Photo Pages.
Monday 28th August
11:00 Whitehaven, after stocking up on pies etc. comence "wheel-dipping ceremony" on the quayside and attract a few funny looks from bank holiday visitors! Weather looks promising and off we go!
The Whitehaven -Ennerdale cyclepath begin with a steady 15 mile climb along old railway lines through several former mining villages pausing only to get our stamps at Cleator Moor and tighten Dave's wonky headstock! (Its not going to be one of them trips is it?) We average a creditable 11mph on the climb which I can't help thinking we will pay for later as the "real hills" of the lakes appear on the horizon! A lovely downhill to Loweswater and those pies I mentioned!
Afternoon and the first real climb up to Whinlatter Pass and soon discover why they're called "pushbikes"! Never mind it's beautiful countryside! Have a break at Whinlatter Forest visitor centre. "Man mountain" Makin reckoned he'd been there an hour before I arrived (probably had too, bastard!)
Catch our breath before an excellent downhill through Whinlatter Forest (steady on if you're on slicks)!
Arrive in Kendall about 3:00
Dodgy pub grub and an ill advised 6-pint of Jennings finest follow the 3 S's! Loads of pubs in Kendall, which probably make it more suited to stag dos than these healthy pastimes!
Tuesday 29th August
Leave Keswick about 9:20 (remember those 6 pints)! Short sharp climb up to Castlerigg Stone circle -these are well worth seeing and a great place for an old hippy like Mr Seddon! (far out man)! Next it's the infamous old coach road! Don't jib-out and take the alternative route (you know who you are!) as this really is one of the highlights of the trip! The uphill stretch is virtually un-rideable in any case thanks to our 4x4 friends! Cracking views across the tops followed by 12 miles of virtually uninterrupted down hill through Matterdale End and on into Greystoke (wasn't Tarzan from here?) This is what it's all about! The obligatory liquid lunch in the village, write postcards and wait for the gibbers to catch up! Gentle couple of miles into Penrith and arrive about 2:30. Can't remember what we did for the rest of the day but it probably involved beer & chips!
Wednesday 30th August
Another leisurely 9:40 start. Dave's heart sinks as he spots Don's flat tyre! (Has this man been out on his own before)! We get lost in Penrith! Is this possible? Seems someone's nicked a few signs and reversed others! Another short sharp climb towards Langwathby (regret that extra fried slice)! One slice of fried bread= 1 pint of water quote Confucius Makin! I get separated from the rest as I pay a visit to Long Meg stone circle (even further-out man)! I'm not bothered as this will give me chance for a few crafty walks on the daunting Hartside Fell! Now that's a serious climb! Never mind there's a proper tea & cake shop at the top! Hinge and Bracket again bring up the rear as Disastrous Dave's chain broke at the bottom! Fortunately there's a bloke in a tranny van who tours the route looking for mis-fortunates and he sorted him out with a new chain for a fiver- TOP BLOKE! I think Dave would have preferred a lift to the top though! Whey top 8 mile down hill to Garrigill then a short steep climb to the delights of Nenthead!
Shaun opted for the steep off road from Garrigill to Nenthead then copped a crafty drag off a dumper truck to the top! Arrive at Nenthead about 14:00. NENTHEAD eh? Imagine a one-horse town without the horse!!! Decent pint in the Miners Arms (pub-cum-community centre) though!
Thursday 31st August
Leave Miners Arms at 9:45, start with a 2.5 mile killer of a climb up Black Hill to the highest point on the C2C! 1998ft (whose idea was it to get digs at the bottom of that bugger? Cheers Don!) Brief pause for cheesy photo opportunity and realise its practically downhill all the way to the sea! Get off to a flyer down winding roads to Allenheads, break personal speed record only to be passed on a bend at 42mph by ?Foggerty? Makin! NUTTER! It's very wild and bleak around here, watch out for low-flying grouse and even lower flying Tornado aircraft! Tea break in Allenheads and on to Rookhope. There's an alternative route across a grouse moor from here to Waskerly Way, but we opt for safety, as it's a bit close to the glorious twelfth! It looks a brilliant ride so maybe next time! A caravan selling tea and cakes marks the start of Waskerly Way; we take advantage and take part in the ancient art of horizontal tea pouring! How windy was it up there! Waskerly Way is an excellent and largely well-surfaced dedicated cycle and walking route, Fantastic! I think its another old railway line, the best stretch I've ever ridden and the undoubted highlight of the trip. Cheers Dr.Beeching! Arrive in Consett (how big was that steelworks!) about 3:30 and toy with the idea of pressing on to Tynemouth and wrapping it up a day early, but opt for a big sesh in the Smelters Arms and the hardest pub quiz in history! Needless to say we don't trouble the scorers unduly!
