Some Background
I'd never really considered cycling an "End to End", even though I'd been cycle touring regularly for nearly 20 years. Apart from a few short trips when my kids were young I've always preferred cycling in France with occasional forays across its borders. I usually tour with a friend mainly in the Alps and Pyrenees and a few times around Provence. France has always seemed the perfect place for cycle touring with its quiet roads; the attitude to cycling; long, well graded mountain passes; campsites in every town; greater probability of decent weather; boulangeries and red wine.
Part of the reason for me retiring at 60 was to get some cycling in, while I was still fit enough. I do ride regularly in the West Yorkshire/Lancashire Pennines and I've continued with the annual cycle tours in France, but I wanted something a bit more epic so I justified the early retirement! I think the idea of an "End to End" first started to germinate shortly after returning from a superb tour in Provence, including two rides up Mont Ventoux. I'd been reading the detailed information on the CTC Forum about LEJOG, too, and I think some of the enthusiasm was catching. I firmed up on the idea during December.
A number of posters on the CTC forum made the point they didn’t see the "End to End" as a tour, more a personal challenge and some said that if you wanted to tour, why would you choose the UK. I guess I’d always gone along with the second point but thought the ‘challenge’ rather depended on what targets you set for yourself. I wasn’t under any time constraints so I could take it as fast (or rather slow) as I liked. I wanted to enjoy each day and not just see each as something to endure and tick off. I didn't fancy taking the shortest or quickest route and I favoured quiet scenic routes where possible. I don't always avoid busy roads, in fact I sometimes really enjoy them, but I don't like the constant roar of motor traffic. By going via my home in Haworth I would include some Pennine hills and the Dales, which would slow me down a bit, too.
For me, camping is a big part of the pleasure of cycle touring and I didn’t even consider alternatives. I enjoy the camping in itself but I also like the freedom it gives from having to decide in advance what distance to do each day and to change direction on a whim.
This Blog
I've never blogged in my life! However, when preparing for this trip, I found out lots of people do and these were both helpful and inspiring. So I thought I'd have a go.
Originally, I thought I'd do a very brief summary and perhaps add a couple of photographs for each day even though I'd taken hundreds. Once I'd got into it my 'summaries' became longer and when I started to upload photos I remembered I'd bought Photoshop Elements but had done no more than tinker with it. Initially I used it to just to make slight enhancements but (as can be seen) I soon got a wee bit carried away! It took me a while to get into my stride so, for example, I didn't work out the best way to post the photographs until the last few days.
Final Thoughts
This did turn out to be very different from one of my usual cycle tours. To my surprise I did get caught up in "the challenge" with greater daily distances than I expected, even after I decided to slow down at the half way point. It was still a very enjoyable tour, though, and I will now do more touring in the UK (I won't stop touring in France -- Pyrenees in July! -- but I'm planning a coast-to-coast in June). For all sorts of reasons it was much better than I expected: there are plenty of very quiet roads in the UK; campsites seem far better than when I last went camping some 40 years ago; there are some pretty good places to see; and the pubs aren't bad.
Part of my reason for thinking I had to slow down was my concern it was going to be over too quickly. Indeed it still would have been if I'd caught the train back at Wick. In fact, it would have been a real anticlimax and I wonder if that's why so many End-to-Enders are so disappointed with John O'Groats. Looking back, I wonder if I should have cycled to Lands End rather than get the train but I wouldn't even have contemplated that before I went. (I will probably cycle to/from each end if I do the coast-to-coast).
I've always liked to set off fairly early but I even surprised myself with the early starts I made this time. It only took a couple of (accidental) early starts to convince me of the benefits and so I started planning for them.
Preparation: The plans I had made well in advance seemed to work out pretty well. The train service was excellent. I stuck fairly closely to my planned route. My printed OS maps, with the Google Map inserts for town centres and the route profiles worked absolutely fine. Mapping out the route using Anquet was time-consuming particularly as it doesn't have a "follow road" facility (I've just discovered some eight months after the trip that I can plot routes on Bike Hike, save them as GPX files and upload them using Anquet!). Having said that it did get me very familiar with the landscape I'd be covering and forced me to spread the mapping over a fair period of time so I had time to cogitate. And I really enjoyed the whole route planning process. Nevertheless, I'm not sure how necessary it was: the return journey from John O'Groats to Haworth was unplanned using torn out pages from a road atlas by simply identifying towns (or other landmarks) in the right general direction and deciding on what seemed to be an interesting way to join them up. Even so, when I do similar journeys in future I will probably still plan the route in detail in advance (even though I might not necessarily follow it) because that is half the fun.
