The 2021 Annual Lunacy Climbing Challenge

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Welcome to the 1st 'Annual Lunacy Climbing Challenge'.

This challenge aims to encourage you to do more climbing on your bike. It is a sister challenge to the distance-based Annual Lunacy Challenge, with 13 qualifying rides needed in each calendar year. (I have chosen this format rather than a monthly challenge because I don't want to encourage riders to risk descending what might be steep, ungritted, narrow roads in wintry conditions.)

The target is to do 13+ 'qualifying loops' between January 1st and December 31st.

  • A qualifying loop is any ride on public roads which accumulates 1,000+ metres of ascent. (If you prefer imperial units, your target is 3,300+ ft).
  • You must end up back at your starting point each time but you are free to start/finish anywhere. Your hilly loops can be included in longer rides so feel free to insert them into your routes for other challenges.
  • A specific climb may only be done once per loop, but you can climb to the same point by multiple routes if available.
  • Try to keep your loops 'challengingly short'. I live in a hilly area and would normally average about 1,000 metres per 50 km ridden so I will aim to make my qualifying loops shorter than 40 km to make them challenging for me rather than merely routine. Decide for yourself what is challenging for you in your area.

This is not a competition so your rides should not be compared to those of other riders. It would be much harder to do 1,000 metres of climbing in Cambridgeshire than in Yorkshire!

If you like the idea of point scoring, award yourself 1 point per qualifying loop (no matter how long or hilly it is!). Only 1 loop counts per day so don't bother doing 2 x 50 km hilly loops in a day trying to score double points. From next year onwards, perhaps try to beat your best points total from earlier years?

Another suggestion which may interest you - calculate the HR (Hilliness Ratio) for each qualifying LOOP (NB do not include any distance ridden before or after the loop!) HR = ascent/distance in metres/km. (Imperialists should calculate ft/mile and divide the result by 5.28.) and please round the results to 1 decimal place - an HR figure stated as e.g. 21.67893 would be very silly! Example #1: 1,017 metres in 37.3 km, HR = 27.3 m/km. Example #2: 3,456 ft in 28.2 miles, 122.6 ft/mile = HR of 23.2 m/km.

This thread is only for the logging of your qualifying loops.

PLEASE DO NOT POST ANYTHING ELSE BUT QUALIFYING LOOPS IN THIS THREAD

Each time you complete a qualifying loop, post details in this challenge thread
, stating your target HR (if you have one) and how many times you've met it at the top and then listing each ride which meets your target below. The post should ideally include details of the loops completed including how far, a list of points on each loop, the elevation gain, and a link to the loop(s) if you recorded it/them. The idea of these details is to maintain everyone's interest in where people are riding, as well as their progress towards their goal.

Chat about rides, etc. goes in the associated chatzone thread, located [HERE]. Please don't post anything other than lists of your rides in the challenge thread.

Even once you have completed thirteen qualifying loops, you can keep posting new ones where your 'top 13' has changed. Just post your thirteen hilliest (highest HR). At the end of the year, the HR of your thirteenth hilliest loop is your Lunacy Climbing Achievement for the year.

Since the rules state that thirteen qualifying loops must be completed in the calendar year and only one may be counted per day, anyone can join at any point during the year up to (and including) December 19th. It also means that an unavoidable break for illness, injury, childbirth, pressure of work, mojo-loss, freak weather conditions, [insert applicable excuse/reason here] would not bring your challenge to an abrupt finish, unless that happened to be so late in the year that you would not have time to complete the challenge once you started riding again.

The following year, everyone who met their stated target can display the 'Lunacy Climbing Challenge' icon in their signature. Something like this:

566935
Annual Climbing Lunacy 2021 (HR = 24.5), 2022 (HR = 25.1) (If anybody wants to design a better icon, feel free to do so! :okay: )

Those are the guidelines. Stick as closely as you can to them, but this is supposed to be fun so tweak them to suit yourself.

See you in the Chatzone! :hello:
 
Last edited:

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Screenshot_20210106_145838_com.strava.jpg


My first ride of the year. Not an eligible ride yet, but a reasonable HR of 15?

