Your memory is correct! The climb from Barrowford through Blacko is 6 km long in which distance we gain 200 m in elevation so it averages 3.33% but with some variations. I don't remember any of it being super steep, but some sections flatten off a bit, and some short sections are significantly steeper. The descent to Gisburn has a similar profile, though I think there are a couple of pretty steep bits towards the bottom.
There is a steep little descent to the
Ribble just after Gisburn and an immediate steep little climb back up from the river. After that it is an undulating road to Waddington.
That would be a great plan except for one tiny catch -
we'll be setting off at 09:00 ourselves!
The main NWP event sets off at 08:00 but the MNWP starts at 09:00.
The Waddington cafe is 66 km into the ride.
I still hope to take the Whalley Old Road to Blackburn which is an extra climb which knocks a km or so off the total distance, but adds an
extra 60 m of climbing which is steeper than the official A-road route, but still only 4% or so.
After that there are 2 more significant ascents. Whitebirk on the fringes of Blackburn (Go behind the car showrooms on the right to avoid the huge motorway roundabout!) to Haslingden Moor gains 171 m in 6.7 km (average of 2.6%, so a long drag really). Then a similar 6 km descent to Ewood Bridge is immediately followed by the climb to Owd Betts which gains 152 m in 5 km (average of ~3%). An undulating couple of km on the tops, and then another 6 km descent takes us back into Rochdale, and finally a 3km drag back out of the town centre to event HQ.
