So a 43 mile road ride today but will I be able to walk tomorrow 
I hate hills and I'd never been over any of the big Cumbrian passes, bottling out the Retro road ride a few months back so today I thought I'd try a loop including Wrynose (both directions) and Hardknott. I've lived in Cumbria for 5 years now so they had to be attempted at some point!! Setting off from Skelwith Bridge I had a lovely warm up ride down Langdale and then the suffering started. The first pull up past Blea Tarn is steep, 25% in places and worse because the steepest bit is straight so you can see exactly how far you have to go. Dropped down to Fell Foot and then onward and upward to Wrynose. I found this the worst climb, its a bugger, max 30%. The worst bit being the last straight near the top where the bike was trying to wheelie. Over the top and you can see Hardknott in the distance. It climbs up to the left of the gill in the distance and looks very scary indeed. But in this direction it's wasn't really that bad. The killer is apparently in the west > east direction. Still 30% gradient in places though. It also has to be said that the descents off these passes are pretty hairy with the tarmac being rippled to buggery with lots of steep hairpin bends, gravel, impromptu streams A nice spin down into Eskdale followed and then I went over Birker Fell and dropped down to Ulpha. I then turned left back up to Cockley Bridge and climbed back up over Wrynose which was easier in the west > east direction. Past Blea Tarn again and back down Langdale to the car. Phew. 43 miles, 6250 ft of climbing!!!
Anybody that has done the Fred Whitton has my utmost respect.
I hate hills and I'd never been over any of the big Cumbrian passes, bottling out the Retro road ride a few months back so today I thought I'd try a loop including Wrynose (both directions) and Hardknott. I've lived in Cumbria for 5 years now so they had to be attempted at some point!! Setting off from Skelwith Bridge I had a lovely warm up ride down Langdale and then the suffering started. The first pull up past Blea Tarn is steep, 25% in places and worse because the steepest bit is straight so you can see exactly how far you have to go. Dropped down to Fell Foot and then onward and upward to Wrynose. I found this the worst climb, its a bugger, max 30%. The worst bit being the last straight near the top where the bike was trying to wheelie. Over the top and you can see Hardknott in the distance. It climbs up to the left of the gill in the distance and looks very scary indeed. But in this direction it's wasn't really that bad. The killer is apparently in the west > east direction. Still 30% gradient in places though. It also has to be said that the descents off these passes are pretty hairy with the tarmac being rippled to buggery with lots of steep hairpin bends, gravel, impromptu streams A nice spin down into Eskdale followed and then I went over Birker Fell and dropped down to Ulpha. I then turned left back up to Cockley Bridge and climbed back up over Wrynose which was easier in the west > east direction. Past Blea Tarn again and back down Langdale to the car. Phew. 43 miles, 6250 ft of climbing!!!Anybody that has done the Fred Whitton has my utmost respect.