Adapted one of my shorter loops and included several deviations to take in as much climbing as I could in 15 miles.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
20 Feb
Ascent: 1,174m
Distance: 49.0 km
HR: 24.0 m/km

Convoluted ride around the Crystal Palace area
Hills: Hengrave Rd, Dunoon Rd, Tyson Rd, Benson Rd, Westwood Ave (S), Liphook Cres, Canonbie Rd (S), Canonbie Rd (N), Horniman Dr, Westwood Ave (N), Sydenham Rise, Wells Park Rd, Longton Grove, Westwood Hill, Anerley Hill, Fountain Drive, College Rd, Farquar Rd, Gypsy Hill, Belvedere Rd, Auckland Rise, Howden Rd, Grange Rd, Canham Rd, Spa/Beulah Hill, S Norwood Hill, Fox Hill, Crystal Palace Park Rd, Kirkdale, Honor Oak Rd.
 
Last edited:

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
27 Feb
Ascent: 1,221 m
Distance: 47.2 km
HR: 25.9 m/km (ie overall 2.6%)

Convoluted ride around Honor Oak/Crystal Palace/Norwood area
Hills: Forest Hill Rd, Tyson Rd, Ewelme Rd, Westwood Pk (S), Ringmore Rise, Canonbie Rd (S), Canonbie Rd (N), Horniman Drive, Underhill Rd, Westwood Pk (N), Sydenham Rise, Wells Pk Rd, Longton Gro/Westwood Hill, Anerley Rd, Gypsy Hill, Dulwich Wood Ave/Farquhar Rd, Belvedere Rd, Stambourne Way, Auckland Rise, Cypress Rd, Grange Rd, Beauchamp Rise/Wharncliffe Rd(N), S Norwood Hill, Highfield Hill, Howden Rd, Canham Rd/Wharncliffe Rd(S), Spa Hill/Beulah Hill, Fox Hill, Crystal Palace Pk Rd, Kirkdale, Honor Oak Rd, Dunoon Rd.

Previous rides
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km
 
Last edited:

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
03 Mar
Ascent: 1,666 m
Distance: 67.4 km
HR: 24.7 m/km (ie overall 2.5%)

Convoluted out and back ride Catford-S Norwood and back
Hills: (Italic= downhill out, uphill back. plain text = other way round)
Ravensbourne Pk Cres, Blyth Hill La, Montem Rd, Duncombe Hill , Honor Oak Pk, Forest Hill Rd, Underhill Rd , Westwood Pk , Liphook Cres, Ringmore Rise, Canonbie Rd, Canonbie Rd, Dunoon Rd, Tyson Rd, Benson Rd, Ewelme Rd, Sydenham Rise, Kirdale, Wells Pk Rd, Crystal Palace Pk Rd, Belvedere Rd, Fox Hill, Anerley Hill, Farquar Rd, College Rd, Fountain Dr, Gypsy Hill, Stambourne Wy, Mowbray Rd, Sylvan Hill, S Norwood Hill, Canham Rd, Wharncliffe Rd, Grange Hill, Mersham Rd, Livingstone Rd, Moffat Rd, Burlington Rd, Northwood Rd, Spa Hill, Spurgeon Rd, Downsview Rd, Biggin Hill, Norbury Hill, Knight's Hill


Previous rides
27 Feb Ascent 1,221m, DistanceL 47.2 km HR: 25.9 m/km
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km
 
Last edited:
Target HR: 30 m/km
Rides completed: a paltry one

1. HR: 31.7 on 17th March, 1,009m ascent in 31.85km (Askrigg, Oxnop Scar, Crackpot, Fleak Moss, Askrigg)

Starting and finishing at the junction of the roads over Oxnop Scar and Fleak Moss, just above Askrigg in Wensleydale. Over Oxnop and down into Swaledale, and then three small climbs up alternating sides of Swaledale to viist Ivelet, Crackpot and Feetham Pasture, before returning to Wensleydale via Fleak Moss. It's the 'triangular' part of the loop linked above.
 
