the most difficult of terrains. The bike gets large spoked wheels which also help off-road, 21 inch at front and 18 inch at rear. Braking is done by disc brakes front and rear. The bike has a seat height of 800mm and kerb weight of 191kg. The bike is perfect for the solo rider.
The classic Royal Enfield Bullet (above) motorcycle is also ideal for our Himalayan motorcycle tour. This bike has been the mainstay of our fleet over the years and is ideal for riders with pillions. Powered by a 500cc single cylinder fuel injected engine, it produces a little more power and torque than the RE Himalayan. This bike is extremely comfortable and easy to ride, for pillions we can add a back rest. Braking is done by disc brakes at front and drum to the rear. The bike has a seat height of 800mm and kerb weight of 194kg.
Visa
UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, USA, Ireland customers all need a Visa to enter India. The process of applying for an Indian Visa is now a fairly straightforward process and can be done completely on-line. Below is a link to the Indian government which allows you to apply for an Indian e-visa.
Remember you need the following:
Vaccinations
We can only give general advise on this. If in doubt you need to consult with your doctor/health practice.
For India the vaccinations normally recommended are as follows:
It is well worth looking at the following site with regards to vaccinations. It has been produced by NHS Scotland.
https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-east/india
Documents required for India
Recommended Kit List.
Riding Gear
Casual and Evening Wear
First Aid and Health
Electrical Equipment, etc
All in all it has been a fantastic tour although some of the customers have found it more challenging than they expected. For next season we will be going back to grading our tours - green, blue, red and black. The alpine tour is definitely a black!!
On this tour you can be in the saddle on certain days for up to 9 hours. Some people are just not used to riding for this amount of time. However, the weather was very kind to us so we have made the most of this and taken every opportunity to ride as many mountain passes as possible. After all that is the main reason we are all here.
We start riding mountain roads from day 1. Yes, we have found some hairpin bends in the Ardennes. 96 miles on the motorway and then its on to National road, quickly followed by smaller, twisty forest roads as we head through the heart of the Ardennes to our first nights destination in Bastogne.
Day 2
We are heading towards the Vosges mountains and the Routes des Cretes. Excellent weather, perfect roads, a fair few coffee stops and a lovely stop over on the German side of Basel. Just across the road from our 4 star hotel is a great Greek restaurant - super food al-fresco.
Day 3
We start the day with a wonderful German breakfast and then a lovely chilled out ride along the banks of the Rhine. Mid morning stop is at the mighty Rheinfall. It is getting quite warm so ice-cream for everyone.
The rest of the day is spent crossing Switzerland on minor roads. There is no doubting that Switzerland is a beautiful country but I do have two gripes. The first is that it is so expensive and the second is the attitude of car drivers to motorcyclists. I find their driving style very aggressive. Also, like Germany it is illegal for bikes to filter - a daft law IMHO. Anyways, as we ride towards Austria, the Alps begin to loom in front of us, the roads become twistier. We cross over the border and fill up with fuel (considreally cheaper). As we climb higher and higher we arrive at our beautiful hotel high up in the mountains. Definitely a room with a view tonight.
Day 4
Up early and and straight into the Austrian alps. Our hotel is only a few miles away from the beautiful Silvestrepasse. A lot of the mountain pass roads are toll roads but they are well worth the small toll fee. Beautiful road surface, stunning scenery and at this time of the morning, very quiet. Just perfect for some spirited motorcycling.
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What a great tour it was. Fabulous customers and perfect weather for riding a bike. We only got a little wet on the last hours ride of the Saturday. The customers, however, really made it a great start to the season.
There were 10 bikes on the tour including Lorraine and I. I led and Lorraine was tail end Charlie - she did an awesome job. Everyone picked up the drop off system of marking corners and junctions very quickly and led to a trouble free tour with no major mishaps.
DAY 1
We travelled down to Harrogate on the Thursday evening and met up with Homer for a great Italian meal. Up relatively early to meet the group at 9.15am we set off into the Yorkshire Dales. We were soon getting to grips with the single track roads of the Dales and enjoying the absolutely stunning scenery. The sun was shining and we had a lovely mid morning stop in Grassington for tea and scones. Then it was up to Malham Cove. It was wonderful to see hundreds of lambs in the fields out Malham. Lunch was at the rather quirky Falcon Inn in Arncliffe - great food and hospitality.
After lunch it was onto the wider and faster roads with the first being Buttertubs Pass. This is only 8 miles long but it is a great bit of a road. The closest thing you get to an Alpine road in the Yorkshire Dales - flowing curves, sharp hairpins and steep drop-offs. Great fun.
