Route: Brampton, Melmerby, HARTSIDE, Alston, OUSTON FELL Hayden Bridge.  

Climb 25 also on this route

This Climb

Link on OS Maps

Appearing in Simon Warren's Greatest Cycling Climbs as no 77 this is a relentless but steady climb, just like coming up from Alston side (Climb 2) but with the big difference that this is twisty and bendy, and steeper and higher,  and this time made much harder by a very stiff north easterly which intensified as you reached the col. I kept in ECO mode on the bike and flipped between 1st and 2nd gears.

The top is only evident as you meet CR 7 coming in from the left. Higher up, the red path (see map) marks the off road version of CR 7 where a large party was ascending as part of a guided coast to coast adventure. They had a support van at the top, myself, expecting a new café and finding just a locked wooden shed and a couple of portaloos had to drop down to Alston to find refreshments. 

View of Watch Hill to the North

On the descent the north easterly was so strong it was able to hold me up against the hill for most of the descent, a welcome bonus for those coming the other way.

Counting the off road route, which is beyond the capabilities of my equipment, and probably me, there are three alternative routes from the Melmerby side, of these I hope to give the sufficiently independent route along NCR7 from Renwick a go in the future

Points of Interest

Blog entry Climb 2: Hartside from Alston has some stuff on the history of Hartside Pass with further links.

About half way up there is a sadly rather tatty plaque with some interesting stuff on if you have the time.