Camping and campsites: camping was definitely the right decision for me; a major contribution to the overall enjoyment. I particularly enjoyed cycling very early in the morning especially when there is no one about and it's unlikely I would have discovered that if I had not been camping. I didn't have a bad campsite in the 20 days of camping. A couple were more expensive than I would have liked but I felt that they could justify the prices with the quality of the facilities. On balance I preferred the ones mainly for tents (or at least without static caravans) but there were none I wouldn't go back to.
The bike: not an ideal tourer, perhaps, but it was very comfortable and performed very well. The only mechanical problem was due to me not tightening the lock ring when I fitted the replacement cassette. Two punctures, one a faulty valve, the other perished rim tape. A very stable bike and I was particularly impressed with the disc brakes. I didn't need the front suspension but it was of some benefit on the off-road sections. Just a pair of rear panniers worked fine although I did have a tendency to pile things on the rear rack in the string bag. Having said all that, I have now bought a purpose-built tourer (Ridgeback Panorama).
Camping equipment: the Terra Nova Laser Competition was superb. Very light, easy to erect and with plenty of room for one. Reasonable storage space in the porch and beside me in the tent. Mind, I normally left the panniers on the bike at night. The Karimat self inflating mat was very comfortable. The sleeping bag was occasionally at the limits of its performance but on colder nights I wore base layers (and the Merino wool top was excellent). The mosquito net came in handy, too.
Clothing: no problems but I probably took more spares than I needed because it was easier to wash clothes at campsites than I had anticipated. I did have to buy an extra micro-fleece as I headed north and on a couple of occasions I did wear both (and several other layers) although this was a comfort issue rather than survival!
Food and drink: I had three or four evening meals in restaurants and they were good but my favourite meals by far were those I cooked each evening. As I had anticipated supermarket in-store bakeries (or any other bakers for that matter) couldn't hold a candle to boulangeries. Just occasionally I might find half decent pastries for breakfast but certainly not everyday. I did have the occasional bacon butty which probably makes more sense in England and in the first six days had several full English breakfasts -- they were good but they probably weren't the best cycling food. The Cornish Pasties; Scottish Bridies and Fish and Chips were my favourite take aways for snacks during the day. One big disappointment was the absence of decent beer in Scotland; I don't know if I was just unlucky.
I seemed to be eating like a pig but I lost just over 3 kg (about half a stone) over the 21 days. According to my crude calculations a loss of that much fat means I was eating more than 1000 kcal too few each day (and I know over 60s are not supposed to be able to increase muscle mass but I think I probably did a little so that may be an underestimate). As a result of all the extra cycling (and probably better eating) even before the trip I'd lost probably 1.5 kg since I retired. I've put a little back on since I got back but overall I'm down to the same weight I was in my mid 20s! I lost fat from my face and several people said I looked 'gaunt' but I've put that back on. Fortunately it's staying off my tummy and I now have a genuine 32" waist.
The roads: wherever possible I used minor roads mainly because I like the quiet and generally the scenery is better but I did do fairly long stretches on A roads (especially through the Lancashire Mill towns, the A82 and the A9). These were much better than I expected. Of course, I was often on them before anyone else got up but even at other times they weren't a problem. I didn't experience any lack of patience from drivers and I only had cause to shout once. I shouldn't really be surprised because I don't experience many problems on my routine rides (okay most of them are on quiet moorland roads but I do cycle through Bradford and occasionally Leeds). In fact, come to think of it, I didn't meet anyone who was even mildly unfriendly whether on the road or off.
Blogging: I hadn't planned on doing this but it's been very enjoyable reliving the experience. As a result of this one cycle ride I've learnt about blogging, got to grips with Photoshop, and learnt a lot more about digital mapping, not to mention geography. The ride wasn't bad either.
