Hardknott & Wrynose

On Sunday, P and I headed out after an inordinate amount of faff (something about me wanting to take my carrier and mud guards of my decent road bike at the last minute!) and rode from home over Hardknott and Wrynose, down to Consiton, Torver, Duddon Bridge, Ulpha, Birker Fell and then home. It was the longest road ride I've done for a while (45 miles) although it wasn't that long! and I'd never ridden Wrynose before. We set off knowing it was going to rain, and as we stepped out the hosue the first few spots fell, but it actually held off for a long time.

I love the ride up to Hardknott, depsite knowing what's coming. I was a little daunted as I'm very unsure of my fitness at the moment, but actually the pass felt fine, OK I didn't set any speed records for the ascent but I was comfortable and enjoyed it. The descent was OK too, although the road was fairly busy (for Hardknott!) and the road was wet in places. We then speed through Cockely Beck and before I knew it we were heading up Wrynose.

From the west Wrynose is not that hard as you start quite high from Cockley Beck, and the climb is fairly steady, so through the top and on down towards Little Langdale. The undulations along this part must be a big killer on the Fred Whitton, with all those miles in your legs. We reached the main road and headed towards Coniston and a food stop. Just as we got back on our bikes after a late lunch, the rain caught us up.

It was just a light rain for a while, as we rode down the main road towards Broughton Mills, and then we turned back up into the Duddon Valley to Ulpha. The climb up out of Ulpha had been looming in my mind again (as it always does) but as always I took it steady, and found it OK. In fact the worst part is not the bottom zig-zags but the straight pull above them. As we got out of the trees on the ascent it started raining harder and it was a wet ride over the tops into the valley.

I really enjoyed the ride, and was surprised how easy it felt, given the summer I've had, and the fact that it was the hardest road ride I've done for a while. I'd also started with stiff shoulders, arms and stomach muscles from a long climbing session at Kendal wall on Saturday, and a reasonably fast run up Muncaster Fell and back on Saturday evening. Kendal wall was the first 'whole' days climbing I'd done since June and my shoulder certainly let me know about it after - in a good way!! I felt pitifully weak on the steep stuff, struggling to do a 6a+, but at the same time I was encouraged that I could do what I could do. The fitness will come back in the next few weeks... hot, dry French rock here we come....