Well, I was going to have a bit of a break from cycle touring after Spain, but I have never been to the far North of my own country, and with 3 supposedly stunning national parks in this region, I couldn't resist.
I plan to take the train to London from my hometown in Colchester, then head up to Carlisle, where I will disembark on the bike. Carlisle is one of the most northerly cities in England, just 10 miles south of Scotland. From there it is a relatively short ride into the Lake District National Park.
Famed as one of the most picturesque locations in the UK, it is also one of the wettest (these two factors almost always come together), so it is a big fingers-crossed for the weather on this trip, especially as April isn't exactly the driest time of year.
The weather isn't the only challenge, my route takes me through the Lake District, then the Yorkshire Dales, and finally the Yorkshire Moors, where I will rendez-vous with my aunt and uncle for a day or so before going back home to Colchester with my mum. This route takes me up and down some serious climbs.
I don't know how I do it to myself, every time I go somewhere new, I seem to be setting myself another horrendous physical challenge. This time it is not distance, it shouldn't be the wind - as I should be travelling with the prevailing wind for most of the ride, although it looks like the winds are shifting just for me (as usual) - and it certainly won't be heat and lack of water as in Australia. This time it will be the sheer steepness of the climbs.
After doing a bit of research, I have noticed that I will certainly hit some sections of road where the incline will exceed 25%! There are also roads where climbs can reach as high a gradient as 33%! I will be cycling backwards! In New Zealand, the steepest section of road I encountered was about 16% up to Arthur's Pass, and that was brutal. I will be packed a lot lighter for this tour, but I can't imagine I will be able to cycle the whole way up such roads, not to mention ride down them - it is recommended that cyclists dismount going down some of these roads.
I have about 5-6 days to complete this ride, which works out at about 60Km a day, which should be manageable, but I would like a day in hand in case of bad weather, and with these hills, well, I might need that extra day.
The weather is really my major concern. A few days away now, and if I can trust the long range weather forecast, it looks like it will be cold, but not wet, which is just fine by me. If I have some good weather, the scenery should be absolutely beautiful.
With some flexibility built-in to the tour, if the weather is good, I may hike up to England's highest mountain, Scarfell Pike, which is not a big detour off my route through the Lake District. It is always good to get off the bike and do some hiking as well.
Looking forward to this short, punchy, and potentially very picturesque tour of the North. Hopefully the bike and the gear holds out, as much of it is on its last legs; the panniers are being held together with pegs with a few holes appearing, the bike is starting to develop the odd minor problem or two (understandably after all the hard work she's done), and my racks are bent and being held together with cable ties after a breakage or two in Australia and New Zealand. She just has to get me through this one last tour, and I'll make her a commuter bike, but what a job she has done over the past 3 years. Let's see how this one goes.
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