Part of my reason for thinking I had to slow down was my concern it was going to be over too quickly. Indeed it still would have been if I'd caught the train back at Wick. In fact, it would have been a real anticlimax and I wonder if that's why so many End-to-Enders are so disappointed with John O'Groats. Looking back, I wonder if I should have cycled to Lands End rather than get the train but I wouldn't even have contemplated that before I went. (I will probably cycle to/from each end if I do the coast-to-coast).
I've always liked to set off fairly early but I even surprised myself with the early starts I made this time. It only took a couple of (accidental) early starts to convince me of the benefits and so I started planning for them.
Preparation: The plans I had made well in advance seemed to work out pretty well. The train service was excellent. I stuck fairly closely to my planned route. My printed OS maps, with the Google Map inserts for town centres and the route profiles worked absolutely fine. Mapping out the route using Anquet was time-consuming particularly as it doesn't have a "follow road" facility (I've just discovered some eight months after the trip that I can plot routes on Bike Hike, save them as GPX files and upload them using Anquet!). Having said that it did get me very familiar with the landscape I'd be covering and forced me to spread the mapping over a fair period of time so I had time to cogitate. And I really enjoyed the whole route planning process. Nevertheless, I'm not sure how necessary it was: the return journey from John O'Groats to Haworth was unplanned using torn out pages from a road atlas by simply identifying towns (or other landmarks) in the right general direction and deciding on what seemed to be an interesting way to join them up. Even so, when I do similar journeys in future I will probably still plan the route in detail in advance (even though I might not necessarily follow it) because that is half the fun.
Camping and campsites: camping was definitely the right decision for me; a major contribution to the overall enjoyment. I particularly enjoyed cycling very early in the morning especially when there is no one about and it's unlikely I would have discovered that if I had not been camping. I didn't have a bad campsite in the 20 days of camping. A couple were more expensive than I would have liked but I felt that they could justify the prices with the quality of the facilities. On balance I preferred the ones mainly for tents (or at least without static caravans) but there were none I wouldn't go back to.
The bike: not an ideal tourer, perhaps, but it was very comfortable and performed very well. The only mechanical problem was due to me not tightening the lock ring when I fitted the replacement cassette. Two punctures, one a faulty valve, the other perished rim tape. A very stable bike and I was particularly impressed with the disc brakes. I didn't need the front suspension but it was of some benefit on the off-road sections. Just a pair of rear panniers worked fine although I did have a tendency to pile things on the rear rack in the string bag. Having said all that, I have now bought a purpose-built tourer (Ridgeback Panorama).
Camping equipment: the Terra Nova Laser Competition was superb. Very light, easy to erect and with plenty of room for one. Reasonable storage space in the porch and beside me in the tent. Mind, I normally left the panniers on the bike at night. The Karimat self inflating mat was very comfortable. The sleeping bag was occasionally at the limits of its performance but on colder nights I wore base layers (and the Merino wool top was excellent). The mosquito net came in handy, too.
Clothing: no problems but I probably took more spares than I needed because it was easier to wash clothes at campsites than I had anticipated. I did have to buy an extra micro-fleece as I headed north and on a couple of occasions I did wear both (and several other layers) although this was a comfort issue rather than survival!
Food and drink: I had three or four evening meals in restaurants and they were good but my favourite meals by far were those I cooked each evening. As I had anticipated supermarket in-store bakeries (or any other bakers for that matter) couldn't hold a candle to boulangeries. Just occasionally I might find half decent pastries for breakfast but certainly not everyday. I did have the occasional bacon butty which probably makes more sense in England and in the first six days had several full English breakfasts -- they were good but they probably weren't the best cycling food. The Cornish Pasties; Scottish Bridies and Fish and Chips were my favourite take aways for snacks during the day. One big disappointment was the absence of decent beer in Scotland; I don't know if I was just unlucky.