From Buttertubs we enter Cumbria, the Lake District and the first nights hotel. A quick shower and then to dinner with entertainment provided by Mark and Dan. Much banter - hilarious for the rest of us.
DAY 2
A civilised 9.30am start and straight into the Lake District passes, starting with Kirkstone Pass. A nice fast flowing mountain pass which is the highest in the Lake District.
Then it is down into Keswick and onto the Honister Pass. This is my favourite of all the Lake District passes especially as you head down to the Buttermere Valley. Truly beautiful.
Homer enjoyed the view of Sellafield before the lovely lunch stop at Calder Bridge. From Calder bridge it is only a few miles to the notorious Hardknott Pass. This pass is not for the faint hearted, it is narrow and very, very steep. It is the steepest road in England. The gang did really well to get up and down it with only one minor mishap - I will mention no names. I have travelled all over the world on a bike and the Hardknott and Wrynose passes are in the top 5 of hardest asphalt roads that I have ridden. A real challenge - so well done to all.
A coffee stop to calm our nerves and then it is North to Carlisle. Carlisle is a lively border town with lots of pubs and restaurants - we settle for a few beers and a really good curry.
DAY 3
On the bikes at 9.30am and we head North crossing over into Scotland much to Scottish Marks delight. Then it is through Kielder forest before a coffee stop by the lake side. After coffee we head through beautiful Northumberland. This county is so unspoilt and has the lowest population in England. This means glorious empty roads!!
A fuel stop in Alston (the joint highest village in England) and then into beautiful Teesdale. We stop for a lovely lunch at the High Force Inn - beef, gavy and onion baps!
Our final run for the day is up Sutton Bank and then a great motorcycling road over the North Yorkshire moors from Pickering to Whitby.
A few dirty beers at our lovely guest house prior to showering and to the fish and chip shop for locally caught cod and chips. These are then eaten at the The Endeavour public house - what a great pub that allows you to take your fish and chips in. Why don't more pubs allow this?
A great tour with great customers. No mishaps, no problems, everyone looked after each other. So good that we are now organising a North Coast 500 trip for this group in October 2018.
]]>Group riding is fantastic fun. We have taken groups from the UK all the way down to Montenegro in the Balkans, from the UK to the Sahara Desert, etc. The majority of the time we ride with a lead rider ( a guide) and a tail ender (this maybe a guide or a customer depending on size of group and tour). If we all follow some common sense rules regarding group riding then this usually goes pretty well. Here is a short list which will help with your group riding and make the experience enjoyable for all participants:
Do ride for yourself - you know your limits. Most importantly, ride at a speed you are happy with.
Don't ride to close together - self explanatory.
Do try and ride in an off-set stagger - particularly important on long straights and in town where there may be lots of traffic lights, junctions etc
Don't follow other riders overtakes - this is unfortunately a fairly common occurence. Just wait for another safe opportunity to overtake - it will come soon enough.
Do assess overtakes and corners for yourself - you have passed your test, you can ride a bike. Make your own decisions.
Don't leave the least experienced rider at the back , trying to keep up - On our tours, we are always more than happy to have less experienced riders, ride second in the group and forego marking corners until they feel more confident.
A couple of other obvious points are:
Make sure you are following the right bike/leader: This does happen from time to time. The Tour guides will all be wearing a Hi-Viz vest with a large British Bike Tours logo on the back but I still bet there will be someone on a tour this year who will start following a completely random bike!!
Do look after each other: Just stating the obvious, you look after the team and the team will look after you. Cliche but true and anyway it is what bikers do.
I could go on but I think these are most important points.
In the next blog I will explain the drop-off system of marking corners.
Have fun - stay safe. Despite the snow, I am sure Spring is just around the corner.
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British Bike Tours is a motorcycle touring company offering guided motorcycle tours for customers using their own motorcycles and also adventure holidays in India, Nepal and Thailand/Laos using motorcycles provided by ourselves. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of PGM Services Ltd. This is Peters main company which has been trading since 2002 and provides planning consultancy services to the public sector and architectural design consultancy to individual clients.
Lorraine is a self-employed qualified clinical pharmacist working predominantly within the NHS.
We are both in the twilight of very successful professional careers and as such can now spend time organising motorcycle tours via British Bike Tours. We are passionate about motorcycling and travel.
Where are you located?
In the UK we are located in the North East in the seaside town of South Shields, approximately 10 miles from Newcastle.
In France, we are located in a small village in the Mayenne, Pays De La Loire called Couesmes Vauce. We are approximately 15 miles North of Laval and 50 miles west of Le Mans.
Where do we meet up?
