more long sustained climbs though than lots of short steep ones.
That’s the really killer in the lakes generally. If you don’t have the right gearing you end up having to ride way too hard to keep your cadence up, or you end up grinding over a big gear. Either way, it’ll kill you for later in the ride.
Make sure you have the right gears for your fitness level. At least a 34-28 as a starting point – preferably a bigger cassette if you can. I rode Hardknott at 4.5W/Kg on a 34-28 and had an average cadence of only 60! After 100 miles Hardknott is *really* hard.
EDIT: Contrast that with Matterdale 4W/Kg @ 93rpm, Whinlatter 4W/Kg @ 88rpm, Kirkstone 4W/Kg @ 86rpm.