Not All Points North 2020 #NotAPN20 5th-7th Sept 2020

Now I’m beating myself up. It was only a couple of hours to turn the pedals to the Kirkstone Pass Inn and I took the easy option of a left turn to Oxenholme station in the pouring rain instead on that Monday morning, and thus scratched from (Not) All Points North 2020.

Descent to Kirkby Stephen

I only managed 25% of Not All Points North 2020 #NotAPN20 over 2 days. I could not face the thought of another wet night that night stressing over finding a camping spot knowing my tent was soaked. I was worrying about that night at 8am in the morning.

Rewind less than 2 months to July 2020. I became aware that the “All Points North” event that had been scheduled for late May had been postponed to September, due to Covid-19, and was now being held as an informal event for anyone who wanted to devise a route and visit the 10 controls spread over the North of England.

Not a race. No entrance fee. No tracker.

No mass start.

No fixed start place or time.

A very generous 12 days to “count as a finisher”. Normally the expectation is to finish in 72hrs.

I had been planning to ride another event as my first “multi day event” this summer. Suddenly the dream of me trying something way out of my comfort zone was on again.

Most importantly I had a week's leave coincidentally booked from 5th Sept. Originally we planned a cycling/sailing holiday in Greece in those long gone days when you could plan holidays, Greece wasn’t happening. 

What a turn around. I immediately dropped the ten control coordinates into Komoot and started plotting a route. I had a goal again. We could choose in what order to visit the controls, as long as a loop was completed.

I know Cumbria and Northumberland/Tyneside well enough that there would be regular “more familiar” bits but I’ve never really been to Yorkshire at all, certainly not cycling. At the end of July we had had a week touring #upNorth riding a Dales and Lakes Loop and then C2C and Hadrian's Wall which was already planned before Not All Points North was on my radar.

As I've never toured/bikepacked on my own over multi days I also planned a long weekend to complete Lon Las Cymru in August sandwiching our holiday and NotAPN20, allowing three weeks tapering before NotAPN20. I completed the route in pretty wet conditions, I had to adapt the original plan and didn't make two x 200km DIY audax as hoped but I did prove I had the capacity to set out and survive on my own in bad weather. The wild camping was particularly testing. I also crashed 10 miles from the end, resulting in a knee injury that very nearly jeopardised NotAPN20.

Starting and finishing at Sheaf Square outside Sheffield Station the extreme points of NotAPN were Silloth on the west coast and Berwick upon Tweed on the east coast, tiptoeing into Scotland. My route came to just shy of 1000km and 10000m of climbing and clockwise was chosen so I was getting the tough Yorkshire Dales done (Arnicliffe and Keld) whilst fresh then familiar Cumbria (Kirkstone Pass) and a visit to Silloth AONB and across to Kielder Forest for a different kind of wild, hopefully with a “recovery” tailwind.  After Berwick I was planning to track the coast on NCN1 (via an optional side trip to Lindisfarne if tide suitable) onto Amble then heading inland to cross the Tyne at Wylam, where we’d camped in July returning from C2C. Down and up to Blanchland/Draycott Water and the last very tough push through N York Moors via Rosedale Abbey and Castle Howard and back to Sheffield, hoping being so close to completion would wind me home. 6 days/5 nights with a day spare to flex into if needed. My route clockwise (we had to keep our route private, no help allowed with formulating your route.)

My planned route Not All Points North 2020

I knew there would be some walking, I’m a plodder. I knew I found wild camping stressful, not the lack of facilities/roughing it aspect but the fear of being able to find somewhere suitable to pitch before dusk and being discovered. I was buoyed up I managed to get campsites booked at Troutbeck nr Penrith, Kielder and Amble so only the first and fifth nights were “wild”.

Mistake 1 Rigid plan

I planned like “we” do for tours, but on tours mostly you’re being fairly conservative each day so when you have bad weather/mechanicals/hills are hillier than they appeared on paper there is time to regroup and still make the plan. I was planning to average 100mile days which is not much for others but not tested on multi back to back stints for me. My eyesight is poor, so I keep night riding to a minimum.