I seemed to be eating like a pig but I lost just over 3 kg (about half a stone) over the 21 days. According to my crude calculations a loss of that much fat means I was eating more than 1000 kcal too few each day (and I know over 60s are not supposed to be able to increase muscle mass but I think I probably did a little so that may be an underestimate). As a result of all the extra cycling (and probably better eating) even before the trip I'd lost probably 1.5 kg since I retired. I've put a little back on since I got back but overall I'm down to the same weight I was in my mid 20s! I lost fat from my face and several people said I looked 'gaunt' but I've put that back on. Fortunately it's staying off my tummy and I now have a genuine 32" waist.
The roads: wherever possible I used minor roads mainly because I like the quiet and generally the scenery is better but I did do fairly long stretches on A roads (especially through the Lancashire Mill towns, the A82 and the A9). These were much better than I expected. Of course, I was often on them before anyone else got up but even at other times they weren't a problem. I didn't experience any lack of patience from drivers and I only had cause to shout once. I shouldn't really be surprised because I don't experience many problems on my routine rides (okay most of them are on quiet moorland roads but I do cycle through Bradford and occasionally Leeds). In fact, come to think of it, I didn't meet anyone who was even mildly unfriendly whether on the road or off.
Blogging: I hadn't planned on doing this but it's been very enjoyable reliving the experience. As a result of this one cycle ride I've learnt about blogging, got to grips with Photoshop, and learnt a lot more about digital mapping, not to mention geography. The ride wasn't bad either.
Trip Statistics
The first table shows the distances and height climbed for:
Click on table to see it
Aviemore to Kinross involved the most climbing (2830 m) and was also the longest distance (175.2 km). By far the hardest day of climbing was the journey from Bellingham to Reeth with its long uphill stretches.
The highest point I reached was Fleet Moss (588 m) and this was probably the biggest climb (although despite the appalling weather conditions not the hardest for me).
My average speeds were slower than I was anticipating (note they are in kilometres/hour!). I did stop and start a fair bit eg photos and this does affect the average. These were much lower than the sort of averages achieved by others doing a similar daily distance. I guess this indicates I was on the road for longer. Certainly my early starts meant I got three or four hours in before others had finished their breakfast at their B&Bs.
Time in the saddle: From Land's End to John O'Groats I spent 99 hours 32 minutes in the saddle an average for the full 14 days of 7hrs 24mins a day).
For the whole trip it was 159hrs 4mins (an average of 7hrs 57mins a day)
Expenditure during trip
Total cash spent: £593 (mainly on campsites, food and drink, including about £120 on 'meals out'), an average of £28 per day.
Campsites: £155 for 20 days camping (average £7.73 per night)
Train fare to Penzance: £31.
- Lands End to Haworth
- Haworth to John O'Groats
- John O'Groats to Haworth
- Lands End to John O'Groats
- Whole Trip
(Distances are from bike computer; heights climbed from plots of route using Anquet (OS))
Click on table to see it
From Lands End to Haworth I averaged 78 miles per day (over 83 for the first five days) which was way above my most optimistic expectations. After deciding to slow down a bit, during my chat over a pint in Haworth, I did 69 miles per day for the rest of the journey to John O'Groats, but it was still over the 100 km (62.5 miles) per day I originally aimed for.
I upped the speed slightly on the return from John O'Groats and also increased the average daily climbing by over 400 m.
The second table shows more detailed daily stats:
- daily distance, In both kilometres and miles (because virtually all my touring has been in France -plus some in Italy, Spain, Holland, Switzerland and Belgium- I have got used to setting my computer to kilometres and have stuck with it in the UK)
- distance from Lands End both in kilometres and miles,
- metres climbed ,
- metres climbed per kilometre (this is a fairly meaningless figure which I put in to give an indication of how hilly each day was; in retrospect it doesn't really add anything - though, comparing them with my normal rides from home it does show they are mostly as hilly as the worst and several are hillier),
- maximum height of the highest point during the day,
- average speed (this is the average speed on the bicycle ie takes no account of breaks),
- maximum speed
Click on table to see it
Aviemore to Kinross involved the most climbing (2830 m) and was also the longest distance (175.2 km). By far the hardest day of climbing was the journey from Bellingham to Reeth with its long uphill stretches.
The highest point I reached was Fleet Moss (588 m) and this was probably the biggest climb (although despite the appalling weather conditions not the hardest for me).
