Hardknott Pass

We're off to do some cycling in the Pyrenees at the end of the month, I've spent the last few weeks getting fit and doing some hills on the bike.

I've also become addicted to a web site 'Strava.com' that uses GPS data from my bike computer and compares you to other riders that have done the same route. So naturally, for a competative person like me, you end up riding up hills as fast as you can!

I went to try and better my time on Hardknott last night. Managed to do it in under 14 mins - just.

You think thats fast.....I'm still 2 mins down on the fastest!

Hardknott is on of the hardest and steepest road climbs in the country at over 25% in places, climbing just over 1000ft in 1.5 miles. The video below does not do it justic, in the slightest.

I filmed the ride from top to bottom and back down the other side. Here it is speeded up x4.

Hardknott in 16 minutes at 4 x speed.wmv

Lakeland Terrors

Here's the finished Jersey straight from the factory modelled by Ellie. She'll grow into it!!!

Just need to do the challenge now!

The Lakeland Loop

Well I'd paid my £20 so apart from only having about 2/3rd lung capacity half a voice and a annoying cough I did the loop.

Andy and Keith and I set of from my house at about 08.30 giving us just enough time to drive to the start at the Old Dungeon Gill in Langdale and get riding by 10.00.

68 miles isn't that far. Well the first 58 is great, its the last 10!

Hardknott comes just before Wrynose which is just before that Bas***d climb at the end (think its called Side Pike).

However I love the last 3 climbs as climbing on a bike is what I'm good at so even with whats was left of my cold I passed more people in the last few miles that I had seen all day.

The route

The video below is mainly Hardknott taken hand held while still riding, so the steepest bits are missing. This picture is Great Langdale from the top of the last climb (Side Pike) just before you drop down into the valley.

A great day out.

lakeland loop 2012.wmv

The Lakeland Terrors

This is the final version of our new jersey, inspired by:

1. Beer.
2. The tourists who think as they own a Range Rover they have the right to drive it down the middle of the road so they don't mark their alloys. Not the ones that actually respect where they are and get their wheels dirty.
3. Doug and his love of beer.
4. People who make beer.
5. People who drink beer.
6. Riding bikes, especially while doing inspiration 7
7. Overtaking people who drive Range Rovers down steep hills too slowly.
8. People who don't take life and inspirations 2 and 7 on this list too seriously.
9. Oh and more beer.
10. A combination of 2, 6 and 7 with 1 and 9 is only acceptable if performed consecutively. Wrynose heading east is good for 2, 6 and 7, stopping at the Three Shires for 1 and 9 and to socialise with 4, 5 and 8, whilst reminiscing over 3.

Well I say final the finished version should have the climbs of the Lakeland Terror on one side and the Valleys on the other but they wouldn't show up on this any way. So all we need to do now is decided when we're going to do the challenge now the jersey has sparked a crazy idea! - I'll blame Phil for that one.

The Lakeland Terror

180 ish miles, 17 major climbs.....ohh, forgot to say.......on a bike.

Tonight an idea was born



On the summit of Dent, Tuesday night ride.

The Lakeland Terror

For the record, the Jersey was the inspiration for the Challenge.

The Omega block

The Omega block is an atmospheric weather block that resembles the greek letter Omega. It causes the jet stream to take a long detor north of the UK then back south over the European main land, sucking up warm continental air from Africa. During an Omega block weather in the UK can be settled and unseasonably warm.

Sunday 18th March 2012 a trip around Ennerdale.

Looking down Ennerdale towards Pillar

The head of Ennerdale valley, above the lake.

Can I go for a swim?....Can I?

Ennerdale looking West towards Anglers Crag

Coniston - 1 March 2012

Today, a rather dingy and damp day, I found myself looking for an adventure.

Sailing on Coniston has been on my 'things to do' list for a while. With Peel 'Wild Cat' island to explore and its North/South attitude which should make the wind more favourable than lakes like Derwent it has always looked promising, I'd just not got there with the dinghy...... until today.

The first challenge was where to launch without paying an arm and a leg in parking and launching fees. I'd heard that Brown Howe was cheap and you could launch a dinghy so I thought I'd check it out.

The signs at Brown Howe car park say 'no powered craft to be launched', judging by the carefully placed boulders they want to limit boats to those that can be carried. Luckily my trailer fitted between then - just, with a little scrapping of the mud guards, so most launching trolleys should be be OK. Also, luckily for me, they are trialing a £2.50 all day parking charge. So that was it - £2.50 to park and launch, a box full of butties and a flask full of coffee - off to a good start.

A tight access path

The path from the car park is about 100 yards and not to steep, getting to the water was a doddle, getting back to the car 5 hours later was a little more tricky, but I managed it single handed.

Looking North with Peel 'Wildcat' island in the distance

As I said earlier the day was damp and dingy, so not photogenic in the slightest, but the sailing was great. I manged to get pretty much to the head of the lake running all the way, but the winds were slight and very weak at the north end so it took a couple of hours. I then had a three hour beat back down the lake, the wind then picked up and made the run back great fun. I had intended on landing on Peel island but was running out of time and as the wind was blowing from the west right into the harbour it would have meant lowering the sail and rowing in so I decided I'd leave it until next time and take Ellie back to explore. According to the SatNav I clocked up 15 miles so it was time to go home.

The one thing that I really noticed was the wind was fairly constant not blustery as it usually is on Derwent. Anyway it was a great day.............I'll be back.

5 hours of fun.