Mistake 2 Overpacking

I knew others would mainly be bivvying and carrying less even though I had pared down my kit. It always rains and/or there are cyclist eating midges when I tour and I need a sleep mat so a lightweight tent it is. Bikepacking bags do not fit tent/mat/sleeping bag/winter clothes/some food on an XS frame, so I just went with smaller front panniers on the back with a bar bag. I’d treated myself to a dynamo hub and usb charger set up as my birthday present. Brake pads changed, bike serviced, I'm an incompetent mechanic so that gave me some reassurance. I also bought myself a Brukit, so I could feed myself and make hot drinks in the tent and perhaps even en route at the top of a stunning climb? However much I analyse it for me the only thing I should have left behind was the Brukit, it was never used. I bought a lighter sleep mat but can't justify the £100s for ultra lightweight sleeping bag and mat.

CP1 My starting point the steps of Sheaf Square outside Sheffield Station

Mistake 3 Starting too late - Saturday

We could start anytime from midnight, but it didn't matter as it wasn't a race. If I'd caught the train up to Leeds (from Bristol) on Friday night (rather than Saturday morning) I could have started at 7 and would not have been caught out in the Dales in the dark not being able to find a camp spot. So I would not have been so wet, and would have started promptly on Sunday morning. I'd also have left my post ride bag at my daughter's in Leeds rather than carrying it on my back up to Wetherby where we arranged to meet mid afternoon to hand it over. Keep post race plans out of race logistics! Do not ride with a rucksack for 70km! I found out afterwards that I would have broken the rules in the regular event as you have to finish with all the kit you start with. Lesson learnt.

Panniers off for the reserved bike space on Cross Country Trains Bristol Temple Meads to Sheffield

The curved mirrored walkway at Sheaf Square is not flattering to short rotund cyclists!

The ride from Sheffield to Wetherby was a little tedious, I was right to treat that as "getting it done" so the more pleasant roads after Wetherby were much appreciated, especially as I'd left the rucksack with my daughter at the cafe where I devoured a baked potato with beans and cheese, classic audax fare. 

Traffic density plummeted and it was a tonic to be leaving the conurbations behind. Studley Park was the first control and all the NT staff were racing home. It was 6pm already. I walked round and round that church trying to find the opening times, in the end I took pics and googled them. What a waste of time, I hadn't used the time to fuel so a dead 45 mins. Studley Park was lovely though.

CP2 St Mary's Church Studley Deer Park near Ripon

I pushed on towards Pateley Bridge, I had been sensible and looked up "resupply" when planning and knew the Spar in Pateley Bridge was open until 10pm.

Mistake 4 Carrying too much food

I've always toured in the wilds of Scotland/Wales/Lakes/Pennines etc and often there are no shops/cafés for hours or over a day at a time. With Covid this is even more relevant as I had found on my previous two multi day trips this year. So I was carrying enough food to manage for nearly a day, inc a back up pouch of dahl. I was worrying about fading light, couldn't stop for a pizza in Pateley Bridge and rushed round the spar buying random sardines, tea cakes, butter, bananas and a 2l bottle of water etc and then had to carry them in a musette I had bought for just such emergencies. I strapped the water bottle on the rack with a bungee, I'd had to do that in Wales.

Then the hill out of Pateley Bridge was straight up. I wanted to get to the reservoir to camp but by the time I was up the top and could contemplate some flat land it was dark. My new dynamo lights were good but don't stay on walking so I put the spare blinkie on too. I nearly lost the water at one point, all this faff = time. It was raining.

I could see I was at my route end near the reservoir but couldn't see where would be ok to camp, it was very marshy. So I rang a B&B but it turned out their availability calendar was wrong. He took pity on me and said I could camp in the garden if I had breakfast in the morning. It took another 45 mins to get to Grassington, tent up and the very kindly B&B owner made me hot chocolate and a huge slab of cake was brought out. I only had use of a cloakroom and didn't like to wash so it was wild camping really.

