# Riding the North Riding



## taximan (10 Aug 2013)

*Day 2 Barnard Castle to Hardraw.*

_Route Lartington, Bowes, Cycle Route 70 to Tan Hill, Keld, Buttertubs Pass, Hardraw.
Distance 26.3 miles
Difficulty Very Challenging due to the strong head wind.
Weather Bright at first, becoming overcast with rain threatening at times
Company John. _ 

After yesterdays 50 plus miles, loaded with camping gear etc, I for one was feeling a bit stiff as we set out for what we fully expected to be a hard day's ride which involved two big climbs with a total elevation of around 3000 ft. What we didn't bargain for was to have a head wind every inch of the way. We started quite early so there was very little traffic and we had the road to ourselves as we made our way towards Bowes where we were faced with a long steady climb along a narrow lane towards Gilmonby, Sleightholme, and eventualy, Tan Hill. Normally even fully loaded as we were we would not have had any problems but today the extra effort needed to cope with the wind made it a very tiring ride indeed. When we reached Sleightholme Farm the metalled road surface gave way to a gravelled track which added to our problems. After about two hours we reached the Arkengarthdale road and a few minutes later we were at Tan Hill where we were hoping to get a sandwich or even if we were lucky we might even get a breakfast. How wrong we were, even though we could see a chef in the background, all we were able to buy was tea & some not very appetising cake. We were bitterly disappointed because on our last visit a little over a year ago, the food was excellent and unlike our present visit, the atmosphere was welcoming.
From Tan Hill we had what promised to be an exciting descent to Keld in Swaledale, unfortunately the bloody wind was still in our faces and even with the weight in our panniers, it was necessary to pump the pedals to make any headway. On the plus side we were able to relax and enjoy the scenery a little more but I couldn't take any photos because the battery in the camera went flat ant the spare was was buried deep in one of the bags. I had cycled this way in my younger days but I had almost forgotten what a beautiful part of the world it is. when we reached Keld we turned left and a few miles on we stopped for a sarnie at the Kearton Country Hotel and while sitting by the window we were entertained by the spectacle of two ramblers sitting outside being mobbed by a flock of sparrows while they were trying to enjoy their scones. 
Suitably fortified we left to tackle the Buttertubs Pass and I make no apologies when I admit to walking part way up, the hill, the weight, and the wind were just too much for me. When we reached the top it was difficult to even stand let alone ride a bike, however we soon had the novel experience of having to pedal downhill again and shortly afterwards we arrived at the Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw where we set up camp for the night before enjoying a couple of well earned pints of Black Sheep after what was not a long ride but was one of the hardest that I can ever remember.



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## CafGriff (21 Aug 2013)

lovely to see U have included the 'amber necteur' in the shots!!


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