Right then... time for some feedback. This is what I did...
Firstly set my target time to depart at early morning prayers time. So like any self respecting mtber would do, I prayed my Fajar and then went back to sleep. Awoke at 0800 but needed more, so slept again
Had been trying to sort out the route prior and had a few in my Whoo app. But when I got round to adding em to the Wahoo, the route didn't come across!. Then I tried the other Wahoo and same thing. So just usedwhat was already in there. Opted for the Lakeland Loop. After getting to Keswick I realised I might risk making it back to the car (parked in a friendly B&B carpark so didn't wanna take me p) only after dark. Probably overthinking and might just be me and my hate for road biking.
Looked at the map a little and chose to instead go and check out Honister Pass and Something Hause.
Met some walker after having taken a slight wrong turn. They asked if I was going right to the top and I said yes I'm going to check the gradiwntof Honister. They let out a slight gasp (well,the lady did) and I bid my farewells. The climb only hit 14.5% so I'd obviously forked off early. Got to the cafe at the top after giving way to a few drivers who obviously thought it's shameful to try and walk these narrow, dangerous and winding roads.
Cooked my noodles as I obviously had no need for them to be waiting now. Original plan had been to have em at the top of Hardknotts. Thankfully that wasn't happening.
Met this guy, lets call him Jim. Jim obviously wanted something off of me and I was trying not to distrub anyones animal. But in the end after Jim had gone away and come back so many times, I wondered if Jim was a stray and was super hungry. So I thought of what's safest for his tummy and threw a Nairn oat biscuit (without seeds I think). He liked it and came back for more. Took almost the full pack of 6 (singles) until he was satisfied. After a while I saw his owners come out and I pretneded not to know Jim!
Then I checked the map and was decided that Honister and that other triple-double arrowed climb didn't need exploring today. Especially by me. So I tried and tried to find a route across the mountains/hills back down to nearer Grasmere. There was only rocky paths showing in the OS maps - well, I later discovered they were very very rocky.
Walked the main one towards Borrowdale to ensure I was still builidng character. Gave myself a good talking to myself and then turned back north to go back via the way I'd come. 40 miles and it was a wonderful day out. Especially since I arrived back at the car for 1700 and now at the (super cheap) hostel with a lovely (super expensive £2.95) ginger beer
Why not just walk the road and leave your expensive toycars somewhere at the bottom! All for a cuppa tea..
The first pic I took. Ain't she gorgeous Alhamdulillah (all praise God).
Thw wrong turn climb I took. Felt like a baby at the time but 14% isn't anything to be laughed at. Maybe that's why my legs are feeling it now
Thw view from the noodles-bench. What would Dave Andy and the roygh stuff fellows do. They'd go ride/walk it obviously. So I did
like an idiot.
But there was 7% of it that was actually rideable and not worthy of just a DH bike. So not all bad.
Some bits were just too much gnarl and slippery... Embarrasing when people saw me with the road bike so I had to kinda joke it away... Didn't tell em too much that I was building character for Wales.
A few more pictures later and it was the last pic... Then I rode happily ever ever after (to the car).
Thanks again Bob/Jon.