Mistake 5 Starting too late again - Sunday

It rained overnight and I packed up a very wet tent in the rain as early as I dared, and had a fantastic breakfast whilst stressing about time. I stashed the food I hadn't eaten from the Spar in panniers and bungeed the wet tent on the rack. 

If only I'd been away at 7.30 and not 9.30. I was repeating my mistakes. On the other hand I needed that breakfast, it was stupendous. A nice level ride out to the 2nd control at Arnicliffe to warm up. The rain was easing.

There was a cyclist lurking, taking pictures of the pub (we had to take a pic at each control, and answer the relevant question, see image above) I took my photo as evidence and she said "are you Fiona?" Turns out it was Sarah, my online cycling/audax friend from Lincoln, we had never met nor had we shared we were entering NotAPN20. This was a big highlight of my weekend, meeting a real live "other nutter but very normal like me" person on the road. We both had the same tent and Sarah had camped near the reservoir and got away much earlier. We both thought we were carrying too much. I think I ate a banana and we nattered a short while and she mentioned something about her route avoiding Butter Tubs. I knew I had big hills all day but did not know if Butter Tubs was one.

CP3 Arnicliffe

Sarah at Arnicliffe

Sarah left a couple of minutes before and I passed her not long after, now I know our routes deviated after that. I was heading towards Fleet Moss and Hawes, another legendary climb I didn't realise was on my route. A brief speedy downhill section and a couple hailed me as I passed "are you actually from Bristol?" I stopped and said "yes" So were they, a few seconds chatting and it turns out he was the Golf Captain at the club Steve plays at, 5 years ago. They were walking the Dales Way and completed it. His wife very kindly found me on Instagram and forwarded the only photo of me (I had declined Sarah's kind offer to take a photo at Arnicliffe.)

I slogged my way up what I now know is Fleet Moss. I was quite glad I hadn't realised the names as I may have psyched myself out. Walking was involved. 

Then a whoosh into Hawes, a touristy busy place that I certainly didn't want to stop in. I knew there was a hill up the other side, a little hill called Buttertubs. 

Hawes

I took a wrong turn in Hawes and ended up in a café/museum car park with public toilets. Never a pass a public convenience without using it on a bike. I came out and found 4 cyclists, then (too late) I spotted they were from VC167 the arch rivals of Audax Club Bristol whose shirt I am sporting. Colin is the points champion and they dethroned us as national Audax champions last year and luckily they were pretty friendly and I didn't get lynched. They knew all about NotAPN20 as the organisers are in their club (I think) They wished me "bonne route" and said very nice things, very nice folk.

Mistake 6 Not Eating Enough

Buttertubs was conquered very slowly, with more walking. I was hoping for some food at the 3rd control in Keld, an unscheduled tour down into the village looking for the phone box that was on the road at the top. The pub only had tea/coffee and crisps so I drank a pot of tea huddled in the porch as non residents were not allowed to stay inside. I ate some of the rolls I still had from home, but didn't eat enough. I found it hard eating all day.

CP4 Keld

Rolling climbing continued but eventually (4pm?) I could see the Lakeland Fells in the distance and was on the descent to Kirkby Stephen. The vista was just stunning. A highpoint of my weekend. I finally had phone signal so rang my parents in Penrith to say they wouldn't be meeting me for a pub meal in Troutbeck (the Penrith one) tonight, I was way behind! I needed a proper sit down meal and I whizzed down to Kirkby Stephen, an endorphin boosting descent ruined by a beeping car who yelled obscenities at me when it was OK for me to safely pull in to let them past, it was the 3rd car in the queue. The others thanked me. People ugh. But as always, the vast majority are lovely. That was my only incident. Traffic was exemplary otherwise.

