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Going Up and Down in the UK
Day 11: Hard climb to the Lake District

Date Starting Place Ending Place Author Last Update

04-25-11 Kendal,
Cumbria, England
Windermere,
Cumbria, England
ray 07-31-11 16:00:35

 
On a bike tour, I tend to get into a routine. However, when staying with hosts or in a hotel, I still have to wait for when it is breakfast time. In the hotel, this wasn't until 8:30. I did a number of tasks while I waited like repacking my bags and cutting out unneeded map pages.

At breakfast, I ate as much as I could (oatmeal, 2 eggs, several pieces of toast, coffee), packed up and left. I was on the road about 9:45. I got this photo of glass-smooth River Kent.



Since the spoke I'd replaced yesterday was the only one I had for the non-drive side of the rear wheel, I wanted to get more spares. I stopped at Evans Cycles, a bike store I'd passed the day before. There were several young guys working there and while one carried my bike upstairs to the shop to size the spokes, I talked with the others about today's route, the Kirkstone Pass (tomorrow's climb), bike mirrors (they didn't stock any that attached to a helmet!) and bike touring in general. After about 10 minutes, the bike and 2 new spare spokes arrived downstairs. When I tried to pay for the spokes, I was told there was no charge. I thanked them profusely and rode off.

Kendal is an attractive town with lots of shops and shopping areas. This one is off the main road.



After the bike shop, I hit a Subway, a grocery store, and was on the road by around 10.

My destination for today was the Lake District. I wasn't sure where I'd spend the night but figured it would be somewhere near Lake Windermere. The main road there is the A591, which heads for the northern part of the lake. There is also a "B" road to the middle of the lake and an unrated road/lane to the southern lake shore.

As I don't like "A" roads and only use "B" roads if I have to, I chose the unrated road that heads east and then southeast. I was directed to the correct intersection by the guys at the bike shop. I was surprised when I turned and realized that the road out of Kendal was very steep. I was grinding up in my lowest gear after just a few hundred yards. It was a long, hard climb through Kendal's residential area and I had to stop and rest several times.

The grade didn't let up after I left Kendal's outskirts, but the views got more interesting. Here is a typical road view. Note that once again it was a sunny, cloud-free day!



After a mile of hard work, I crossed the A591. This view, from the bridge, of green fields cut by dry-laid walls caught my eye.



Once I got past the main road, I was riding through trees



and then along side green fields with expansive views.



Here is another vista photo.



As you can see, I was riding through a hilly area and it seemed like I was always going up.

This photo shows some rock outcroppings, which was unusual in England.



There were only a couple villages and very few structures. This view of trees, hills, and the odd farmhouse was typical.



Of course, there was also sheep.



It seemed like I was cycling back in time as some of the scene seemed unchanged from medieval times.



At the village of Crosthwaite, I stopped to rest at the bridge over the River Gilpin.



It was much harder riding then I planned on, I was tired and and my legs were getting weary. After talking with a local, I realized that I wasn't close to the top yet, either.

I crossed the A5074, about 6 miles from Kendal, after an hour and a half of tough uphill and I still wasn't at the top. Where could it be?

Even though I was only a few miles from Lake Windermere, one of the more popular tourist destinations in England, it seemed like I was riding through more and more remote lands.



This view of filtered sunlight through trees was stunning and, in addition to stopping to get a photo, I rested here awhile and tried to soak up the ethereal setting.



Still, the road went up.



Judging by the distance I'd ridden and map, I figured I had to be near the top as I getting pretty close to the Lake Windermere. I passed an oncoming cyclist and when I asked how far it was to the top yelled back that I was at the top!
The pass was unmarked and the road dropped steeply right after it.

Once on the other side, I saw Lake Windermere and it's surrounding valley. It was a pretty view that required several photos and an extended rest period that included an ice cream cone from the truck parked there.



This shot looks north "up" the lake.



This view looks south toward the River Leven.



The varied colors and textures of the trees on the opposite slope were stunning.



The road down was very steep and surprisingly short, given how much uphill I thought I'd ridden. When I got to the bottom, the idea of riding a short, hard climb for 10 miles of downhill stuck me as a pretty good trade-off, assuming you didn't have to ride all the way back!

In order to get around the bottom of Lake Windermere, I had to spend an unpleasant mile on the main (A592) road with fast lines of cars and no shoulders. After a short jaunt on the A590, I rode over the Newby Bridge, past the posh Swan Hotel and Span turned off in a narrow lane on the westside of the lake. Here is the view from the bridge.



The road I was now on went up the west side of Lake Windermere and had very little traffic. I didn't get many lake views as it was up and down through forest.



I came upon the Stott Park Bobbin Mill and after looking around decided to keep riding instead of waiting to take a tour.



There was very little development around the lake and I suspected that much of the land is owned by the descendents of important, rich people who could afford not to sell off the land. Here is a view over the fields on one lakeside estate.



I really like the topiary on this estate.



My legs felt dead as the road went up and away from the lake. This view looks north toward the hills I'd tackle tomorrow.



I was determined to do the loop I'd planned, which continued around Esthwaite Water to the west of Lake Windermere before taking the ferry across. I considered cutting it short at an intersection south of Esthwaite Water but decided to continue the long way around.

This photo, taken just past this intersection, shows a stream I followed that emptied into the Water.



Esthwaite Water is much smaller than Lake Windermere, the largest natural lake in England. It seemed just the right size to provide pretty views of both the lake and the surrounding terrain.

I rode almost entirely around this lake, taking photos the entire way. This view is looking north from the bottom of the lake.



This photo is looking east across the top of the lake.



This shot is looking southwest back across the way I'd come.



I was concerned that I'd have to climb over the hills that lined the lake. But, the route wound its way through a valley, where I saw this rocky creek.



I rode past the cute village of Near Sawrey and then stopped at waited for the ferry along with the a long line of cars and day trippers. The ferry ride takes just a few minutes. Bikes go on last and I had this view from the very back of the deck.



Bowness, the town on the other side of the lake, was full of tourists on Easter Monday (a national holiday in the UK).



I rode around Bowness and decided it was time to stop riding for the day. I asked the TI to find me a room (£4 charge) nearby but all they located was one in Windermere.

It was just before 4pm and I was told it would take an hour to get my B&B room ready, so I checked out area near the TI. In front of it, three owls were on perches. The woman handling them told me that she represented an organization that took in owls that had been raised in captivity. They charged a fee to let people handle them wearing thick leather gloves.

The one that caught my eye was a huge Great Horned Owl.



It seemed to move its head a lot and I couldn't get a good photo of its full face. The bird's talons were huge and would have easily fit around my wrist. I declined to handle it but did leave a donation. I spent about 15 minutes watching the birds and the people's reactions to them. It was quite a treat to see such elusive birds up close!

Windermere, the village where my B&B was located, and Bowness are really just one town. I rode up the incline the couple of miles to my B&B, which was just off Windermere's main street.

After arrival, I showered, shaved, and washed my clothes, including the wool jersey that has become the only one I wear these days. Windermere is a good sized village with lots of restaurants, shops, and pubs. Here is at downtown Windermere.



I walked into town and drank a pint of good apple cider while I wrote a trip report sitting at an outdoor table in front of a Windermere pub.

By the time I finished it was getting cold, so I hit a nearby Chinese restaurant, got them to make me a plate of broccoli and tofu in a tasty warmish sauce. I returned to my room, finished updating my journal, and went to bed wondering how hard the ride over Kirkstone Pass would be given how hard it was just to get to start of the climb.



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