On most of our tours (Black Forest, Bridge In The Sky, Alpine High Roads, Austria/Italy/Slovenia) we will meet you at Folkestone and will accompany you on the euro-tunnel crossing. If you are coming from far away we can help you arrange hotel accommodation in Dover/Folkestone for the evening. We can also provide crossings using the P&O ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge and DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. On our shorter tours to the Normandy Beaches or the Loire valley it is possible that we will meet you in France at one of the ferry ports (Caen, Cherbourg) or at our house in France. Otherwise we will meet you at Folkestone etc. For our adventure tours to India, Nepal we will help you arrange your flights and then will either meet you at Heathrow, Newcastle airport or Dubai (we usually fly Emirates).
What do we get for our money?
In a nutshell we provide full guided motorcycle tours. We will provide euro-tunnel/ferry crossings, hotel accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis for European tours and half board on some of the adventure tours to India, Nepal. Our tours are fully guided - we will lead and will often also provide the tail-ender. This is different from escorted tours where the organiser will accompany you on the tour but does not guide. Of course, if you want to do your own thing then that is not a problem.
We consider that our tours are unique. We will take you to some of the most scenic places in Europe travelling on little used roads which will immerse you in the country you are travelling through. The tour routes have been carefully plotted so that you can enjoy the scenery, the bikes and the overall experience. We try not travel on ‘A’ roads or motorways. There are plenty of photo opportunities and refreshment stops.
How long do we spend on the road?
Our tours are unashamedly, first and foremost, motorcycle holidays. We do not spend a great deal of time sitting round swimming pools, shopping, drinking etc. The emphasis is firmly placed on being on your bike and enjoying the scenery, roads and cultural experience. Having said that we do adopt a fairly relaxed approach. Usually we start each day of the tour at around 0900 hrs and aim to be in our next hotel by 1700 hrs. We will have a stop for lunch for approximately an hour and we do have regular coffee stops in the morning and afternoon. On average on our European Tours we will travel approximately 200 miles per day.
On the longer European tours and Adventure tours there will be designated rest days where you can see the local sights, sit around the pool, go shopping etc.
What do we do in the evenings?
We aim to get to our hotel at around 1700 hrs and certainly no later than 1800 hrs. This will give you enough time to unpack, shower, freshen up etc. Sometimes the hoteliers will welcome us with a nice cold beer which is always appreciated after a days ride. We do encourage everyone to eat together as the evening meals are an event in themselves. Anecdotal stories, jokes and general banter are positively encouraged
What do we expect from you?
With all these types of holidays there is an element of risk. We obviously want everyone to be as safe as possible, therefore, we do insist on a few common sense rules. These include wearing of crash helmets, gloves and full length trousers whilst riding. Riding in just flip flops, T Shirt and shorts is frowned upon and we will not let participants ride with the group if they are not wearing adequate safety gear.
We will give you a full briefing on other safety issues on the morning before the tour begins and there will be a short general briefing every morning explaining the day ahead, etc.
Can you hire bikes for customers?
For those customers who are flying in from abroad, we can arrange motorcycle hire for you. We have arrangements in place with two hire companies in the UK.
Is there a minimum or maximum age requirement?
There is a minimum age requirement of 18 years for all riders. There is no minimum age requirement for pillions but they obviously must be able to meet the legal requirements for a pillion passenger. There is no maximum age requirement. For the Himalaya, Nepal and Laos tours we do expect a reasonable level of fitness and Lorraine will ask you for details of any medication.
What about personal insurance and bike breakdown cover?
We insist that everyone who comes on our tours has some form of breakdown cover. Bikes do break down and punctures do happen. We will do whatever we can to keep you going but sometimes recovery is necessary. Usually the problems can be sorted out relatively quickly and you can continue with the tour. If you breakdown on the Motorway (which is rare because we do not do many motorway miles) then you will have to either call your own recovery service or wait for the regular Highway Rescue services which patrol all EU motorways. For safety reasons we will not come and help you if you breakdown on the motorway - this is a job best left to the professional rescue services.
If you choose to ride on a motorcycle with reliability issues then you do so at your own risk. In other words don’t expect too much help from the rest of the group or even from the breakdown insurance companies who will expect your bike to be roadworthy and well maintained.
Personal insurance which cover biking injuries and medical costs is also required. On all our tours this is a mandatory requirement.
What happens if I book a space on a tour. Do I share a room with a stranger?
We have been asked, what happens regarding sharing a room with a stranger. This is not usually a problem - we all ride bikes and you are only strangers for a very short time. Our guides often share a twin room with customers and in the majority of cases room mates get on really well and become real good friends. If you have trouble sleeping or want your own privacy then it is probably best to book a single room.
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