I pulled up at the first café in Kirkby Stephen, the White Hare Café. Benches outside, a track stand pump and a very welcoming owner. it was gone 4.30 (Sunday closing time) and his final customers were departing. That was no problem, I was welcomed with open arms, well if we hadn't have been social distancing and all that. I had another baked potato beans and cheese the same as yesterday, brought out in minutes with a huge pot of tea. Maz was concerned at my dilemma re where to camp that night and rushed off to google campsites (which I was also doing!) After a lovely chat and quite impolite shovelling down of food, I paid up and thanked Maz. I used the facilities and on departing he insisted I took a paper bag with a ginormous piece of flapjack in "for the tent later", I had said I would be wild camping somewhere as no campsites on my route. People are just so lovely. I inelegantly pulled on legwarmers and thermal arm warmers to beat the evening chill, the wind was affecting perceived temperature as I was still quite wet. I set out rejuvenated, things were getting better.

The ride across the moors towards Orton was spectacular, we were here on our Dales and Lakes loop at the end of July.

Mistake 7 Not setting up camp early enough - again

I promptly repeated yesterday's mistake. I could have camped on Orton Moor but I was motivated to get as much done to recover the day as possible to make tomorrow less daunting. 

Sunday 6th was also #RaphaWomens100 day and I was not at 100km. I had that motivation to push me on riding with Emily Chappell's "Invisible Peloton", or more accurately my invisible peloton of people who inspire me on the bike. I "rode" with other women around the world vicariously and made my 100km even if not the 100 miles that had been the aim.

The evening sun was stunning, my thermal arm warmers were pushed down. Through Tebay then the drag up on the wide but empty road running parallel to the M6 southbound. I hauled myself up high and finally turned westwards away from the motorway din. Both the light and weather were closing in, I took a side road and stopped at the first decent looking field with a big wall to hide behind with the sheep. I dead lifted my bike over my head, threw the luggage over and carefully climbed the gate near the hinges, only to find a very marshy sloping field with lots of sheep poo. A theme of my wild camping spots it seems. The flattest driest bit was still a sloping and diagonal pitch. No hope of lighting my stove for a drink again. I ate some more rolls from home and the flapjack and tried to sleep. The inside of the tent is also wet from packing it up in the rain this morning.

I started to sort myself out at first light, I had slept very badly again, pulling myself up the mat all night and listening to the persistently heavy rain. This was my view when I thought about a mug of tea at 6am, the rain in my face, I quickly gave up on that idea, it's not safe to light up under the very small porch. My left knee was very sore, there was nothing wrong with it last night, my right knee has been the worry after the accident on Lon Las Cymru 3 weeks ago.

So so wet at dawn on Monday

..so I had 2 tea cakes with slabs of butter for breakfast. This is what it's really like bikepacking. Not staring wistfully at a beautiful sunrise as other bikepacking blogs have you believe.

I was packed up for 7.30, not late today, but I was absolutely drenched with all my cycling kit on including thermal arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket. My shoes have been soaked since Saturday.

Mistake 8 Giving up without taking time to regroup

In my head I had already given up. I hadn't considered giving up last night so I didn't even sleep on the idea. I just could not face camping wild again tonight as I was now behind my campsite reservations and it was impossible to rely on getting a site on spec at present due to Covid limitations. I needed dry shorts and a shower as I was suffering already with saddle sores, which has never been a problem for me before this summer.

I huddled under a tree and put Oxenholme station on google maps and listened to the directions. I passed one other cyclist in the opposite direction who turned out to be another All Points Norther, I didn't know at the time, but it was a lovely cheerful greeting from another human. My legs were weary. I turned off my NAPN route. If I'd cycled the same distance west rather than south I would not have been far from Windermere or a cafe or a supermarket. Then I could have regrouped, looked at my phone in the dry so I could see it, realised that Kirkstone was easier than yesterday's hills (which I did know but I wasn't processing) Mainly I could have eaten something and possibly booked some dry accommodation for that night. I would not have scratched so early if my head had been playing ball.

