DAY 12: HEADING SOUTH

Climbs completed up to No. 94 York's Hill. Very tired - body and mind not really working very well!

85. Jackson Bridge, Jackson Bridge

86. Holme Moss, Holmfirth

87. Pea Royd Lane, Stocksbridge

88. Michaelgate, Lincoln

89. Terrace Hill, Vale Of Belvoir

90. Swains Lane, Highgate

91. Mott Street, High Beach

92. White Lane, Limpsfield

93. Toys Hill, Edenbridge

94. York's Hill, Sevenoaks

The previous evening I dropped Ian off at Bradford Station (thanks Ian - fantastic support as ever),  climbed Shibden Wall and Halifax Lane then drove to Huddersfield Station to pick up new 'wing man', Declan Waters.

Early start again saw us complete the first 3 climbs of Jackson Bridge, Holme Moss and Pea Royd Lane. They're all steeped in hill climbing history having hosted the National Hill Climb Championship at some point. Despite the relentless schedule of 100 Climbs In 13 Days, I've always tried to take in as much detail from the climbs - especially the ones I'd not ridden before like these three.

Had a short off course moment on Pea Royd Lane - purely due to inattention and mental fatigue - but thankfully not like the time wasting error on The Shelf back on Day 4.

With 16 climbs left at the beginning of the day (and most of them relatively short) I began to feel I was edging towards the home straight and even my legs felt better than the day before (although that's not saying a lot!). One thing I'd learned over the previous 2 legs and 11 days however, is how quickly things can change both mentally and physically. On the way to  Lincoln for No. 88 Michaelgate, I began to feel quite light headed and uneasy - it passed but the sensations returned a few times over the day. Deep fatigue throws you curve balls sometimes. This was also the first day I didn't do any of the driving between climbs - I just let Dec get on with it and kept my legs elevated.

Terrace Hill is graded 1/10 in the book and technically the 'easiest' hill of the 100 but I would beg to differ with Simon here: I think it presents more of a challenge than say, Box Hill or Mott Street. We also found it quite tough to find!

After a battle though North London traffic for Swains Lane and Mott Street we headed round the M25 and completed the last 3 of the day including the classic double header of the Catford CC and Bec CC hill climbs, York's Hill and White Lane respectively.

A 9pm finish (early!) and only 6 to go!

Jackson Bridge

Holme Moss

DAY 11: STILL IN YORKSHIRE...

Another successful day, including the dreaded Rosedale Chimney. Finished on Halifax Lane - No. 84!

76. The Stang, Langthwaite

77. Carlton Bank, Carlton-In-Cleveland

78. Rosedale Chimney, Rosedale Abbey

79. White Horse Bank, Kilburn

80. Boltby Bank, Boltby

81. Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge

82. Norwood Edge, Otley

83. Shibden Wall, Halifax

84. Halifax Lane, Luddenden

After staying in Darlington overnight, another 6.30am start saw us heading back south west to The Stang before looping east to Carlton Bank. Over the previous 24 hours we'd endured some dreadful weather but listening to the news we got the feeling it could have been even worse - we seemed to be on the edge of it a lot of the time. Dry weather was what I was crossing everything for as we drove to No.78.

The first 50 climbs had seen me tackle (through luck and logistics) a harder, tougher set of climbs on paper than the ones I was attempting in the second 50. Simon's 'difficulty' grading also backed this up. The number of 9/10, 10/10 and 11/10 (!) climbs in my first 50 significantly outweighed those in this second 50. One '10' remained however and that was the fearsome Rosedale Chimney with it's 30% middle section. There are quite a few climbs in the 100 that have 30 or even 40% sections in them but they're mercifully brief and usually restricted to the inside line of a few, particularly savage, hairpins. Rosedale Chimney opens out in front of you at 30% and then keeps on going until a relatively sedate 1 in 6...

Another reason for my trepidation was the memories of the 1987 National Hill Climb Championship on the 'Chimney'. I'd had a good build up to that year's title race - I'd won a few events and even got 'seeded' in the championship start list (the organisers give you a number that ends in zero so you're spaced apart from the other seeds). In reality I was never going to challenge the top 10 but I enjoyed the kudos of being allocated the number.

