Mid-Essex North Hill Ascent Count

[huggy]

In conjunction with the MEMWNS this thread may be used to log ascent counts of the locally infamous North Hill, Little Baddow.  Each calendar year of ascents should be logged here; the purpose being to show others in the area how mad each member of the Mid-Essex Chapter of yacf is.

Everyone knows that there are no hills in Essex but this is the best we have to offer and serves as a training ride and is indeed the only way to begin any Mid-Essex ride.
The course starts from the Little Baddow village sign near to Papermill Lock and ends at the General's Arms Public House sign.  A distance of 1.76km and a climb of 80m.  Here is a Garmin course of the route.
A 'half ascent' can be claimed for starting at the village sign and stopping at the refreshment stop known as The Rodney Public House.

Multiple ascents per visit can be attempted and logged; if multiple bikes are used throughout the year counts for each steed should be logged.

[huggy]

Huggy's 2012 NH Ascents

Specialized CrossTrail = 5.5
Claud Butler Milano = 0

[Oaky]

Oaky's 2012 NH Ascents

... have moved to the stats-only thread:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=55989.0

[Oscar's dad]

I refuse to be drawn into this silliness. You lot need to get out less.

[trixie]

Honor's 2012 NH Ascents


Btwin = 3

[Clare]

Clare's 2011 NH Descents


Badly packed Hewitt Cheviot = 1



and that's your lot, I agree with OD.

 

[Steph]

Steph's...

Dawes Galaxy following Spen on and Audax. That's it.

[Wowbagger]

I think the OP is doing North Hill down: surely the ascent continues to the pink cottage on the corner of Spring Elms Lane, which from memory is higher than the General's Arms. No ascents so far this year as I normally plan rides so that I descend and then consume cake at the excellent Paper Mill Lock. However, Mrs Wow and I have ridden the tandem up on a few occasions but I've done it more often on the solo. Descending, I've once broken  40mph on the solo but I don't think we have on the tandem.

[Oaky]

surely the ascent continues to the pink cottage on the corner of Spring Elms Lane,

I agree with Wow, the ascent ends at the pink cottage. Fractions of ascents don't  count!   

The pink house is downhill from the Generals.  In fact, if my route takes me up North Hill then either left into Spring Elms Lane, or right into Colam Lane opposite, then I carry on past and turn round in the General's Arms car park.

As you say - fractions don't count 

EDIT:  according to googlemap_cuesheet, the General's Arms is 0.1 miles further than the Pink House and an extra 21 ft of climbing.

[Old Git]

What about virtual ascents, sitting on your a**e at home thinking about doing 3 or 4 ascents 

[Wowbagger]

I'm knackered just thinking about it!

Mea culpa - Oaky's right. The General's Arms is indeed south of Spring Elms Lane.

However, I'd still take issue with the OP as in my book the ascent starts at the bridge over the Chelmer, that being the lowest point. That gives 296' of ascent in 1.3 miles, or 90m in 2 km.

[Jurek]

Makes my multiple ascents of the hill in Greenwich Park pale into insignificance 

[Oaky]

Makes my multiple ascents of the hill in Greenwich Park pale into insignificance 

This may be the first time that phrase has ever been used in reference to a hill in Essex.

[Chris S]

I think I only manage one visit a year - on Ed's Witham 200 audax.

Does riding up it on 85" fixed count double?

[TimC]

Is this really the best hill in Essex? I reckon it's about 4.5% for about a mile. Ballingdon Hill on the A131 out of Sudbury (ok, it starts in Suffolk but ends in Essex!) is 9.5% for a 270ft climb in 1/2 a mile. And there are plenty of others on less busy roads round here that could give North Hill a run for its money!

[Chris S]

I wondered how long it would be before this became an East Anglian inter-county pissing contest! 

Norfolk has no hills - anyone knows that, so this is not a hill: Clickity

As for Suffolk - this is definitely not a hill: Clickity

ETA: Also - Ballingdon Hill is a pussy cat, rising from 26m at the crossroads to 81m at Armsey Farm. Barely worth getting out of the saddle for  .

[Clare]

Does riding up it on 85" fixed count double?

Riding UP it on anything only counts towards your next psychiatric assessment.

 

[Wowbagger]

The alpine bits of Essex around Mike's place tend to have much more gradual ascents, even though they are over 100' higher.

Langdon Hills, Laindon, are higher than Danbury by about 30' but there are few roads which I'd choose to cycle around there.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=567537&Y=186335&A=Y&Z=120 , Old Church Hill, represents a 90m ascent in about 1.8km (284' in 1.1 miles) but it's very skoggy and rutted, a very challenging ride in either direction. It must be very close to chevron territory near the top. Dry Street, heading east towards the hospital, does not descend nearly so far and you end up on a ridge.

[bobb]

Right, I'm off for a ride now (yes, I know it's raining) - guess where I'm going? 

[токамак]

I hope you're going on the Woodrup now that it's geared down to ~66"

[Wowbagger]

Right, I'm off for a ride now (yes, I know it's raining) - guess where I'm going? 

Blimey, bobb, you've been wearing your short out this year, haven't you?

I'm stuck in Maidstone, where it isn't raining, but sadly sans bike.

[TimC]

I wondered how long it would be before this became an East Anglian inter-county pissing contest! 

Norfolk has no hills - anyone knows that, so this is not a hill: Clickity

As for Suffolk - this is definitely not a hill: Clickity

ETA: Also - Ballingdon Hill is a pussy cat, rising from 26m at the crossroads to 81m at Armsey Farm. Barely worth getting out of the saddle for  .

Don't know your Norfolk one, but I do know the one at Hartest - it's only a few miles north of me here at Henny, and I guess it counts as one of the many hills associated with the Stour valley. Ballingdon isn't anything special, agreed, but it is given added piquancy by the heavy traffic on the A131!

[Old Git]

ETA: Also - Ballingdon Hill is a pussy cat, rising from 26m at the crossroads to 81m at Armsey Farm. Barely worth getting out of the saddle for  .

OD and I did Ballingdon Hill on Tom's DTDO 200 perm and it wasnt too bad, I was glad it was dark and thick fog, as i couldn't see the hill, just rode it by touch, as it were    

[Wowbagger]

Isn't the Hartest chevron part of the Newmarket Ridge? I climbed it once on a ride with Annie and my front wheel was lifting each time I pressed on the pedals.

The highest point (420', also Suffolk's County Top) is near Rede, in a wood. The road just exceeds 400' and the climb from the Stour crossing at Glemsford, through Hawkeden (stop for a pint at the Queen Victoria) up to Rede is about as un-East-Anglia-like a ride as you'll find in East Anglia. These are not the sort of roads on which to take NSTN unless you remember to pack you profanifilter.

It's a great descent from the summit towards Mildenhall because it's so long, but at that point it's nowhere near as steep as North Hill.

[Oscar's dad]

It should be pointed out that North Hill can be ascended from most points of the compass and there are at least two off-road options I know about.  Given I occassionally relish the role of Agent Provocateur I shall be logging ALL my ascents by whatever means or route so there 

"Offical" North Hill route
Ribble Blue - 3

Southern escarpment via Danbury
Ribble Blue - 1

Pigs spotted
4