I rolled into Oxenholme, bought a ticket and sat down on the platform to wait an hour for the train to Penrith. I felt a bit pathetic. I do know that I doubt I'd have made the whole course, perhaps across to Berwick and down to Durham but my saddle sore problems were ramping up. I need to get that sorted out. It was just ironic that the injured knee that nearly prevented me starting was absolutely fine. The other knee had swelled sleeping at an angle over night, I couldn't walk on it once I stopped cycling and it was OK 48 hrs later. I think my sort of cycling is more about damage limitation.

Scratched and waiting for a train at Oxenholme

Mistake 9 Having comprehensive bail out plans

Perhaps my head failed me because it was easy for me to bail at that point. I had my parents in Penrith to descend upon, if I'd got to Blanchland my route then went past my brother's house in Durham and my daughter lives in Leeds. I had my railcard and lots of stations to get a train from. 

Not All Points North was my first ever multi day endurance cycling event. So perhaps it was an inspired way to learn. After all, my first multi day solo trip had only been 3 weeks before and I had been injured for the intervening tapering period. That certainly did not leave me in the ideal focussed frame of mind. I'm certainly less fit than I was in March going into UK Lockdown as I have had no access to the gym up to now, I don't own a turbo trainer and have ridden less miles than normal too this year.  I was very cross with myself on the train, it did not occur to me to get off in Penrith buy another ticket and go back to Oxenholme and just get on with it.

I have not been put off, I will apply myself and give myself a better chance next year. I am not in it to win it, just in it to prove to myself that I can get round without relying on anybody else. I will down that emergency gel before deciding I was too hungry and lethargic to just continue slowly until I eventually came to a café.

Thank you to All Points North organisers for opening up an informal event in this strange disjointed year, not charging a penny for the great privilege of taking part and making it a really special accessible event. I loved it, even if their were times I questioned my sanity that is what endurance cycling is about. I have written this blog post to remind me next time what not to do.

The biggest hurdle was entering, and actually starting. So really I'm pretty proud of myself for psyching myself up. I didn't think I'd meet another participant and I did and the social media interaction made me feel like I was part of the event even if I felt a bit of a fraud entering. 

I'm wistful that I didn't see the AONB around Silloth, didn't make my planned sidetrips into Kielder Forest and Lindisfarne, nor the fantastic café at Blanchland my brother had told me about. I still haven't been to the Yorkshire Moors. I will return. I love it #upnorth 

Summer 2020 Tour Part 1 - Lakes and Dales Loop and start of C2C Sun 26th-Tues 28th July 2020

So the summer of 2020 is not quite going to plan, for anyone.

No Bristol to Pyrenees tour in June but I managed to postpone one of my 2 weeks to at least get a week away at the end of July. We have not had a week off since last November. Fortunately lockdown was lifted enough for a holiday in England. As my parents live in Penrith and we haven't seen them since January we opted for a northern tour so we could see them too.

We failed on a Lakes loop a few years ago, and learnt from our mistakes. This time we opted for a Lakes and Dales Loop starting/finishing in Penrith but over three days as we'd be camping. We sort of learnt from our mistakes last time! So we're attempting the red loop first, clockwise from Penrith where the big red marker is.

We plonked in roughly where we wanted to camp for two nights, then decided we would do C2C (Coast to Coast or Sea to Sea) as well and so reversed the red loop (now clockwise) so we could start Day 1 of C2C whilst finishing off Day 3 of the now Dales and Lakes loop. The Blue loop is the rest of C2C and return via Hadrian's Wall again over 3 days. 

With a lot of effort I finally managed to book 2 different campsites for 1 night for Part 1, the whole world and all their aunts are camping this summer, many sites are closed and of course they don't want single nights. Sunday night near Sedburgh, Monday night Eskdale Green.We drove up to Penrith on Friday night and we had a nice day with mum and dad on Saturday including a lush afternoon tea in Melmerby. It turned out that cake was going to be quite scarce on this tour. I finally finished packing. 

Day 1 Penrith to Sedburgh via Great Dun Fell 100km 2091m

We got away by 9.30am as planned, after a decent breakfast and the weather forecast was OK. Not too wet not too windy.