Come the morning of the race I had lowered my sights considerably due to a chest infection over the previous week but was hoping to at least ride without ending in the arms of the St. Johns as I'd done two years previously! There was a complication for most of the early starters (riders are timed at one minute intervals) in that there had been a heavy dew that morning which was proving disastrous for riders trying to put power into the back wheel without it slipping on the 1 in 3 section. If this happens, at best you lose valuable momentum and rhythm and at worst, you hit the deck.

I have a vivid memory of being called to the start line and as I moved into position, the spectators in the distance (3-4 deep all the way up most of the hill) erupted into an 'ooohhhh!' followed by the commentator booming out the tannoy: "and that's another one down!" 

It's difficult to block that out when you're getting the 10 second countdown...especially when it seemed to be happening to every other rider! In the end, I made it - no dramas but probably the most technically focused 8 minutes I've ever spent on a bike - and finished mid table.

Soooo...having conquered 77 climbs without being forced to 'put the foot down', I was always aware that Rosedale had the potential be the one to spoil my day, hence why I was hoping for dry conditions. Well, it actually had been raining but the raging headwind which was blowing DOWN the hill was creating dry patches - enough to find a line at least. Which I did. It was quite a grovel: it wasn't pretty and it certainly wasn't quick but I make that Steve 2, Chimney 0.

I was the closest I'd come to being elated since 'high fiving' Helen at the top of Bealach-Na-Ba on Day5 (see video below - yes, that's me being happy) but there were two nasty shocks coming my way in the form of Boltby Bank and Shibden Wall.

Boltby Bank was just a pig of climb. It started steep and just got steeper. I think Mr. Warren was on a very good day when he gave that an unassuming 7/10. I'm not alone in thinking that either as Mark Oliver seems to have felt the same!

Shibden Wall is 910 metres largely made up of cobbles with HUGE gaps between them in places and most of it at 25% - meaning you have to stay in the saddle practically the whole way. Doesn't sound good, does it. It wasn't! 

The Stang

The Stang

Rosedale Chimney

Rosedale Chimney

White Horse Bank

Shibden Wall

DAY 10: YORKSHIRE & THE NORTH WEST

13 climbs down, finishing on Tan Hill at 9.55pm after battling a howling gale for 50 mins!

25 climbs in 2 days - still on schedule!

63. The Rake, Ramsbottom

64. Nick O'Pendle, Sabden

65. Jubilee Tower, Quernmore

66. Trough Of Bowland, Forest Of Bowland

67. Cross Of Greet, Slaidburn

68. Langliffe Scar, Langliffe

69. Malham Cove, Malham

70. Park Rash, Kettlewell

71. Fleet Moss, Hawes

72. Buttertubs Pass, Swaledale

73. Oxnop Scar, Askrigg

74. Lamps Moss, Nateby

75. Tan Hill, Langthwaite

Update: Big day. Needing to keep the momentum going, 12 was the minimum target with 14 being an ambitious maximum, so 13 was a happy completed medium - especially with the long, grinding Tan Hill out of the way.

It was an early start with two climbs I'd ridden in previous National Hill Climb Championships so there were no surprises in store apart from the start of the rain which we'd been expecting the day before. Tired body and stiff legs meant it took a while to get going and it wasn't until Cross Of Greet that I felt I had any reasonable power in the legs. Not long after the start I spotted another rider up the road by about 3-400 meters and decided to try and reel them in or at least try and close the gap - more for the mental refresh than any great competitive streak re-emerging. I didn't quite make it but enjoyed the change of rhythm and didn't seem too affected after the finish.

That was a mistake.

Langliffe Scar and Malham Cove were damp and heavy legged and by the time we reached the village of Kettlewell I knew the 9/10 graded Park Rash was going to be a struggle. This was compounded by some confusion over the exact starting point and I had to ride an extra kilometre or two before I was absolutely certain we were at the right spot. Now that extra distance is no big deal but the uncertainty (albeit temporary) became a recurrent, stressful theme throughout many of the days and my already shaky morale was dented before I'd even started. Whatever Steve, 'just MTFU and get on with it' I could hear more than a few of my riders saying...