Friday 1st September
Depart Consett (or Concept as Dave calls it!) and we cycle across the massive scar where the steel works used to stand, and pick up the Derwent Walk which again follows the route of the 19th century Derwent Valley railway, and cross some magnificent old viaducts at Pontburn, Fogoesburn and Nine Arches. Once you arrive at Rowlands Gill that's it! Its like a billiards table all the way to Tynemouth! 23 miles! Once you reach Newcastle and the Tyne Bridge it becomes a bit of an anti-climax as it feels like you've finished, but you've still got 13 miles of poorly signed riverside paths but its still great to see the sea at Tynemouth. And we carry our bikes down the cliff steps to dip the old wheels! Then its back on the bikes for the short trip to Tynemouth station for our last stamp! Me and Shaun opt for a taxi back to Newcastle and the train home a day early (Well it is my 10th wedding anniversary, and I think Shaun's missing little Thomas!) So we leave the delights of a night in Whitley Bay to the old fogies!
Leave Miners Arms at 9:45, start with a 2.5 mile killer of a climb up Black Hill to the highest point on the C2C! 1998ft (whose idea was it to get digs at the bottom of that bugger? Cheers Don!) Brief pause for cheesy photo opportunity and realise its practically downhill all the way to the sea! Get off to a flyer down winding roads to Allenheads, break personal speed record only to be passed on a bend at 42mph by ?Foggerty? Makin! NUTTER! It's very wild and bleak around here, watch out for low-flying grouse and even lower flying Tornado aircraft! Tea break in Allenheads and on to Rookhope. There's an alternative route across a grouse moor from here to Waskerly Way, but we opt for safety, as it's a bit close to the glorious twelfth! It looks a brilliant ride so maybe next time! A caravan selling tea and cakes marks the start of Waskerly Way; we take advantage and take part in the ancient art of horizontal tea pouring! How windy was it up there! Waskerly Way is an excellent and largely well-surfaced dedicated cycle and walking route, Fantastic! I think its another old railway line, the best stretch I've ever ridden and the undoubted highlight of the trip. Cheers Dr.Beeching! Arrive in Consett (how big was that steelworks!) about 3:30 and toy with the idea of pressing on to Tynemouth and wrapping it up a day early, but opt for a big sesh in the Smelters Arms and the hardest pub quiz in history! Needless to say we don't trouble the scorers unduly!
Friday 1st September
Depart Consett (or Concept as Dave calls it!) and we cycle across the massive scar where the steel works used to stand, and pick up the Derwent Walk which again follows the route of the 19th century Derwent Valley railway, and cross some magnificent old viaducts at Pontburn, Fogoesburn and Nine Arches. Once you arrive at Rowlands Gill that's it! Its like a billiards table all the way to Tynemouth! 23 miles! Once you reach Newcastle and the Tyne Bridge it becomes a bit of an anti-climax as it feels like you've finished, but you've still got 13 miles of poorly signed riverside paths but its still great to see the sea at Tynemouth. And we carry our bikes down the cliff steps to dip the old wheels! Then its back on the bikes for the short trip to Tynemouth station for our last stamp! Me and Shaun opt for a taxi back to Newcastle and the train home a day early (Well it is my 10th wedding anniversary, and I think Shaun's missing little Thomas!) So we leave the delights of a night in Whitley Bay to the old fogies!
Schedule
Whithaven-Keswick
32 miles
Keswick-Penrith
30 miles
Penrith-Nenthead
31 miles
Nenthead-Consett
38 miles
Consett-Tynemouth
31 miles Total distance: -176 miles
Whithaven-Keswick
32 miles
Keswick-Penrith
30 miles
Penrith-Nenthead
31 miles
Nenthead-Consett
38 miles
Consett-Tynemouth
31 miles Total distance: -176 miles
To be honest your mum could probably do this in 5 days! But like Don says we were limited by our transport, it being a bank holiday etc. Thanks to Don??s mate Peter and BLANK for the lifts, and thanks of course to Don for sorting out the digs and reccy trips etc. Cheers.
I think most people would do it in 4 days by either going straight from Whitehaven to Penrith or Nenthead to Tynemouth or 3 days would be a bit more challenging! After all someone told us the record is 12 hours! But that?s not really the point is it? All 4 of us really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anybody! Lands End- John O?Groats anybody?