Road cycling weekend in the Lake District

Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hardknott and Wrynose. These are the 6 most notorious passes in the Lake District National Park and the basis for one of the toughest cycle sportive events in the UK.

Whilst participants in the Fred Whitton Challenge will tackle all of these in a single 122 mile day, our place to place weekend gives you 2 whole days to enjoy some superb and challenging riding. This trip is planned with climbers and experienced riders in mind and it will suit anyone who likes their riding on the tough side.

Fells, forests, remote Lakeland villages and of course the lakes themselves create a stunning backdrop for some of the best riding to be had without leaving our shores. This is dramatic riding in a fantastic landscape and it really doesn’t get much better.

The distances are split so that the longest day is on the Saturday, with, the toughest climbing on Sunday, and a fast and exhilarating descent back into Patterdale to finish. However the Lake District offers many miles of fantastic riding and there’s plenty more to choose from for riders in need of an extra loop or two.

This is the ideal weekend for testing the water prior to joining one of our bigger trips or simply as a great getaway.

With a minimum of two Skedaddle guides, themselves enthusiastic cyclists, leading the way you can forget about finding your own way and concentrate on the fantastic riding offered by our hand picked routes.

Why not take advantage of the free Skedaddle train station pick-up service from Penrith or Windermere stations to avoid those Friday night traffic jams?

Each group is kept deliberately small; between six and fifteen riders and is fully supported by guides and a driver enabling us to cater for different fitness and experience levels in the group. By all means bring your own bike along or if you haven’t got one, you can hire Giant road bike from us.

Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1
Upon your arrival in Patterdale you will be shown your room and then join us at either the accommodation or a local pub, where over a drink and something to eat an informal talk will be given about the events of the weekend. We use a selection of quality B&B's and small hotels which provide us with a great base for our weekend and a warm welcome to return to after a day in the saddle. Tonight is a good opportunity to get to know our guides who represent Saddle Skedaddle's friendly and enthusiastic attitude to cycling.

Day 2
The “official” Fred Whitton Challenge sportive event starts and finishes in Coniston. Logistically however it makes much more sense for us to use Patterdale as our base. We begin with a relatively gentle warm up as we follow the shore of Ullswater, before the climb up to Troutbeck and then into Keswick. Passsing through Keswick, we head south down the side of Derwent Water, to the village of  Seatoller. We’ll be engaging bottom gear for the first time as we take on Honister Pass, the first challenge of the weekend – it’s a tough climb and sets the scene very well for what we have in store for the next few days. The equally steep descent off the other side drops us into the beautiful and rolling Buttermere valley. Once through Buttermere village the road kicks up sharply onto Newlands Pass. Newlands eases off a little in the mid section before kicking up again steeply a few hundred metres before reaching the summit. Taking care as w e pop over the top as the descent begins equally as steeply as the climb on the other side ended. Next we sweep down further into Braithwaite, just beyond which lies Whinlatter. After Whinlatter we’re left with a few more “lumps” to get over before reaching Gosforth where we’ll be spending the evening.

Day 3
A hearty Cumberland breakfast is recommended today as this stage includes the toughest section of the weekend. A few relatively flat miles, passing through Santon Bridge, before a brief encounter with Irton Pike, reminds us not to get too comfortable with the chocolate box setting, and wakes us up just in time for the infamous Hardknott Pass. A red telephone box marks the beginning of the climb and immediately we understand why Hardknott Pass has the reputation as the toughest climb in the Lake District. The descent from the top of Hardknott is steep and technical and you'll need to keep an eye on our speed here to ensure a safe arrival at the bottom where we meet Wyrnose, the second of our big ascents today. In any other setting Wrynose would feel like a tough climb but with Hardknott under our belts it almost feels easy……..until the very last section where our legs will be feeling the gradient once again! From here we’re hea ding generally downwards all the way to Coniston where the road rises once more up an over Hawkshead and into the village of Ambleside at the head of Windermere.

There’s still more fantastic riding in store, and as we leave Ambleside we’re soon on the lower reaches of Kirkstone Pass. Kirkstone, as you will be expecting by now begins steeply, the middle section is steep, and the last miles are err…………..also steep! It’s a fantastic ascent though and well worth the effort. The tricky descent off the other side is challenging in its own way and similarly rewarding. To finsih off there’s a relatively flat run from the bottom of Kirkstone back in to our starting point at Patterdale, in plenty of time to get cleaned up and organised for our journeys home.  Although your legs will be tired, you should be feeling pretty good about yourself now, having completed a challenging round of some of the toughest road passes in the UK!

Equipment
We provide everything except a bike, personal equipment and clothing. If you are taking your own bike it should preferably be a road bike or, alternatively, a mountain bike fitted with slick tyres.

This route, is by its very nature, extremely hilly and we recommend that you have either a triple or compact chainset or a 27 bottom sprocket to ease the climbing. Please contact us if you are unsure whether your bike will be suitable.

It is imperative that your bike is in good mechanical order. If you are not mechanically minded, we advise you to take your bike to a local bicycle dealer for a service. Our guide(s) will of course be taking a full tool kit and a selection of spares, which we will provide should the need arise but please be sure to carry your own basic tool kit, pump, spare tubes, and any specific spare parts you may require for your bike - especially unusual spokes.

You will need to bring your own accessories including, helmet, gloves and hydration pack / bottles for drinking water. It is also a good idea to bring shoes suitable for walking along with your cycling shoes as well as a light, but waterproof rain jacket and a fleece / sweater for mornings and evenings.

What the price doesn't include
(A) Bike & helmet hire (if required, £55)
(B) Personal clothing and equipment.
(C) Insurance (if required, £13).
(D) Two evening meals and bar bills.  
(E) Single room option.