My average speeds were slower than I was anticipating (note they are in kilometres/hour!). I did stop and start a fair bit eg photos and this does affect the average. These were much lower than the sort of averages achieved by others doing a similar daily distance. I guess this indicates I was on the road for longer. Certainly my early starts meant I got three or four hours in before others had finished their breakfast at their B&Bs.
Time in the saddle: From Land's End to John O'Groats I spent 99 hours 32 minutes in the saddle an average for the full 14 days of 7hrs 24mins a day).
For the whole trip it was 159hrs 4mins (an average of 7hrs 57mins a day)
Expenditure during trip
Total cash spent: £593 (mainly on campsites, food and drink, including about £120 on 'meals out'), an average of £28 per day.
Campsites: £155 for 20 days camping (average £7.73 per night)
Train fare to Penzance: £31.
Wednesday 1 July 2009: Reeth to Haworth
Woke at 5:20 and away at 5:50 (I was getting this packing-up down to a fine art). A beautiful still, quiet morning as I set off on the flat road to the river. Then a pig of a hill up to Grinton Moor but I was going well. It started to drizzle as I was going up the hill but the sun broke out fairly soon. There was a beautiful mist in the valleys.
Statistics
Distance 82.67 km (51.4 miles)
Time 6 hours: 7 minutes: 15 seconds
Average Speed 13.5 km/hour
Maximum Speed 54.6 km/hour
Distance since Lands End 2446.8 km (1520.37 miles)
Total Time cycling 159:04
At the top the road undulated a bit then a very fast downhill. Rabbits were scattering everywhere (and the odd pheasant). The rabbits were scared by the noise of my approach and ran from the undergrowth, where they were hidden, across the road from both sides, crossing in the middle; loads of them.
I turned into Redmire, then along to Carperby and left down to Aysgarth Falls. After crossing the river I went up an incredibly steep (but fairly short) hill. At the top the sign said 25%!
Along Bishopsdale and up Kidstones Gill, another steep incline (16%), then down to Starbotton and along to Kettlewell (I was now in day ride territory). Stopped for a coffee and ice cream at a farm shop in Cracoe. Then on to Skipton where I decided I would have a final meal in a nice vegetarian cafe I'd been to before. Then set off on the final leg, feeling very fit. Through Keighley, then up the very familiar but very dull A629 which I just steamed up and entered Haworth.
I turned into Redmire, then along to Carperby and left down to Aysgarth Falls. After crossing the river I went up an incredibly steep (but fairly short) hill. At the top the sign said 25%!
Along Bishopsdale and up Kidstones Gill, another steep incline (16%), then down to Starbotton and along to Kettlewell (I was now in day ride territory). Stopped for a coffee and ice cream at a farm shop in Cracoe. Then on to Skipton where I decided I would have a final meal in a nice vegetarian cafe I'd been to before. Then set off on the final leg, feeling very fit. Through Keighley, then up the very familiar but very dull A629 which I just steamed up and entered Haworth.
Just as I joined Mytholmes Road from Ebor Lane my phone rang (to find out where I'd got to). Whilst I was answering it, five old guys (well my sort of age) went past on touring bikes. I set off again and passed four of them who by then were pushing their bikes, then I passed the other one who was still riding. These were probably the only cyclists I overtook on the whole journey! A nice champagne moment to end on! The last one said "that's a bloody low gear you've got", "17 inch and I need it"; "I should think so with that bloody load!" At the top there was a sixth cyclist waiting for the others, "going far? " he said. "No, just over there".
Statistics
Distance 82.67 km (51.4 miles)
Time 6 hours: 7 minutes: 15 seconds
Average Speed 13.5 km/hour
Maximum Speed 54.6 km/hour
Distance since Lands End 2446.8 km (1520.37 miles)
Total Time cycling 159:04
Tuesday 30 June 2009: Bellingham to Reeth
Up at 4:20 and left campsite at 5:15. Slight low lying mist. The only sign of life was a guy tedding hay.
