What! You mean the hills are wound in for the spring masses?
If only I'd known!!!!
Got back from a tough long weekend last night.
Set off down the gravel track in the dark and set off from the road end (I couldn't be bothered with the lumpy bit of tarred road out from the Little Langdale ford); descent into Skelwith Bridge was warm but I was above the Inversion at that point! Didn't find the road from Waterside to Troutbeck Bridge as bad as I feared nor was the Kirkstone starting with the climb past the hostel; didn't need to stop, but then my bike+gear weight was about 40kg lighter this time even though I'm about 15kg heavier.... The lap of Blencathra and Skiddaw was brilliant though spent a fair bit of time dodging ramblers who were congregating on the roads in preparation of setting off and not really paying any attention to other traffic. Stopped at the shop in Heskett Newmarket for some Mint cake and then round to Keswick just before 12 to get a late second breakfast at the filling station café.
First struggle of the day was up Newlands, finally failing near the top of the pass; a bit annoying as just last year I got myself up the cockbridge ramp on the Lecht which is about 30% at its worst, but then last year I spent a while playing on the steep hills while this year I've overly focused on going long and eating way too much cake so maybe not a surprise.
and then on the descent I was held up by a car....
Took in the sights of Calderhall Nuclear Power complex and then into Wasdale; the visual extremes of the ride! Pint of coke and a pork pie at the pub (probably not enough) then back out, too late for any trains on La'al Ratty and only 3 big lumps left on the Wahoo's profile display.
Birkerfell I got over ok, but after crossing a cattle grid into a steep left hander on Kiln Bank I ground to a halt and didn't get going without some amount of cleat destruction.
Seems I stopped on top of Old Rake too, don't remember it but I do remember having to stop to open my bag of Jelly Babies, not sure how that could take 4 mins...
From there though it was a nice plunge down to coniston in the dark and then a fairly gentle climb past the set up works for the Langdale Marathon.
3852m of recorded climbing, 12hrs 23m on the clock and aparently only 10hrs 42m of that was spent traveling at a speed that RWGPS considers to be moving...
Tough Day out, but well worth doing.
followed it up with a hike to Silver how on Friday from Low Hall Garth and then with High End, Wet Side Edge, Great Carr, Swirl How and Wetherlam (descended back to Greeburn on saturated slippy grass...) on Saturday; only had enough energy to vegetate on Sunday but didn't fancy walking in that rain for a second day in a row!
Back at work for a rest now...