Anyway, Park Rash felt like a '15 rounder', the last 13 mins being a 3-way battle between me, the hill and the bike. I adopted the same 'count every pedal stroke' pace that had got me up Bwlch-Y-Groes in Wales, Porlock in Somerset and Bealach-Na-Ba in Scotland but this time the limiting factor was every muscle in my body had gone on strike - except for my heart which was happily cruising at 140-147 bpm, 30 below my maximum, such was the fatigue.

I slumped in the car and - other than the obvious forced stop on Day 4 - probably hit the lowest point of the challenge, seriously doubting my ability to get past the day anywhere near on schedule.

We decided to take a break and empty the contents of the cool box into my stomach. This, along with some self massage on elevated legs seemed to help physically and mentally and 45 mins later we set off again.

Reaching Hawes for the start of Fleet Moss, the heavens opened. After waiting 10 mins and seeing the nearby river flowing wildly, I decided to crack on. At which point, it got worse.

Fleet Moss is the highest road in Yorkshire and over the next 29 mins I battled through torrential rain, thunder and lightning, low cloud visibility (!) and 5345 metres of climbing. It was almost comic at one point - just me with Ian in the support car grinding our way through the elements. Not only that but with all the rushing water coming down the road it was a also miracle I didn't puncture!

Despite all that, I felt re-invigorated (that'll be the lightning, then) and we headed over to Buttertubs Pass. Buttertubs is a particularly exposed climb and with a driving side and head wind was technically as well physically hard. This was to be repeated across the remainder of the evening which finished on the aforementioned Tan Hill at the Tan Hill Inn - the highest pub in UK.

They had, however, stopped serving food for the night...

Buttertubs Pass

Buttertubs Pass

Malham Cove

Malham Cove

Malham Cove

Fleet Moss

Park Rash

Park Rash

Park Rash

Trough Of Bowland

Nick O'Pendle

Nick O'Pendle

Lamps Moss

Langliffe Scar

Fleet Moss

Fleet Moss

Oxnop Scar

DAY 9: COTSWOLDS, MIDLANDS & DERBYSHIRE

All scheduled 12 climbs completed, finishing with Winnats Pass at 9pm. Tired (!) but happy to be on schedule!!

51. Whiteleaf, Princes Risborough

52. Dover's Hill, Chipping Campden

53. The Burway, Church Stretton

54. Jiggers Bank, Ironbridge

55. Mow Cop, Mow Cop

56. Swiss Hill, Alderley Edge

57. Cat And Fiddle, Macclesfield

58. Rowsley Bar, Rowsley

59. Curbar Edge, Curbar

60. Monsal Head, Bakewell

61. Peaslows, Chapel-En-Le-Frith

62. Winnats Pass, Castleton

Update: This first day of the final leg involved Ian Andrew and I driving 1 and 2 hour stints during the morning as we headed up round the Chilterns, on through the Cotswolds and into the Midlands.

Didn't feel too special throughout the day's first 3 climbs for some reason - the stress of knowing we absolutely had to stay on schedule probably played a part in that.

The ambitious target of 25/26 climbs in the first 2 days was the cornerstone of this final leg with so much depending on the 'easier' logistics and relative close proximity of the climbs once we got into Derbyshire. This was make or break really - I always thought it would work, but couldn't be sure until we really got into them.

I quite enjoyed revisiting The Burway for first time since the 1989 National Hill Climb Championship - it seemed a much more pleasant place to be compared to the wind ravaged and noisy late October morning I remember 23 years ago.

Swiss Hill was technically very difficult - a narrow, poorly kept cobbled road tucked away in an affluent residential area of Alderley Edge. There were a lot of damp, muddy patches and picking a line out was tricky - even more so at the halfway point when a Range Rover (obviously) came down the hill leaving 2cm between my knuckles and the wall as I struggled to maintain traction!

Cat And Fiddle was long and draining but thankfully without the occasional sudden 20% inclines that I'd become used to on the equivalent type of climb in Scotland and Wales.

I had harboured thoughts of giving the very short Monsal Head the 'full gas' but by now the length of the day was catching up on me and the legs just didn't want to know.

As mentioned previously, we finished at 9pm having crawled up the stunning Winnats Pass, legs almost shutting down. Simon Warren tweeted me earlier in the day to say 'you never forget your first time up Winnats' and he was right - beautiful and brutal in equal measure.

