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I like hills and I'll be in the vicinity later this month and fancy having a crack at it on my Olympic-spec MTB
It doesn't sound too bad on the Internet 😐
Have any STWrs ridden it?
up the road? or via crossfell?
up the road is shyte, via cross fell is ace.
Ridden it once and run it twice back to back (up and down the penine way and then across and up and down the road).
It's a good climb. There's a couple of gates you have to stop for that are a bit annoying.
Usual mountain weather precautions as it can be very cold and windy and above the cloudline from even half way up.
It's just like any other climb really, just keep pedalling.
Fair point Ton. Up the road is good, on a road bike.
The road isn't as hard as is made out (but living in the Dales I might have previous 😉 ), it's a good surface once you are past the first gate. It's a series of ramps and flatter bits rather than a continuous climb.
up the road? or via crossfell?up the road is shyte, via cross fell is ace.
Right
Thanks for that will have a look
Done it loads, mtb and road.
IT isn't that hard but it certainly isn't easier. Probably harder than similar height gains in europe because of the relentless steep sections.
Keep an eye on the weather. It is really exposed and when windy it is unpleasant. I've been up there on days when I struggled to stand and riding was impossible.
The average gradient is a bit misleading. It starts off nice, then there are some steep bits, then it goes downhill before continuing to climb. Because of this it is actually steeper than the average. Some bits are relentless, particularly up the gully. With a low enough gear you can just keep pedalling. I think on a 36:28 I was forced to stand for a fair amount of the steeper stuff.
I think I've done it in around 30minutes in hill climb mode but it could be a 45-60minute ride for some? Depends on climbing speed.
it's steep and long. I've done it on a standard double 39/ 25. it was a real struggle, but I did it, half way through a 120 mile ride.
also did it on a 36/28, much easier, but agree it's 30 mins of full on effort.
The ride back down the hill is not fun, on carbon wheels and rim brakes. sheep everywhere, quite a few tight corners, very smelly wheels at the end of it.
go on the mtb.
up crossfell across to great dun fell. and down the bw to milburn.
steeeep.
I've done it a good few times on the MTB as part of a Cross Fell loop. It's fine, hard, but doable.
Many thanks folks I like a challenge
This was cracking on a fat bike... till I fell in the Tyne on the way down!
Watch as the path along the river is extremely eroded.