Paul's "70" Project

70 Different Whiskies 70 Parkruns @ 17 venues, 70 New bands (live) 70000 orienteering points (official and unofficial) 70km walk as close as possible 70॰ from my house Photograph 70 items of diverse fauna in our garden in 1 year

70 Cycling Road Climbs. The first 48 were on my ebike, then I bought a fully manpowered bike for road climbs and had upgraded my ebike tyres upgraded formore serious trail and mountain work. When using on my Ebike on the road climbs I used the  lowest setting possible. the Climb Criteria are

200m climb, or 

Appears in the Great Cycling Climbs lists compiled by Simon Warren, (100 and another greatest or any of the regional lists) Search "cycling climbs" in your app store to find these, or

The major Lake District passes (aim to do all routes), or Pennine passes, or

Historical or Cultural Interest. e.g. The concrete road, the military road.

58 have now been completed 41 of which are logged.

I also  aim to find some points of interest around each climb.

Links to Climbs Completed

About the EBike

1 Alston From Brampton 2 Hartside from Alston 3 Faulds Brow from Welton 4 Plenmeller from Haltwhistle 5 Raise Howe from Great Asby 6 Faulds Brow from Red Dial 7 Wark: Rushy Knowe from Gisland 8 Shap: Northern ascent 9 Killhope Cross 10 Dowgang Hush 11 Priorsdale 12 Watendlath 13 White Preston 14 Hard Knott from Boot 15 Ulpha from Duddon Valley 16 Winlatter from Braithwaite            { logged out  17 Newlands via Mill Beck                { of order 18 Kirkstone Pass from Hartsop 19 Binks Moss from St Johns in the Vale 20 Dere Street 21 Mount Gilbert 22 Robinrock Fothers 23 Bampton Common 24 Hartside from Melmerby 25 Ouston Fell from Alston 26 Honister from Borrowdale 27 Whinlatter via Swinside 28 Dryburn Moor 29 Allendale Chimneys 30 Mennock Pass 31 Hutton Roof 32 Snake Pass via Coldhabour Moor 33 Whinlatter vis Scawgill 34 Calebreck via Souther 35 Slaley Forest 36 Horseshoe Hill via Dead Friars 37 Newlands from Portinscale 38 Honister from Buttermere 39 Lawson Hill 40 Winter Hill 41 Rivington Road 42 Greenlea Cross 43 Crawleyside & Horseshoe Hill 44 Unthank Bank to Brackenbridge Moss 45 Bollihope

Ridden, but yet to be logged

OS Map Link: Introducing a new style of map, I have been informed that I may be contravening OS copyright by reproducing their maps. The hand drawn style does enable me to introduce some new features though.

Stanhope was an excellent place to stop off on my way to Hartlepool to watch Carlisle United (the less said about that the better, I couldn't even find any decent beer). The plan on this day was to take in 3 climbs from the Greatest Cycling Climbs (GCC) list, which did happen, then to knock off a few more in the Durham area on the next day, which didn't happen for reasons which will be Revealed on Climb 45

The ford across the River Wear is the obvious low point for the start, quickly joining GCC 59 on the B6278 as it climbs out of Stanhope. Not far on the village of Crawleyside presents the steepest section of the climb at an impressive 20%.

🅾2 Starting point by the ford, note the stepping stones, and the starting point for climb 44 on the other side. 

Profile from OS App

By now you may have noticed the different style of climb profile, without the gradients. It is not permanent, and was due to the route mysteriously only being logged on my phone for the first 500m or so, so I had to rely on the OS software, which does not give gradient info. However the GCC app does give the maximum gradient at 20%, and believe me, that was in the village (See photo above).

On eventually arriving at a fork in the road I became suspicious that the left option led to a higher peak than that stated for GCC 59 on the right. Inspection of the map revealed that it did, and it was none other than Horseshoe Hill, the destination of one of my favourite climbs to date (Climb 36 Horseshoe Hill), which in IMHO that previous north face approach being a superior adventure. So I changed my plan to make Horseshoe Hill the high point of the climb, and then to return to complete GCC 59 hence the weird Y shape to the route..

