I've been working over at my brother's and the weather has been dry for a couple of weeks so with a fine forecast I shoved the kit in the van and stopped in Coniston that night.
My planned start time had been 8am then 7am, in the event I needed a pee at 3:30 so just got ready and set off at 4:05am! This actually made the most of the light as sunrise was just after Walna. I seem to suffer from cramps a lot these days so my plan was to take it easy and not "just push hard because I could" when faced with a steep or difficult section, that started within five minutes as I was off and walking on the steep intro Tarmac of Walna Scar Road. The strategy did work though as with one exception I didn't get any cramps at all.
What hadn't been mentioned in any forecasts was the wind. It wasn't the gentle predicted breeze but 30km/h NE winds with 60km/h gusts.
absolutely brutal, it was a struggle just to stand at times, it's annoying to say the least when you are in your bottom gear (30:46) on the flat on road and still only just making progress.Not helped by my lower jockey wheel partially seizing so I was keen to get to Keswick for a replacement before the shops shut.
Even the "easy" section between Keswick and Pooley Bridge was anything but and it was obvious by now I wasn't going to do it in one go I'd have to bivy plus I was getting pretty cold, even the hills were only just warming me up. I found an empty barn I'm Martindale - that would do. I'd been on the go for just under 18hrs and was knackered. 120km done
An even earlier pee and start - 3am! A push up Beda Fell, a great descent to Hartsop then a really big push up to The Knott/High Street. The wind was back with a vengeance and the wind chill was pretty bad so when my rear tyre burped and went flat it was a few minutes of walking downhill to find somewhere sheltered to sort it out, my hands were so cold I needed to use pliers to undo the valve core! I used the last of my CO2 reinflating the tyre, it wasn't fully inflated but would have to do, Garburn would be "interesting". I walked most of it, the tyre, tiredness and that bloody wind.
Hit the bike shop in Staveley for a restock, then it was just the "easy" section back to Coniston. Except it was anything but... I was knackered and my legs just wouldn't work when trying ride seated.
Then on the way over to Troutbeck in an absolutely bizarre chance meeting I bumped into Alan Goldsmith heading the other way, he couldn't quite believe I was attempting it in those conditions, "chapeau" being his comment.
I plodded on, counting down the hills until I'd done the last one and just the Lawson Park descent to do back to Coniston, except the upper section was blocked with wind blown trees which took an age to circumvent.
I rolled back to my start point some 38hrs after leaving (not checked the GPS for an exact timing), quite a bit longer than hoped for. (Edit: 38hrs01 according to Strava - https://www.strava.com/activities/7031478842)
In a word the route and conditions were brutal. I probably only carried on because I didn't want to have to come back and do it all again! I've done four BB200s and none compare in anyway to this, a BB200 will have around 50% on road or fire road! this has maybe 10-15% and that includes hills like Honister Pass at 25%. I'd say it's harder than the 300km Cairngorms loop, it's just unrelenting.
I'll do a full write up and pictures in due course
You just feel battered.
