Hardknott & Wyrnose Passes

northernneil
northernneil Posts: 1,549
edited September 2009 in Road beginners
I went gorge walking yesterday (tremendous fun) but to get there we drove over these 2 passes which have been on my cycling radar for years. However I was shocked at the state of the roads, anyway has anyone done them ? which way would be best east to west ?

any advice would be welcome,

cheers

Neil

Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    yup they get used for sportives or just folk wanting to climb a steep hills, it's one of the steepest hills in the uk, and yes mountain roads tend to get battered.
  • nasahapley
    nasahapley Posts: 717
    Did both of them both ways yesterday (plus a load of other stuff), if you saw anyone on a bike it might have been me! If you only do them one way then I think west to east is the way to do it since then you'll tick off Hardknott west, which is often said to be the toughest climb in the UK. However, I assume you'll need to get back to where you start from, so why not park up somewhere like Ambleside/Elterwater, do it east to west, maybe stop for a drink somewhere in Eskdale, then turn round and do them the other way - that's probably the most ridiculous 25 mile ride I can think of!
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    There's no real fun in riding down Hardknott, head down Dunnerdale and then at the bottom head over into Eskdale and back up Hardknott. The Fred Whitton cyclosportive finishes on Hardknott after 100 miles, having ridden around most of the big lakeland climbs.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    Did both of them both ways yesterday (plus a load of other stuff), if you saw anyone on a bike it might have been me!

    LOL! Is "nasahapley" an alias for Alberto Contador?
  • LeighB
    LeighB Posts: 326
    Did the Dave Lloyd Sportive today and went over Wrynose & Hardknott. The surface of the road isn’t the best in the world; it looks like its that steep the tarmac is slipping down the hill! Going down Hardknott one of my bottles jumped out of the cage but fortunately someone in a car picked it up and handed it in at the feed station. These roads are a bit rough but the can be ridden over with a bit of effort (and low gearing).
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286698@N06/
  • nasahapley
    nasahapley Posts: 717
    PianoMan wrote:
    Did both of them both ways yesterday (plus a load of other stuff), if you saw anyone on a bike it might have been me!

    LOL! Is "nasahapley" an alias for Alberto Contador?

    Alas no :) I'm sure AC would serenely glide up all the hills I tackled yesterday; I spent roughly 90% of the time chewing the handlebars and sweating profusely as I struggled to keep a laughably small gear turning over! This is the route:

    http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=20696

    Really really good; I hadn't done Corney Fell/Stickle Pike/Birker Fell before, and I reckon I'll do the same route again soon but going the opposite way over these three - the views from all of them are amazing!
  • LeighB
    LeighB Posts: 326
    nasahapley
    Your route looks superb and I agree about the view from Birker Fell, on a clear day is awesome.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286698@N06/

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