🅾3 Lingering snow on Horseshoe Hill

🅾4 End point at Hisehope Head. Looking east to Waskerley Reservoir in the background

Points of Interest

Stanhope and Tyne Railway 

My route follows for a large part this historic Mineral line, which ran all the way to South Shields for the transport of mainly coal. The steep Crawleyside section was negotiated by stationary engines, and a series of ropeworks, and by horses higher up (Wikipedia). The route of the railway to the North East continues along the Waskerley Way down into Consett, now a footpath and part of NCR 7, a definite future adventure.

Stanhope

Stanhope has a couple of things of interest, namely a fossilised tree stump  in the churchyard, one of a triplet, another of which is in Newcastle museum. The Durham Dales Centre is here, with tourist information and a tea shop. More stuff where relevant in the next entry.

Horseshoe Hill

Forgive the vagueness, this is one of a series that remained ostensibly unrecorded for far too long. It’s main quality is the winding up of gradient to the steepest section approaching the top.

Starting from Front Street, Brampton in order to ensure 200m of climb in case of the final trail section been locked off, its up through the town on the A689 to Hallbankgate, where there was a wait at the level crossing.

Waiting for the train to pass.

From here onto the backroads with the 2 steep sections peaking at 12% then 16% before the short track section to the telecommunication mast at the top.

Approaching to top of the road section with the mast on the skyline

The Top.

The route back down the other side was very scenic, a hidden gem close to home, and will be covered in a future climb (No 49 Whinney Fell)

Points of interest

The mast is owned by Cellnex who lead with this proud boast “[We   are] Europe's leading operator of infrastructures that empowers connectivity for people and territories”

Route: Squirrel Bridge, Horwich, WINTER HILL, Squirrel Bridge, Rivington Causeway, Rivington Road Summit (Hordon Stoops), Squirrel Bridge.

This Climb

OS Map Link

The second climb of the day, ending up not too far from the first one, but very different in nature.  A completer really, it's on the Greatest Cycling Climbs North West list and it was very conveniently close to Winter Hill.

The day out for the two climbs was to be later completed by an excellent Last Dinner Party gig in Manchester to go on my 70 new musical artistes list.

Back to the climb: To get the maximum ascent just a tad shy of 200m I started midpoint on the Causeway which splits the upper and lower Rivington Resevoirs, and it was basically uphill from there peaking at 12% so requiring the occasional dip into TOUR (2/4) assist mode from the E Bike.

Points of Interest

The Rivington Reservoirs were constructed between 1850 - 1857 to supply drinking water for Liverpool, but now most of its goes to Wigan. As with most reservoir schemes a village or two and an inn were drowned in the process. You can read about it and link to other Rivington stuff here.

You get a great alternative view of the Winter Hill transmitters from just below the top, especially when there is no low cloud.

Winter Hill from Rivington Road with the top  half of the main transmitter obscured by cloud.

Route: Squirrel Bridge, Horwich, WINTER HILL, Squirrel Bridge, Rivington Causeway, Rivington Road Summit, Squirrel Bridge.

This Climb

OS Map Link:

Another climb from the Greatest Cycling Climbs North West list, and an absolutely splendid adventure it is. Starting at a lower point than the published route and proceeding forking left at The Crown Inn up the main drag of Horwich, which takes on several names. Left and down into a wooded valley which marks the “official” start, and where the serious work begins.  

The Steepest part is still while you are in Horwich

The gradient climbs at around 10% past some older traditional, and newer dwellings along a bit of a wibbly wobbly way which represents the steepest section at 16%, TOUR (2/4) setting required on the eBike. Eventually passing the last dwelling and emerging onto the open fell at Montcliffe,

The climb soon eases off on the round topped hill and the copse (hardly a forest) of telecommunications towers at the top starts to dominate the view ahead.  On past the ‘to be ignored’ no cycling sign, but the route ends in a slightly disappointing note just short of the first mosts as a relatively new gate and fence block the route to the very top.

Approaching the top

Pass no further

Points of interest

Prehistoric tumuli, industrial archeology, numerous plane crashes, UFOs, wildfires, prehistoric and contemporary cairns remembering tragic deaths, a murder and the ghost of Lord Lucan. In addition to the masts Winter Hill has too much interesting to start going on about it here so look at the Wikipedia Page, (and donate while you are at it please).