Last edited:

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
20 Mar
Ascent: 1,076 m
Distance: 39.7 km
HR: 27.1 (ie 2.7% overall)

A visit to Ide Hill
Hills were: Brasted Chart; Toys Hill (part 1); Mapleton Rd; Puddledock La; Toys Hill (part 2); Nameless Crappy Lane past Little Norman Street Farm; Yorks Hill; Ide Hill; Hogtrough Hill.

Previous rides
03 Mar Ascent: 1,666m Distance: 67.4 km HR: 24.7 m/km
27 Feb Ascent 1,221m, DistanceL 47.2 km HR: 25.9 m/km
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km

Total. 203.3 km 5,136 m HR 25.5 (2.5% overall)
 
Last edited:
Target HR: 30 m/km
Rides completed: 2

2. HR: 36.0 m/km on 30th March, 1,031m ascent in 28.6km (Askrigg, Fleak Moss return, Oxnop Scar return)

Second ride also starting and finishing at the junction above Askrigg, but this was an out and back over and down Fleak Moss, then an out and back over and down most of Oxnop Scar (just enough to get the elevation gain to a thousand metres). It's the 'V' at the end of the 40km bit to get there in the link above

Previous rides:
1. HR: 31.7 m/km on 17th March, 1,009m ascent in 31.85km (Askrigg, Oxnop Scar, Crackpot, Fleak Moss, Askrigg)
 
Last edited:

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
02 Apr
Ascent: 1,241 m
Distance: 52.7 km
HR: 23.5 (ie 2.4% overall)

Warlingham and N Downs Ridge
Hills were: Bug Hill, Westhall Road, Salmon's Lane, Waller Lane, Harestone Lane, Whitehill Lane, Tandridge Hill, Titsey Rd/White Lane, Hesiers Hill

Previous rides
20 Mar Ascent: 1,076m Distance: 39.7 km HR: 27.1 (2.7%)
03 Mar Ascent: 1,666m Distance: 67.4 km HR: 24.7 m/km (2.5%)
27 Feb Ascent 1,221m, DistanceL 47.2 km HR: 25.9 m/km (2.6%)
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km (2.4%)

Total. 5 rides, 256km 6,377m 2.5%
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
10 Apr
Ascent: 1,253 m
Distance: 53.5 km
HR: 23.4 (ie 2.3% overall)

Warlingham and N Downs Ridge same loop as 2 Apr but clockwise this time
Hills were: Beddlestead Lane, Chalkpit Lane, Flower Lane, Tupwood Lane, Hilltop Lane, Church Hill, Burtwood Lane, Succombs Hill, Hilbury Rd, Slines Oak Rd.

Previous rides
02 Apr Ascent: 1,241 m Distance: 52.7 km HR: 23.5 (2.4%)
20 Mar Ascent: 1,076m Distance: 39.7 km HR: 27.1 (2.7%)
03 Mar Ascent: 1,666m Distance: 67.4 km HR: 24.7 m/km (2.5%)
27 Feb Ascent 1,221m, DistanceL 47.2 km HR: 25.9 m/km (2.6%)
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km (2.4%)

Total. 6 rides, 309.5km 7,630m 2.5%
 
Target HR: 30 m/km
Rides completed: 3

3. HR: 27.6 m/km on 14th April, 1,020m ascent in 36.9m (Settle, Langcliffe Scar, Malham Cove Rd. Settle)
A loop starting in Settle town square, heading up Langcliffe Scar and round to descend one route into Malham and then ascend the Cove Road, before rolling back down to Malham and over to Settle via a third ascent of the 'massif' to the east of Settle, with a steep up and back climb at the end to make up the thousand metres.