Winnats Pass

Cat And Fiddle

Mow Cop

Mow Cop

Winnats Pass

                                           

  

Winnats Pass

50 CLIMBS IN 5 DAYS: THE SCHEDULE

This is the plan of attack - it's been remixed and refined many times and this is the most efficient (and probably only) way of competing the requisite 50 in the remaining 5 days.

Weather forecast is once again less than ideal but we'll just take it as it comes...updates on Twitter as we go...@stevebenton1800

DAY 9: WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE

51. Whiteleaf, Princes Risborough
52. Dover's Hill, Chipping Campden
53. The Burway, Church Stretton
54. Jiggers Bank, Ironbridge
55. Mow Cop, Mow Cop
56. Swiss Hill, Alderley Edge
57. Cat And Fiddle, Macclesfield
58. Rowsley Bar, Rowsley
59. Curbar Edge, Curbar
60. Monsal Head, Bakewell
61. Peaslows, Chapel-En-Le-Frith
62. Winnats Pass, Castleton

DAY 10: THURSDAY 28TH JUNE

63. The Rake, Ramsbottom
64. Nick O'Pendle, Sabden
65. Jubilee Tower, Quernmore
66. Trough Of Bowland, Forest Of Bowland
67. Cross Of Greet, Slaidburn
68. Langliffe Scar, Langliffe
69. Malham Cove, Malham
70. Park Rash, Kettlewell
71. Fleet Moss, Hawes
72. Buttertubs Pass, Swaledale
73. Oxnop Scar, Askrigg
74. Lamps Moss, Nateby
75. Tan Hill, Langthwaite
76. The Stang, Langthwaite

DAY 11: FRIDAY 29TH JUNE
77. Carlton Bank, Carlton-In-Cleveland
78. Rosedale Chimney, Rosedale Abbey
79. White Horse Bank, Kilburn
80. Boltby Bank, Boltby
81. Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge
82. Norwood Edge, Otley
83. Shibden Wall, Halifax
84. Halifax Lane, Luddenden

DAY 12: SATURDAY 30TH JUNE & DAY 13: SUNDAY 1ST JULY

85. Jackson Bridge, Jackson Bridge
86. Holme Moss, Holmfirth
87. Pea Royd Lane, Stocksbridge
88. Michaelgate, Lincoln
89. Terrace Hill, Vale Of Belvoir
90. Swains Lane, Highgate
91. Mott Street, High Beach
92. White Lane, Limpsfield
93. Toys Hill, Edenbridge
94. York's Hill, Sevenoaks
95. The Wall, Forest Row
96. Ditchling Beacon, Ditchling
97. Steyning Bostal, Steyning
98. Leith Hill, Dorking
99. White Downs, Dorking
100. Box Hill, Dorking

FINAL PHASE!

Well, last week's forecast of flooding and gales did in fact materialise so I felt vindicated in my decision to postpone even though it was clear to me that (in the nicest possible way) not everyone understood what the problem was. Put simply, riding up very steep inclines in severe weather, rear wheel slipping on wet roads and falling off occasionally is bearable when it happens a few times but taking on 35 in 3 days would render the challenge into farce as opposed to any heroic man vs elements scenario etc.

None of which became relevant when I went down with fairly severe and relentless gastric flu on Friday - the same day I had been scheduled to start Leg 3. Seven days later I just about feel back to normal. The thought of being stranded (in that condition) on the side of the road, in a windswept Yorkshire Dales is not a pretty one...

However I am now the lightest I've been since 1987. Bonus! Well, no actually. As preparation for 100 Climbs I'd significantly reduced my 'maintenance' weight training since March and subsequently lost 4 kilos. Having now (reluctantly) reduced that further, I'm in danger of no longer being able to use the "I'm actually a sprinter not a climber" tag. It's upsetting, frankly.

Anyway, I've pored over what has felt like a 100 different potential routes to conquer the final 50 and have decided on what seems like the only one that gives me any chance of completing them in the remaining 5 days - either in one 'hit' or 1 x 3 and 1 x 2 day stints.

