Tuesday 15th January 2025
I began to plan this short break before Christmas and sketched out the routes to collect some Veloviewer tiles to the northwest of Kendal. I checked the weather forecast before booking anything and so avoided the desperately cold spell starting on the 6th and by today the weather was warm but sadly it drizzled on and off all day. My plans had to change before I even got on the bike, since the road to the car park I planned to use was closed. I quickly found an alternative on a layby on the route, so all was well.
Today’s ride was only short but very hilly – only to be expected round here, I guess. Almost all the ice was gone apart from a few isolated patches in the sheltered spots on some of the lanes, which were easily avoided. The main delaying factor wasn’t the ice or even the hills but rather the gates. I didn’t count them all, but they were well into double figures.
The dreary weather spoiled the opportunity for many photographs. I had visions of enjoying sunny lowlands contrasting with sparkling white peaks, but it didn’t happen. The peaks were obscured by cloud, and even when I got a glimpse, the snow had largely gone.
The amended starting point shortened the route a touch and since I didn’t stop for refreshments, I arrived at the hostel a bit early and my room wasn’t ready. Last month, I arrived at 1pm and was offered to check in, but today I had to wait. I had a coffee and a cake (which I found had gone up 26% since December!) before heading on foot up a slutchy path up into Skelghyll Wood which afforded good views over Windermere.
When I returned to the hostel I was allowed into the dormitory and was delighted to have another spectacular view over Windermere from the window. I was also pleased to snag a lower bunk even though there were three other occupants in the 6-bed room already.
I always enjoy sitting in the hostel of an evening just reading a book whilst surreptitiously people-watching. The book affords me protection from unwanted attention, but I can always put it down if I want to chat.
Geraldine had supplied a delicious home made meal which I brought with me – chilli con carne with rice. The main meal was ready far sooner than the runner beans that I’d also brought. For reasons unknown, the gas hob was woefully inadequate to the task of warming a handful of beans. I kept switching burners to see if one was better than another, but they were all equally useless. Eventually I managed to sit down and eat accompanied by a nice pint of Loweswater Gold.
Wednesday 16th January 2025
After a 7:30 breakfast, I was off by 9am to drive the few miles to Staveley where today’s ride started. I had planned to ride up two closed valleys; one to Kentmere and the second up Longsleddale. Kentmere was a delightful hamlet well off the beaten track which even had its own church with services about once a month. I noticed that one service was at 6am to welcome the Easter Sunday dawn. According to their website, there is also a service to give thanks for the end of the lambing season in May.
As a young apprentice in December 1976 I went on a team building exercise to Waddow Hall near Clitheroe which I thoroughly enjoyed but a friend of mine went with Leyland Motors on a similar event to Longsleddale and I was always envious of his trip which was truly out in the wilds. Despite a low-level desire to see what I was missing almost five decades ago I’ve never been to Longsleddale. It is a closed valley, which is probably the main reason I’ve never been there before.
The road follows the River Kent for five miles or so before the tarmac ends at Sadgill although the path continues for walkers who can reach Haweswater after a further three or four miles. I turned back at that point but not before reading on a sign about something called the Dead End Club. I’ve never heard of this before, but they sound like my sort of people. I wonder if they’re accepting new members?
Overall, I enjoyed a lovely couple of days on very quiet roads. I saw very few cyclists, and none at all on the dead-end valleys. I think I might look up a few more similar roads – there seems to be plenty round here.
The total mileage was just 73 with 7,000 feet of climbing. I nabbed 36 new tiles and added a further 41 to my cluster. It should have been 37 new tiles, but an error at the planning stage meant that I missed one tile in Kentmere. It’s a long way to return to rectify that, but it’s such a lovely valley, I may well be back. My next cycling trip’s not planned yet, but I do have a full-scale tour organised for June when I’m heading to Sussex and Kent for a week.