Previous rides:
2. HR: 36.0 m/km on 30th March, 1,031m ascent in 28.6km (Askrigg, Fleak Moss return, Oxnop Scar return)
1. HR: 31.7 m/km on 17th March, 1,009m ascent in 31.85km (Askrigg, Oxnop Scar, Crackpot, Fleak Moss, Askrigg)
3. HR: 27.6 m/km on 14th April, 1,020m ascent in 36.9m (Settle, Langcliffe Scar, Malham Cove Rd. Settle)
 
Last edited:
Target HR: 30 m/km
Rides completed: 4

4. HR: 39.0 m/km on 19th April, 1,000m ascent in 25.6m (Kirkstone Pass: up and down all three routes to the top)
Starting a little above Troutbeck, up to the Kirkstone Inn, then left down The Struggle to Ambleside and straight back up it. Then left to drop down the north side of the pass towards Ullswater, turning round as it starts to level out and then back up to the pass and down the other side to return to Troutbeck.

All rides in HR order:
4. HR: 39.0 m/km on 19th April, 1,000m ascent in 25.6m (Kirkstone Pass: up and down all three routes to the top)
2. HR: 36.0 m/km on 30th March, 1,031m ascent in 28.6km (Askrigg, Fleak Moss return, Oxnop Scar return)
1. HR: 31.7 m/km on 17th March, 1,009m ascent in 31.85km (Askrigg, Oxnop Scar, Crackpot, Fleak Moss, Askrigg)
3. HR: 27.6 m/km on 14th April, 1,020m ascent in 36.9m (Settle, Langcliffe Scar, Malham Cove Rd. Settle)
 
Total 5 rides. 5,080m ascent in 158.55km, giving overall HR of 32 m/km, or 3.2%.

5. HR: 28.5 m/km on 22nd April, 1,020m ascent in 35.6m (Buttertubs from Simonstone, up to Tan Hill, and back)
This is the middle section of the Strava recording linked above. Buttertubs Pass produces a fair bit of the elevation density, but it's a fair climb up to Tan Hill Inn from Thwaite too. It feels like largely uphill on the return too, due to the north side of Buttertubs being rather harder than the south side and containing a gratuitous, fifty vertical metre deep dip with a steep exit. Still sub 30 m/km.

All rides in HR order:
4. HR: 39.0 m/km on 19th April, 1,000m ascent in 25.6m (Kirkstone Pass: up and down all three routes to the top)
2. HR: 36.0 m/km on 30th March, 1,031m ascent in 28.6km (Askrigg, Fleak Moss return, Oxnop Scar return)
1. HR: 31.7 m/km on 17th March, 1,009m ascent in 31.85km (Askrigg, Oxnop Scar, Crackpot, Fleak Moss, Askrigg)
5. HR: 28.5 m/km on 22nd April, 1,020m ascent in 35.6m (Buttertubs from Simonstone, up to Tan Hill, and back)
3. HR: 27.6 m/km on 14th April, 1,020m ascent in 36.9m (Settle, Langcliffe Scar, Malham Cove Rd. Settle)
 
Last edited:

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
1 May
Ascent: 1,484 m
Distance: 56.3 km
HR: 26.4 m/km (ie 2.6% overall)

Loops around Magpie Bottom and and out and back to Vigo
Knatt's Lane, Clarke's Green Rd, Fackenden Lane, Magpie Bottom, Old Terry's Lodge Rd, Vigo Hill, Exedown Rd, Cotman's Ash La, Tinkerpot Lane, Hills Lane, Magpie Bottom (the other way), Rowdow Lane

Previous rides
10 Apr Ascent: 1,253 m Distance: 53.5 km HR: 23.4 m/km (2.3%)
02 Apr Ascent: 1,241 m Distance: 52.7 km HR: 23.5 m/km (2.4%)
20 Mar Ascent: 1,076 m Distance: 39.7 km HR: 27.1 m/km (2.7%)
03 Mar Ascent: 1,666 m Distance: 67.4 km HR: 24.7 m/km (2.5%)
27 Feb Ascent: 1,221 m, Distance: 47.2 km HR: 25.9 m/km (2.6%)
20 Feb Ascent: 1,174 m Distance: 49.0 km HR: 24.0 m/km (2.4%)

Total. 7 rides, 365.9km 9,114m 2.5%
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom