Also which way is it best to ride? S-N or N-S ?
Look at the prevailing wind direction – tends to be either NW or SE, and you don’t want to be going into it all day if it’s blowing a bit.
I do Skipton – KS fairly regularly, and my preference is S-N, although I tend to miss out the last climb up and over to Street when going that way.
N-S has the advantage of it being 100% rideable, going the other way you’ll be pushing up from behind Garsdale.
Nothing technical really, just a big day ride with fantastic views. Are you using the train?
I tend to go down into Hawes instead of over to Newby Head and Garsdale, mainly for refreshment reasons, as you still need to get up Cotter End afterwards to rejoin. The section of Lady Ann’s Highway heading north from there is one of my favourite bits of trail in the Dales.