This isn’t the first entry to mention air disasters, see Climb 36 Horseshoe Hill however this place does seem to attract them with over two dozen to date, perhaps as it is the southern prominence of the range and in close proximity to a major airport. I was hoping to see the memorial plaque to the most famous, that being the Manx Airlines disaster of 27 Feb 1958, however the aforementioned new gates barred the way, so I had to make do with this shot from Geograph.

The crash memorial plaque, Photo David Dixon via Geograph

The transmission station is the most comprehensive set of telecoms equipment that I have encountered (of which there has been several, I will   make a list with links when I get a round tuit). Wikipedia is again a good source of info.

Route: Brampton, Holmwrangle, LAWSON HILL, Castle Carrock, Brampton

This Climb

OS Map Link:

This ascent came to my attention via the north west addition of Simon Warren’s Greatest Cycling Climbs list, “North West” App. These regional editions include those listed in the 2x100 greatest lists plus 45 or so of extra ones.

This is the first NW “extra” climb listed and also the closest to my house, although a few of my own are closer, (depending as to where I define the start). And hopefully from now on more photos as I have got the hang of the helmet cam.

Starting point, the Eden is down to the right, continue left just out of shot

This short sharp shock of a climb starts at the banks of the river Eden and rises rapidly up the area I have just named the Croglin Plateau, which skirts the pennines taking on the protruding bluff of Lawson Hill. The road is very narrow in parts, and has one of those “impossible bends” which are stupidly steep on the inside track requiring a mortal cyclist to veer over to the right, and presumably many a sump nut scrape for motorists.

This marks the start of the viscous middle section before easing off towards the top.

 Just after the “impossible bend”

The top on the edge of the Croglin Plateau. The little green lump is the actual top of Lawson Hill, The Pennines are in the distance.

List with links and my * ratings

12 Watendlath  ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 16 Whinlatter from Braithwaite GCC82 ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 17 Newlands via Mill Beck   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 26 Honister from Borrowdale ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 27 Whinlatter via Swinside  ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 33 Whinlatter via Scawgill  ⭐⭐☆☆☆ 37 Newlands from Portinscale GCC81 ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 38 Honister from Buttermere GCC80 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GCC = from Simon Warren's list of greatest cycling climbs

I could (and may well) add a track ride from the Whinlatter visitor centre towards Lord's Seat.

Route: Portinscale, Derwent Bank, Newlands Hause, Buttermere, Gatesgarth, HONISTER, Portinscale.

This Climb

OS Map Link:

This classic adventure completes the set of climbs in the Borrowdale/Buttermere region and I have left the best to last. It’s a slow burner, barely more than a gentle slope at the start but as Fleetwith Pike on the right and Robinson, then Dale Head on the left close in the gradient winds up in measures until the final 25% haul to the top, requiring the assistance to be wound up from ECO (lowest) mode up to SPORT (3 out of 4). About the EBike Settings

Points of Interest

The signs of slate quarrying which goes back to roman times are plain to see, but now the place is dedicated to tourism, so for those who like to multitask their adventure activities there are a plethora of passive and active things to do available at the top of your ride if you have the time, or for another visit.

Forgive the Google snaps below, I accidentally erased the pics from my helmet cam for the whole of this trip.  The shot of Skiddaw is mine.

The final steep bit cannot be avoided (Google)

Visitor centre (Google)

Route: Portinscale, Derwent Bank, NEWLANDS HAUSE, Buttermere, Honister, Portinscale

This Climb

OS Map Link:

This was my second ascent of Newlands, this time from the Derwent Water side completing the pair. (Previously from the Buttermere Side here) 

Imho the climb from the other side is a superior experience with its short but steady climb rather than the roller coaster up up down a bit of this side, although both the fenced and open roads do provide some pleasant vistas on the lower slopes and the mountainscape higher up with the impressive peak of Robinson to the left from which tumbles the equally impressive Moss Force (pic at top) of which Samual Coleridge wrote:

“It is so near a perpendicular that it would have appeared to fall--but it is indeed so fearfully savage, & black, & jagged, that it tears the flood to pieces--and one great black Outjutment divides the water, & overbrows & keeps uncovered a long slip of jagged black Rock beneath, which gives a marked character to the whole force. What a sight it is to look down on such a Cataract!--the wheels, that circumvolve in it--the leaping up & plunging forward of that infinity of Pearls & Glass Bulbs--the continual change of the Matter, the perpetual Sameness of the Form-it is an awful Image & Shadow of God & the World.”