We start next Wednesday (27th) and a big thank you is due to Ian Andrew of Dot Com Agency for stepping in to the Support Crew seat for the first two and half days before handing over to me old mate, Declan Waters. Ian has been a generous supporter of 100 Climbs since the beginning but I'm not sure he knows what he's let himself in for!

I would also like to thank BikeLux, MotorLux and Scott Sports for their patient and continuing support of the challenge. The Mazda 6 Estate and Scott Foil have been truly outstanding so far.

Those of you who've followed the challenge on Facebook will know how much Helen Carpenter-Waters of UKFA has helped me get through to this point: coping with things she hates - driving, heights, bridges, a lack of 5 star accommodation and good coffee shops. Did I mention driving??! Seriously though Helen, you've been fantastic so far, thank you.

I'll post up the hill itinerary soon - please keep spreading the word and pointing as many people as you can to the Just Giving page. Thank you!

Steve

OWING TO THE WIND AND RAIN...

Today, I had intended to post the details of Leg 3.

Starting tomorrow, we would have been aiming to complete an ambitious 35 climbs in 3 days - targeting the remaining North East climbs and moving south into Yorkshire and the Midlands. The route options, support 'crew' and accommodation having all been (finally) agreed on.

That was until this morning's weather forecast highlighted the strong likelihood of gusting winds, heavy rain and flooding in the very (exposed) areas we were heading to. Being wet, cold etc. is something you just have to deal with but 25-30% inclines in severe weather mean only one thing on a bike: wheelslip or wheelspin and ultimately having to put your foot down and the hill then 'beating' you. The proposed 35 climbs are hard enough without battling elements over which I have no control of.

I've also had some wonderfully generous donations to the fuel & accommodation 'fund' and I wouldn't want that to be wasted if we had to turn round and return home having been blown off the side of a mountain in the Yorksire Dales!

So, for once, I'm being 'sensible' (!) and hope to start Leg 3 on Friday 22nd June.

Keep you posted.

DAY 8: 50 DONE!!!

Day 8: Tuesday 5th June

Ok, fourth day into this second Leg and I was absolutely stuck to the road - more than any other time previously. Often I've struggled on the first climb of the day (Challacombe, Rhigos, Whinlatter) but got my legs working after that. Not this time. It was a grovel from start to finish - not helped by bouts of nausea and headache - but had no option but to just get on with it.

Despite feeling less than special however, I never had any really difficult, doubting moments - even on the 9 out of 10 difficulty Chapel Fell (into a headwind). The whole day was just one paced and slow. Very slow!

Having completed No.48, Peth Bank, we needed to start heading back to Hampshire - to avoid yet another midnight finish - but with the '50' mark so close I decided to pinch a couple of short ones from the 3rd Leg schedule. Matlock wasn't too much of a diversion and broke up the 6 hour trip, therefore Riber and Bank Road became Nos. 49 & 50.

I hadn't ridden Riber since the 1987 National Hill Climb Championship so I had hoped to drop the pacing strategy and give it the 'full beans'. Well it was never going to happen with those legs...even less so when, as we descended into Matlock, the rain came down. Rain and moisture on the road surface is the hill climber's worst nightmare when the gradient goes up at 20% or more.

So something else to concentrate on and I had to stay balanced on the bike (leaning not too far forward to keep weight over the rear wheel for traction purposes) and pick my line on the road. There were a few nervy moments but in the end the job got done and the '50' was reached. It felt good. It's not been a straightforward route to get to this point so - as Helen pointed out - it was important to acknowledge that and savour it.

50 left and 5 days to do them in. Probably across two legs as I'm dependent on my fantastic voluntary support crew - but likely to be very soon. 50 in 5 may seem an unachievable average but I have now covered all the most difficult logistical areas and also the majority of the most difficult (and long) climbs.

It won't be easy but it's still on!

 Summit of Hartside (awesome 'caf' as well!)

 St. Johns Chapel near Chapel Fell (nice of them, eh?)

 Chapel Fell (headwind...all..the...bloody...way!)

 Top of Chapel Fell

 Winters Gibbet

Top of Winters Gibbet (I was swingin' all right...)

Vids to follow...

