Your greatest hill climbing feat......

[marinyork]

I like the hills, which is just as well really. Every time I come back from town I can select a 476ft hill that has gradients above 10% so I figure the best is yet to come. There was a great one in the peaks that was steepish for about 2 miles. 20% graded, above 10% for a fair bit and highish single digits for the rest. That was after doing the other half of climbing up the valley at lesser gradiants for about 5 miles. Such fantastic valleys.

 

[ColinJ]

It's an area I really fancy cycling round, though I've walked in the area quite a lot (the view from Stoodley Pike is fantastic) have never cycled.

The view from Stoodley Pike is usually fantastic! Sometimes you can't see a thing for mist or fog.

I walked up there in a very heavy mist once. When I climbed the staircase to the balcony I beheld an amazing sight - the top of the bank of mist was level with my chest, and my head was poking out into blue sky and a fine sunny day. Everything below me was thick, white mist. It was absolutely stunning, but unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me .

You're married to Chuffy aren't you? If the two of you ever come up with your bikes I'll give you a guided tour if you like, or plot you a few routes if you'd prefer that.

 

[Baggy]

Thanks Colin, hopefully one day will manage to get up there with bikes (mine all have triples ).

 

[Chris James]

Some variations, but okay - it definitely isn't pronounced the way it looks. Yorkshire TV always pronounce it as rhyming with plough.

'Slough-it' is how I understand it is pronounced. One of my wife's best friends lives there.

 

[Noodley]

...the view from Stoodley Pike is fantastic...

I have to go there, and take a photo of my bike.

Noodley's Bike on Stoodley Pike

 

[dan_bo]

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks Colin, hopefully one day will manage to get up there with bikes (mine all have triples ).

The two I ride do too, the one I don't, doesn't

I can (just about) cope with double chainrings here when I'm skinny, but I need the triples when I'm not (now, for instance).

 

[gavintc]

Mt Ventoux on a hot sultry August day, I managed 1 hr 45 mins from bottom to top. What a ride it was, the first few kms go quite quickly and then the pain sets in, unrelenting and continual until the ramp onto the flat at the top.

The descent was sublime - 82 kph on the drop to Malacene. The bends at speed are a blast.

 

[ColinJ]

I have to go there, and take a photo of my bike.

Noodley's Bike on Stoodley Pike

The YH you plan to stay at in Mankinholes is only about a mile from the Pike. Officially you can't cycle to the monument - it is on the Pennine Way footpath. People do ride to it on MTBs even though they shouldn't. On a road bike, you'd have a job as you can imagine if you look at the photos on the Wikipedia page that I linked to.

Other useful Pikey facts... (1) Take a torch - it is very dark and spooky on the internal staircase (there are no windows). (2) Watch out for the sheep!!! I was fumbling my way up the staircase without a torch once when I heard a funny rumbly clattering noise coming from above. Next thing, a flock of bloody sheep came charging down the stairs at me! I nearly got swept off my feet. When I got to the balcony, there was sheep shoot everywhere. They'd probably gone up there to shelter the previous evening and must have been too scared to come back down the stairs in the dark.

 

[Baggy]

Next thing, a flock of bloody sheep came charging down the stairs at me! I nearly got swept off my feet.

I have to go there, and take a photo of my bike.

Noodley's Bike on Stoodley Pike

Sadly, I think the correct pronunciation is more like "Studley", but that might be appropriate as well

 

[Noodley]

...I think the correct pronunciation is more like "Studley"...

And how, pray tell, do you think Nooudley is pronounced?

 

[ColinJ]

[The sheep]'d probably gone up there to shelter the previous evening and must have been too scared to come back down the stairs in the dark.

Hmm, since the stairs are always dark, it actually wouldn't make any difference what time of day or night the sheep tried to come down. You know what sheep are like - one probably wandered into the monument and the rest just followed. Eventually they all ended up on the balcony wandering round in circles for hours until one just happened to wander back down the stairs and then they followed that.

For the computer programmers among you who wish to have a go at creating a virtual sheep, here is a summary of sheep logic:

1. If it looks like a sheep and it isn't moving, stop, and try to eat whatever you are standing over.
   
   
2. If it looks like a sheep and is moving, follow it.
   
   
3. If it doesn't look like a sheep and isn't moving, stare at it.
   
   
4. If it doesn't look like a sheep and is moving towards you quickly, PANIC!!! RUN IN RANDOM DIRECTION, CHANGE MIND, RUN IN DIFFERENT RANDOM DIRECTION, REPEAT UNTIL DEAD FROM EXHAUSTION/FALLING OFF CLIFF/BEING HIT BY VEHICLE (whichever happens first).
   
   
5. If it doesn't look like a sheep and is moving towards you slowly, alternate between staring at it and eating whatever you are standing over until it is a few feet away, then PANIC!!! RUN IN RANDOM DIRECTION, CHANGE MIND, RUN IN DIFFERENT RANDOM DIRECTION, REPEAT UNTIL DEAD FROM EXHAUSTION/FALLING OFF CLIFF/BEING HIT BY VEHICLE (whichever happens first).

 

[marinyork]

**mentally adds ColinJ's hills to a list**

 

[Kirstie]

**mentally adds ColinJ's hills to a list**

I remember that I did ColinJs hills in 2006...and tore a quadricep, which hurt.

At the weeked I did Oughtershaw bank from Kettlewell on a tourer which got me a bit hot under the collar too...

 

[ColinJ]

I remember that I did ColinJs hills in 2006...and tore a quadricep, which hurt.

Ouch!

I think I did something similar to my upper right thigh on the Kirklees Sportive this year. I didn't really notice on the day itself but the next day my leg was extremely tender and there was a horrible (and painful) 'twanging' sensation as I hobbled about. It only really started to feel better after about 5 months or so.

As for my hills... If any of you are crazy enough to come over to have a go at Mytholm Steeps and/or Scar Head, you might as well do some of the other nasties while you're at it!

Just opposite Mytholm Steeps is a tough little climb to the hamlet of Horsehold (to get to the foot of it, take the road over the canal by HB co-op) and climb up the narrow road to the right. It's a road-to-nowhere on a road bike, unless you ride the bridleways at the top with extreme caution (they are rutted and rocky so I'd recommend a MTB up there). The farms mark the end of the tough climb, but you can carry on up for another km or so to get the best views. I shouldn't have to say this, but - treat the descent with total respect! If you don't you will hit crazy speeds very quickly. The road is narrow, and strewn with gravel and you do get 4x4s and farm vehicles coming up it.

There is another road-to-nowhere up behind HB railway station. If you cross the canal as described above but carry on round through Fairfield you will eventually come to a concrete road up through the woods. That goes up past a couple of houses and then turns into a very steep cobbled climb to the hamlet of Old Chamber. From there it would be just about possible to ride down the track on the right on a road bike, but your wheels wouldn't thank you. Best to just turn round and go back the way you came. Again - very tricky to descend. NB - almost lethal in the wet - road bikes, and steep hills with wet, greasy cobbles are not a good mix!

There's a tough climb on the right just as you come into Todmorden from the direction of Hebden Bridge. Cross Stone Road is very steep to start with and then eases off a bit. There are two ways up to Staups Moor from there - straight up past the golf course is quite tough. I prefer to go right and eventually do the tougher climb to Great Rock.

Nearer Halifax... nip up to Luddenden village from Luddenden Foot. You can then tackle a nasty brute up towards Wainstalls/Mount Tabor. That has been used for the National Hill Climb championships. There are other even tougher variants nearby if you feel really masochistic.

At the weeked I did Oughtershaw bank from Kettlewell on a tourer which got me a bit hot under the collar too...

Oh, that's Fleet Moss by another name isn't it? I think that side is marginally easier than coming from Hawes, but yes, it's tough. I saw some riders tackle it on hand-cranked recumbents once - wow!