I had also decided to scratch an itch. I had inserted an optional side trip up Great Dun Fell when passing Knock, I figured Steve would be happy continuing to a café in Appleby and waiting for me. It also gave me an acceptable 20km warm up through Langwathby first.

Wonderfully quiet lanes with big skies and dramatic scenery greeted us straight away, we stopped at the Dun Fell turn off around 11 and I didn't let myself think about skipping it. We'd passed a couple of groups who presumably had already "done Dun." I faffed around hiding my panniers in the hedge, and Steve took the tent to Appleby. My aim was to get up, but I was very sure I'd have to walk some of it.

A group of 6 passed whilst I was procrastinating, and I set off, not in hot pursuit. The first part was fine, past the signs saying no access to unauthorised motorised transport but a designated bridleway with slick smooth tarmac. Quite a decent tailwind too. I caught up with a guy who looked like he was riding fixed, but on closer inspection either he was stuck in one gear or not using his gears. His mate was patiently waiting, then a bit further up the other 4 plus me had to pull into a passing place to wait for a livestock truck to descend. That was annoying to have to put a foot down. 

I carried on imagining them to be chasing me down. I was back in the wild, empty mountains, on my own. Free. The ribbon road stretching ahead. Then I came to a steeper bit, I kept spinning, stayed seated in the saddle, I was OK. I thought that was the prequel to "the steep bit" that I knew tipped 20% but the road turned and opened out. I had had to negotiate a closed gate on foot but suddenly "the golf ball" was in view. I'd done the steep bit, I'd kept some reserve. It was quite hairy as the now very strong westerly was buffeting me all over, I saw there was no one behind me and no one had descended either. Just me and the English equivalent of Mont Ventoux. Higher and more elevation than Bealach na Ba too. Unfortunately the cloud had closed in and swirled around, I dismounted and walked the cattle grid, the rope sign I ducked under said only hard hats beyond this point, I had a hard hat on. A few pics and I messaged Steve my selfie, he was in the cafe by the church before the bridge. I put my new gilet on, it was drizzling nicely now.

Great Dun Fell climbs for 7.4km at an average gradient of 8%.

A paved "bridleway" to a Comms Station=super smooth tarmac and no traffic.

Keep pedalling and you get there. The segment took me 58 minutes but I was riding very conservatively, half the speed of decent cyclists. my only aim was to get up and down safely preferably with no walking. 

Great Dun Fell descent was spectacular. The open bit at the top.

I grinned the whole way, literally on Cloud 9 but I was glad the new brake pads were holding. Such a difference having hydraulic disc brakes compared to the Bealach na Ba descent on rim brakes. I didn't see a soul. My new Stolen Goat gilet (not sponsored) is brilliant, stretchy and breathable and kept the chills off my damp body.

I really fancied skiing down.

Unfortunately near the bottom a couple of teens on their mtbs and I presume a mum had come up in the car, to rescue them as one had skidded and crashed and was sat forlornly on the grass. After checking they were all OK I squealed to a halt to pick my panniers up and pedalled to Appleby grinning like a mad thing and really looking forward to a coffee. I was really very pleased with myself.

I stopped in Appleby before the bridge, it turns out Steve had left the outside cafe after a bacon butty and 2 coffees and was huddled in the main church porch patiently waiting. Apparently his welfare had been enquired after. It was quite  surreal as it's been a few years since I've been to Appleby, mum and dad lived there for 15 years so we know it well, looking down at heal after all the flooding in recent years and a lot of scaffolding on the high street and empty shops, a huge shame. We ate our lunch rolls in the porch and continued over the moor to Orton. I didn't get a coffee, it seemed a bit churlish, I hadn't realised he was not inside waiting in the warm. This tour we had to be very self reliant as there was no guarantee anywhere inside was available to warm up/dry out with Covid restrictions.

Steve's happy face, he did not have any interest in Great Dun Fell at all!

St Lawrence Church, Appleby-in-Westmorland

The drizzle had subsided and it was a huge open empty moorland ride with just sheep for company in parts, into more of a headwind now of course! We were heading to Orton where we knew there was a chocolate shop/café. Orton was only 20km but the last likely civilisation before Sedburgh so I insisted on a coffee. Unfortunately it was outside service only, and only wrapped cake, but it was just warm enough to not freeze and we chatted to two others nursing hot chocolates, walking the C2C from St Bees to Whitby. Walking it does not appeal at all, but they were loving it and had booked accommodation every night, I get that appreciating the luxuries after a hard physical day makes the luxury so much sweeter, they certainly were having a great time.

We pushed on south around Tebay, all quite surreal as we were on minute deserted lanes, yards from the M6. We crossed over the M6 twice. It has been a lumpy old day, Steve still did 85km and 1350m of ascent without Great Dun Fell. A long old pull up and we were fairly certain it was downhill from now on. So a brief refuel on a conveniently located bench with a view.

Eventually we came into Sedburgh and did laps of the high street looking for a supermarket (technically called resupply when on a bike tour!) It turned out the only one was a Spar way off down a hill, once done we climbed back up and bought ourselves a 14" pizza and chips at a previously spotted location. I bungeed the box on top of the tent and off we went to find the campsite that turned out to be quite a way away up n down dale, even resorted to walking at one point! the forecast rain had set in properly since Sedburgh, we found the campsite, eventually found right building to go with campsite to book in from afar and squelched our way across the camping field to pitch for our first night in the rain and a very sodden field. There was plenty of space. An old school campsite.

Waiting for takeaway

It was a very good pizza, we wolfed it all down, fortunately it had remained dry but was quite cool by now. Chips were dispatched, and a brew was brewed. We made sure the footprint was tucked under the inner, and our sleeping bags on the full length mats. We knew the forecast was pretty hideous for the night and Monday. Our MSR tent seems to leak badly from underneath in wet weather.

Day 2 Sedburgh to Eskdale Green 116km 2006m

Last night was extremely wet. We managed to stay dryish on our sleep mats but there were puddles in the tent from underneath, it doesn't come in from above. I think we need to speak to MSR, it was not a cheap tent and we've tried everything as the weather is always foul at some point when we're away, we don't think it is designed for boggy pitches, more like Arizona dessert. We pack up in the pouring rain, it's not forecast to let up so no point in delaying, we have a very long day. We're supposed to be going to Gawthorp and up onto the Dales but last night decided it may be a bit treacherous and to avoid a repeat of last time when we had to abort our tour at Broughton in Furness, we decided to cut that bit out and just head west towards the M6 and Kendal. 

We took the wrong turn out of the campsite and ended up in Gawthrop anyway, 15km later we were back where we started and then did that horrible main road towards Kendal. I was not in charge of this route change and kept very quiet!

Basically we saved ourselves no distance nor height but heh ho. Weather was pretty hideous in Gawthrop and all the way to Newby Bridge (at the southern foot of Windermere) via Oxenholme, Sizergh and Grange over Sands. Once we rejoined the planned route it was very enjoyable, a good route, and a respite from the hills for a bit anyway! We spied a farm shop/cafe sign and diverted off nr Sizergh Castle and it was open and seating indoors. A very satisfactory burger and rarebit and hot coffees fuelled us and kept us on track.

It was too early/soon for tea in Grange over Sands so we pushed on, very aware of the time. I paused appropriately here.

The hills returned as we pushed towards Broughton in Furness. This is the weather improving a bit now. 

We finally make Broughton for 6 and head into the Kings Arms again like last time! Of course we have to sign in, find our masks, had an orange and lemonade and are determined not to be defeated again.

We certainly finished with hills up the Duddon Valley, and the route didn't even declare the 25% Ulpha vertical bank we knew was there but pretended not to remember how steep. We didn't even try, just walked it, on and on and on! but in other news it was clearing up, the sky was quite blue and once up the &^%$& Ulpha bank it was utterly glorious high up on the common. The SSE had increased to near gale force and shifted to a westerly. Riding along with mouth wide open glorious, in spite of the wind. Thankfully there was a beck at the top as we were totally out of water and even passed an honesty cake and egg stand at the car park that at any other time I would have pounced on. I was rather worried as I knew reception at the campsite closed at 8 and we would be later than that. I left messages with my brother and on the campsite phone but didn't tell Steve, he didn't need any more pressure. 