Knott Rigg from Keskadale

Route: Hexham Station, Slaley Forest, Blanchland, HORSESHOE HILL, Carterway Heads, Hexham.

Also includes Climb 35

This Climb

OS Map Link:

This was an extremely enjoyable ride,  a classic, out onto open fell with some great views.

Starting at Blanchland, after a quick hop to Baybridge, the climb starts in earnest with its most difficult section peaking at 17%. Joining the seemingly ever present NCR 7 coming in from the west after about 2k and hitting the open road the route meanders up and down incorporating another couple of severe sections before the flat out at the top. 

To reach the highest attainable point and visit the telecom infrastructure there is an off road track which at its steepest in very loose and unpassable requiring a diversion onto the grass.

Points of Interest

The photo below is another relic of the North Pennine lead mining activity.  In this case a pump house for dewatering the mines, more on that in this blog. See the route map for the location.

Disused Mine Pump House

There were also several lead smelting chimney systems as described under Climb 29, (Allendale Chimneys).

Lead Smelting Chimney on the skyline

The telecoms infrastructure at the top was somewhat disappointing, but there was evidence of a grander past.

Phone mast on the right, possibly short wave or VHF antenna array tops the mast on the left (sorry not fully up with getting the helmet cam right yet), There is a better shot of the this mast. here.

I am indebted to the photographer of the below shot, Trevor Littlewood, for pointing me to the story of what happened at this site. A previous guyed radio mast once stood here but careful inspection of the photo gives a hint to its possible fate. Damaged guys are clearly visible.

Former mast known as Muggleswick Radio Mast and building, Photo Credit - Trevor Littlewood from Wikimedia Commons Photo April 1992.

The photo was taken 2 days after a light aircraft, in low cloud conditions, clipped the guys bringing down the plane. Official Report. The mast remained standing for several years but it is unknown if its removal was due to the accident, just end of life or a combination.

There's more on the history of Muggleswick here with a photo showing that microwave dishes were once present and explaining the stations use as part of the backbone of the former GPO / BT microwave network. The microwave dishes had been removed by the time the above photo was taken, the system becoming obsolete and replaced by the national optical fiber system. (Blimey, I worked on that back in my student days when it was still embryonic)

Finally this grainy snot here shows the remains of an anchor point that first altered me that a guyed mast once stood here.

Route: Hexham Station, SLALEY FOREST, Blanchland, Horseshoe Hill, Carterway Heads, Hexham.

Also includes Climb 36

This Climb

Climb 35  marks the halfway point in this endeavour, however due to a counting error where Climbs 16 and 17 got lost in the confusion of Christmas I didn't realise it at the time. This was also the first time the helmet cam was used.

OS Map Link:

Starting at Hexham Station, and following the less busy side roads up 150m to yet another Mount Pleasant at quite a challenging 10% before losing 100m of those to drop down into Newbiggin.

In fact, Newbiggin might also be a logical starting point for this adventure. A relentless climb up ever increasing gradients, with the last haul up the surfaced road requiring a switch up to ebike TOUR (2/4) mode to tackle the final 17% section, thankfully followed by an easier final section of 300m or so along the forest track to reach the top. One of those flat Pennine tops that isn't particularly obvious on the ground.

Points of Interest

This route follows where possible, or otherwise runs parallel to, a section of Alfred Wainwright’s “A Pennine Journey”.

Hexham itself is well worth a visit with lots for the cultured tourist, and always features well in the “happiest place to live” stakes. Slaley Forest gets a page on the Forestry England Website, but the only entry under “things to do” is to go for a walk.