DAY 7: LAKE DISTRICT 'HELL'

The Lake District over a Bank Holiday weekend - logistically it was a battle that, in hindsight, we were never going to win...still, 7 climbs down including the twin monsters of Hardknott and Wrynose.

In the book '100 Greatest Cycling Climbs', Simon Warren states that if you can ride Hardknott, you "can ride anything"...so maybe I will give myself a self-congratulatory pat on the back - as much for coping with the cumulative fatigue as Hardknott itself. Maybe one day I'll tackle it 'fresh' but being able to ride at a much higher intensity brings a whole set of other problems!

I'd like to say a big 'thank you' to all the shouts of support from drivers, passengers and walkers as I ground my way up Hardknott - far and above anything I'd experienced on any other hill!

 Newlands Hause

 Wrynose Pass

Wrynose Pass

 Hardknott Pass

 Hardknott Pass

 Kirkstone Pass

Garsdale Head
 

DAYS 5 & 6: SCOTLAND

Day 5: Saturday 2nd June

Flight delays for my 'Directeur Sportif' (Helen), followed by serious traffic congestion leading to the Highlands, made for a difficult day. The sheer distance to cover meant that although only 3-4 climbs were planned, we only completed 2. It did, however, include the epic and 'holy grail' of climbs in the UK, the Bealach-Na-Ba. Finishing it as the sun set on the north west of Scotland, it was a moment to savour.

I was particularly pleased with my ride on this monster and not just because it's the only one ranked 11/10 (!) in the book. After a slightly nervous and tentative ascent of the Rest And Be Thankful (it was, after all, my first 'big climb' after the episode at the top of the Horseshoe Pass), I really 'zoned out' - feeling in control, pushing hard yet respecting the climb and it's status. Given that I'm normally adopting a conservative pacing approach or battling cumulative fatigue, it was a nice change!

 
Note: GPS signal didn't pick up until about 1km into Rest And Be Thankful.

Bealach-Na-Ba

Day 6: Sunday 3rd June

A tough day with nearly 7 hours of driving. Pretty hard on the bike too! The Cairnwell was especially hard: lowering blood sugar levels and a stiff headwind made for one of the toughest tests yet. I hadn't even got to the halfway mark when I was seriously doubting if I'd have to stop and pull over. Another case of counting every single damn pedal stroke...

Top of Cairngorm

The Lecht
(like most of the pics, this doesn't give you a true indication of the gradient - this is actually
the same climb as the pic on the far right of this Blog's header!)

Just cresting the top of The Cairnwell

Note: GPS issues again on The Mennock Pass.

RE-START & RE-SCHEDULE!

After another ECG (normal), no repeat symptoms, solid training sessions and various discussions with professional friends and colleagues (including a recommendation from a Senior Cardiologist), the consensus is that there's no strong reason why I shouldn't restart. There's a good chance that the episode was a 'one off' and the fact that I had no other symptoms at the time or since, is key.

So the plan is to restart tomorrow (Saturday) but as we're now going to aim for 2 x 4/5 days (still 13 in total), I've decided to start 'Day 5' in Scotland and get the difficult logistics out the way, especially while I've got support with me.

Here's how the new schedule pans out:-

DAY 5 (starting at around midday)

No.30  Rest And Be Thankful

No.31  Bealach-Na-Ba

No.32  Cairngorm

DAY 6

No.33  The Lecht

No.34  Cairn O’Mount

No.35  The Cairnwell

No.36  Mennock Pass

No.37  Hartside

No.38  Whinlatter Pass

No.39. Honister Pass

No.40  Newlands Hause

DAY 7

No.41  Wrynose Pass

No.42  Hardknott Pass

No.43  Kirkstone Pass

No.44  Garsdale Head

No.45  Fleet Moss

No.46  Buttertubs Pass

No.47  Oxnop Scar

No.48  Tan Hill

No.49  The Stang

No.50  Chapel Fell

DAY 8

No.51  Crawleyside

No.52  Winters Gibbet

No.53  Peth Bank

No.54  Carlton Bank

No.55  Rosedale Chimney

No.56  Boltby Bank

That will then leave 44 predominantly short to medium climbs to complete in 4-5 days in what will be Part 3.

Hoping the Bank Holiday traffic doesn't cause us too many problems!