It was then a 20km mostly downhill (but with a few sharp ups) to Barnard Castle some 350m below. Quite a large place and it was very busy. I was going to stop for a coffee but not seeing one in my brief wander round decided to crack on. Unfortunately, the signs were confusing and I picked the wrong road. I knew quite soon I had but couldn't be bothered to turn round. I ended up hitting the A66 too far east. It was busy but okay. After about 4km I turned left on the road up to the Yorkshire border at Arndale Head. It started steep and then got steeper. It would again take me up to over 500m. This was another superb climb through the forest (The Stang) but I was too tired to properly appreciate it. I struggled up one very steep section (with ">>" I noted later). I was really struggling and saw just ahead another sign saying 14%; my will power just went and I found myself -- almost involuntarily -- getting off the bike and pushing. The first time in the whole trip, in fact in any tour I've ever done. It wasn't the worst hill I’d gone up by a long chalk but it had come at the end of a very hard day. I actually puffed and panted more pushing the loaded bike than riding it. I think it's as much, if not more, a mental rather than physical thing. After 100 yards or so it started to get less steep and I rode across the border into North Yorkshire.
It was then downhill to Arkle Beck, a short 70m climb (which I managed fine) and it was downhill all the way to Reeth. I know Reeth reasonably well but I'd never seen a campsite. There was one marked on my map so I asked a local who said there was no campsite in the village. So I continued down the hill and stopped at a small shop where I learnt there was one almost across the road. As the only food I had on me was one banana I thought it best to stock up with a few basic supplies to get me through to breakfast tomorrow.
A very amenable campsite owner (who I later saw in the pub) donated the fe
e to my charity. Fairly small field but good facilities and a friendly atmosphere. After putting up the tent and showering I walked back to the top of the village and went to the Black Bull as recommended by the campsite owner. I had haddock, chips and mushy peas washed down with a couple of pints of Theakston's Best (Ah to be back in Yorkshire). Ni
ce pub.
Today, for the first time, my knees had started to hurt (on that last hill up to the Yorkshire border). Still, they have held up well. This had seemed by far the hilliest day of the trip (and the slowest average). In fact checking afterwards I found I had climbed 2607m, which was not as much as I'd done from Aviemore to Kinross (2830m) but it was far steeper. Also, there were long uphill sections unlike some of the other hilly days where there was far more undulation and consequently the opportunity for momentum to assist.
It's amazing just how critical nutrition is. If everything is right I can sail up hills but once I am short of energy even gentle hills feel steep. Today it was tough not just because of the hills but also because I don't think I ate often enough. I often go down to 5k/h on steep hills, occasionally even 4k/h; on that final hill I seem to spend most of it at 3.3k/h! Any slower and I'd fall off!
Campsite: Orchard caravan park, Reeth. Good facilities. Small friendly site, excellent. £5.00.
Statistics
Distance 120.58 km (74.9 miles)
Time 9 hours: 40 minutes: 49 seconds
Average Speed 12.4 km/hour
Maximum Speed 58.4 km/hour
Distance from Lands End 2364.1 km
Total Time cycling 152:52
A nice ride to Hexham; passed through Wall on the way. Undulating, so a wee bit slow. As I entered Hexham there was someone fishing; I liked the contrast with the industrial chimney behind.
It was 7:10 and I thought a greasy spoon may be open but no luck. Settled for Tesco; cafe closed till eight so I just bought my breakfast stuff. Hexham was badly signed and I wasn't sure which way to get out of the place. Used my compass and found the B6306. Three steepish sections on the road out of town. Then a downhill, where I went over a bump and lost my bottle (of Morrison's basic spring water-18p). More uphills; one marked ">>" and it felt steep. Then the road undulated along the top and I stopped at a bench put up by Staley Parish Council at about nine and had breakfast (orange juice, cheese and tomato baguette (and roll), yoghurt, peach, cherries and coffee).
After Staley more ups and downs and then what seemed like a long fast downhill ride on the wet and winding road into Blanchard (looking at the map afterwards the downhill was actually relatively minor compared with all the uphills I'd been on and the earlier “ups and downs” were predominantly up!).
After Blanchard it was more serious climbing and now onto fairly isolated moorland. Very quiet, narrow roads with massive views in every direction. My favourite s
ort of cycling country; similar, though even more isolated, to the Pennine moors on the West Yorkshire/Lancashire borders where I regularly cycle. I'm used to seeing curlews on the West Yorkshire moors but the ones here seemed far more excitable. There were Oystercatchers too (and others I didn't recognise). They would fly into the air as I approached making loads of noise and then land further on; I assumed they were trying to attract me away from their nests. I spent ages trying to get some decent photos, but I was too slow.