Slaley Forest. Not particularly exciting

Route: Low Lorton, Scawgill Br, Whinlatter VC, Fitz Park, Souther Fell, Calebreck

Also includes Climb 33

This Climb

OS Map Link:

What’s not to love about this epic climb. Is it the picturesque ride along the cycle track by the Greta River out of Keswick, the views up the flank of Cumbria’s most majestic mountain Blencathra, or maybe the open fell ride alongside the ubiquitous Carrock Fell up past the 2nd highest hamlet in the lakes. Nope. The number of gates is not to love, 5,  or was it 6? Though most of these could have been avoided by swapping out the Souther Fell section for the A66 (old or new) and Mungrisdale valley roads that would have started this as a 4⭐  climb rather than being a 5⭐ relegated to 4⭐  because of the gates.

Nothing too strenuous here, the steepest sections being thankfully short so ECO mode all the way.

Top of Calebreck, the field on the right was used as parking for an Orienteering event a few days earlier. Spot the portaloo!. It was windy and cold on the top of this hill, less so on High Pike itself which was much higher.

Points of Interest

Keswick is a massive lake district tourist centre, with the Pencil Museum an often overlooked attraction. Blencathra was one of Alfred Wainwright’s favourite mountains, and he described more routes up it than any other mountain. It was Wainwright who was largely responsible for the re-adoption of the original Cumbric name of Blencathra in favour of the rather limp Saddleback, which had probably been allocated by whoever the original Ordnance Survey (OS) man on the spot was. Being professional surveyors often under time pressure, and almost certainly not locals, names were often determined by asking the first person they saw or just making something up, and became permanent in print.

Route: Low Lorton Scawgill Br Whinlatter VC Fitz Park Souther fell Calebreck

Also includes Climb 34

This Climb

OS Map Link:

Back to the normal order of things..

This climb completes the trio of routes up Whinlatter the other 2 being from Braithwaite (Climb 16) and via Swinside (Climb 27).  I suppose there could be 4 as there is a third intermediate route from the Buttermere side, but really only 3 independent routes. 

Starting at Low Lorton and taking the northern most options to get maximum separation from Climb 27 this route dives in and out of the ubiquitous NCR7 and consists of a modest background interspersed with 4 quite viscous little sections, starting with the hardest at 17% and getting slightly easier each time before arriving at the visitor centre.

Points of Interest

Some stuff of interest on Lorton and Whinlatter Pass may be found on Wikipedia. The thing that may be of most interest to most readers may be that Jennings Brewery was started in 1828 by John Jennings. Production moved to Cockermouth in 1874 where brewing remained until 2022, when the Heineken conglomerate (boooooo) took over the franchise via Marstons and relocated brewing to Burton, whilst having the gall to keep the Cumberland beer name and pretense. As so often happens when remote out of touch head offices laud it over beloved local brands, the inevitable loss of sales followed. Thankfully local concerns have now revived the Jennings name, ethos and original recipes and returned the legendary ales to their roots. Jennings Brewery Link.

Route: Braithwaite, Whinlatter Pass, Lorton, Buttermere, Newlands Hause, Braithwaite.

Also includes Climb 16

Note: 16 and 17 were somehow not logged at the time, must have been impending Christmas, hence the late post on these. I had to renumber the others to stay in some sort of # vs date order.

This Climb

OS Map Link:

After enjoying an excellent pie at the Syke Farm Tea Rooms the climb began immediately, with a short sharp  shock to get onto the Newlands road proper.

Indeed the climb comprising little at less than 8% and occasionally exceeding 20% demanded TOUR mode (setting 2/4, ebike settings link) to be selected and left alone allowing a bit of a rest on the middle 2% section which opens up the vista of the full route with Knott Rigg and Sail dominating the skyline.

Sale Beck to the left slides down this tight V valley flanked by Whiteless Pike to the left, and High Snockrigg on the right which eventually gives way to the impressive peak of Robinson. 

The final steepest section again demands a low gear and hard work culminating in a couple of very brief 22% sections, and although the profile graph, with its limited sample rate, shows the first of these to be worse, my legs said the second, perched on a sharp bend, was indeed the more taxing. 

Points of Interest

Not a lot really, a sinister intrigue about Buttermere lake on the post for Climb 27 that may be of interest.

Moss Force is an impressive waterfall visible on the left just as the decent back towards Newlands valley starts.