Saturday 15th April 2017

A motley crew, namely Rick W, Mick B, Ian T, Boz, Justin, Keith O and Dave B assembled on Cartmel Lane near Low Newton. The day, as they say, was bright and breezy. The day as WE say, was bloomin’ windy and freezing. A relatively short, but very hilly ride was planned, owing to a number of non-cycling commitments later in the day for some riders. A pacey start through familiar lanes soon saw the crossing the estuary near Greenodd, from whence a rather lumpy route was followed into Ulverston. The first big climb of the day, into the very strong head wind was a portent of things to come. However, what goes up comes down, which in this case was a rapid descent into Kirkby in Furness. A steady run through Broughton in Furness soon saw the team arrive at the Duddon Bridge, and the start of Corney Fell, which at 4 miles, was the longest climb of the day. From here the road rises inexorably, as did the wind speed. Hard going, but rewarded by a long if buffeted swoop into Eskdale, with only a short pause to ensure nobody was in the recently crashed car at the bottom of one of the bankings. From here an undulating, but slightly sketchy lane was followed to the bottom of Birker Fell. This was the third big climb of the day, and unusually, the wind speed and direction remained the same, so there was a welcome tailwind. A relatively easy climb followed by an exhilarating descent into the Duddon Valley. The climb and the descent had separated the group a little, and at this point most followed gpx.version 2 to lunch in Seathwaite, whilst Rick and Boz followed gpx.version 1 to lunch in Broughton. However, neither venue will win the “Rapid Service of the Year” award! Fed and watered all riders made it safely back to Low Newton, and the cars. Depending on the exact route back from lunch to the cars, the ride was around 65 miles, with 9000ft of climbing.