The road continued up to 500m. In fact, looking at the profile afterwards I had been climbing for the last 22 km from about 70 m (with a few quite significant downhill sections too). I hadn't realised just how wild the Pennines in Northumberland were; not only had the ride down through the Cairngorms more than justified cycling back from John O'Groats but this did too.
It then dropped 300m in the 5km to Stanhope. A fantastic wide ford. There was then an horrendous 17% hill as I went back up to 400m, back down to 280m then back to over 500m again. I was enjoying this but it was hard work! I had lunch (bacon sarny, cherries, apple, banana and Coke) at the top of a hill in the hope that it would give my legs a chance to clear the lactic acid when I got going again before the next hill. I'd done nearly 72km but my average speed was less than 12 km per hour. I began to think I might not make Haworth tomorrow.
It was then a 20km mostly downhill (but with a few sharp ups) to Barnard Castle some 350m below. Quite a large place and it was very busy. I was going to stop for a coffee but not seeing one in my brief wander round decided to crack on. Unfortunately, the signs were confusing and I picked the wrong road. I knew quite soon I had but couldn't be bothered to turn round. I ended up hitting the A66 too far east. It was busy but okay. After about 4km I turned left on the road up to the Yorkshire border at Arndale Head. It started steep and then got steeper. It would again take me up to over 500m. This was another superb climb through the forest (The Stang) but I was too tired to properly appreciate it. I struggled up one very steep section (with ">>" I noted later). I was really struggling and saw just ahead another sign saying 14%; my will power just went and I found myself -- almost involuntarily -- getting off the bike and pushing. The first time in the whole trip, in fact in any tour I've ever done. It wasn't the worst hill I’d gone up by a long chalk but it had come at the end of a very hard day. I actually puffed and panted more pushing the loaded bike than riding it. I think it's as much, if not more, a mental rather than physical thing. After 100 yards or so it started to get less steep and I rode across the border into North Yorkshire.
It was then downhill to Arkle Beck, a short 70m climb (which I managed fine) and it was downhill all the way to Reeth. I know Reeth reasonably well but I'd never seen a campsite. There was one marked on my map so I asked a local who said there was no campsite in the village. So I continued down the hill and stopped at a small shop where I learnt there was one almost across the road. As the only food I had on me was one banana I thought it best to stock up with a few basic supplies to get me through to breakfast tomorrow.
A very amenable campsite owner (who I later saw in the pub) donated the fe
e to my charity. Fairly small field but good facilities and a friendly atmosphere. After putting up the tent and showering I walked back to the top of the village and went to the Black Bull as recommended by the campsite owner. I had haddock, chips and mushy peas washed down with a couple of pints of Theakston's Best (Ah to be back in Yorkshire). Ni
ce pub.Today, for the first time, my knees had started to hurt (on that last hill up to the Yorkshire border). Still, they have held up well. This had seemed by far the hilliest day of the trip (and the slowest average). In fact checking afterwards I found I had climbed 2607m, which was not as much as I'd done from Aviemore to Kinross (2830m) but it was far steeper. Also, there were long uphill sections unlike some of the other hilly days where there was far more undulation and consequently the opportunity for momentum to assist.
It's amazing just how critical nutrition is. If everything is right I can sail up hills but once I am short of energy even gentle hills feel steep. Today it was tough not just because of the hills but also because I don't think I ate often enough. I often go down to 5k/h on steep hills, occasionally even 4k/h; on that final hill I seem to spend most of it at 3.3k/h! Any slower and I'd fall off!
Campsite: Orchard caravan park, Reeth. Good facilities. Small friendly site, excellent. £5.00.
Statistics
Distance 120.58 km (74.9 miles)
Time 9 hours: 40 minutes: 49 seconds
Average Speed 12.4 km/hour
Maximum Speed 58.4 km/hour
Distance from Lands End 2364.1 km
Total Time cycling 152:52
Meters Ascended 2622
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