Then there was the descent to Eskdale Green, it was utterly magnificent, finally we ate up 10km in respectable time and were at the campsite. Basically a 12 hr day to do just over 100km! Fortunately the reception had not closed, we had had to reserve a £28.50 pitch to get on the site, managed to get it down to £20, nowhere is doing backpacker rates this year. It was heaving, but we managed to find my brother and his family who had booked for 5 nights and arrived on Sunday, we thought we'd be seeing them in Durham later in the week when planning! We had a pack of dried chilli and fortunately they subbed lots of extras like cheese and bread and their spag bol leftovers. We hoovered the lot. Then I lifted the tent off my bike, it weighed a ton, I had not strapped it on in the morning. The sun was gone and we attempted to air it a bit but in the end I had to use our micro towel to mop out the puddles. The children were tending a lovely pit fire and toasting marshmallows. We couldn't face the heaving shower block so skipped a shower and retired as the rain closed in again. Feeling pretty tired but elated we had managed to make Eskdale in one piece, just!

I finally wore my Christmas fake down puffa jacket for the first time, it's never cold enough in Bristol!

Day 3 Eskdale Green via St Bees/Whitehaven/Workington to Penrith 120km 1686m

After a slightly better night's sleep but still pretty damp as it rained on and off all night, we knew it was going to be hard to get away early. It was raining first thing  so we took the hospitality of a cooked breakfast in my brother's family tent. They certainly made the difference in us not abandoning. Today was a big day too, to get back to Penrith, a bit less height but hopefully the weather should improve.

The rain would not abate so we packed up sopping wet again, and finally got away nearer 10.30 than 9.30. We were risking bare legs today with rain jackets.  The first stretch was hard work lumpy and a headwind gale towards Gosforth and the coast. We were deliberately deviating a little from the Dales and Lakes loop to make sure we started the C2C properly today too by visiting the seaside, I'm not sure it's ethical to count the same day as the finish of one tour and the start of the second, but we did. Our roolz!

The rain abated at last and we finally turned north so there was just a cross gale to contend with. We whizzed down into St Bees and saw no cafés so diverted down to the sea, and found a takeaway cafe only. We had a coffee anyway but it was a huddle to keep warm. big hill out! We should have pushed on as Whitehaven was far nicer than I expected. We lived in Barrow in Furness in the late 80s, a grim town, but rumour had it Whitehaven/Workington were worse, we never visited. A very merry local resident pointed out the C2C starting point so photo duly taken we headed towards the centre. I spy Subway, perfect, I would not say that in normal life but on an audax/tour just what we wanted.

We found a bench by the harbour and hung onto our subs firmly keeping wind and seagulls at bay.

The path out of Whitehaven was very enjoyable, then a huge ramp appeared. we puffed up the 10% and continued to Workington where we turned inland towards delightful Cockermouth, no time for tea again. We were rejoining the Dales and Lakes route now and not just heading towards Keswick and Penrith (C2C official route) but looping north onto Uldale Common above Bassenthwaite lake and skirting all the way round Skiddaw to the north before looping back to Penrith from the north. The turn inland may have meant the mother of all tailwinds at last but we were basically climbing for 40km.

It was fabulous cycling. Big yomp up to Uldale Common. Love it up there. Then a mega descent towards Caldbeck and we were blown back to Penrith for a hot shower, dry bed and a fabulous homre cooked lasagne at mum and dad’s. Is it cheating to have 1 day covering 2 different tours? Steve was incredible, I thought we may be getting the train back today. He was certainly suffering, I ride far more than he does. We had already decided there was going to be a rest day tomorrow, the alternative was abandoning Part 2.

Part 2 coming up......C2C Tyne and Wear and Hadrians Wall.