100 Climbs Route: Day 15, Watermillock to Penrith

In August 2018, three Cycling UK members - Dominic Millar, Graham Salisbury and James Findlater – cycled a 3,300-mile, 29-day route around Britain to take on all 100 hills featured in Simon Warren’s book ‘100 Greatest Cycling Climbs’. This route plots day 15 of the journey, 109 miles from Watermillock to Penrith, taking in the climbs of Kirkstone Pass, Wrynose Pass, Hardknott Pass, Honister Pass, Newlands Hause and Whinlatter Pass.

If you’ve ridden every day of this tour, you should be getting pretty good at climbing hills by now. Which is good, because this is almost certainly the most challenging day on the whole 29-day route. Equally, if you want to undertake just a single incredible day of sights, sensations and slopes, this is the nearest we get to doing a one-day loop, so it’s both practically and aesthetically the ultimate day of climbing among some of the most epic scenery in the UK.

Set off from Watermillock, heading south-west along the banks of Ullswater and then south for your first challenge: Kirkstone Pass. Although not easy, this is a nice warm-up for what’s to come, with a good surface and gentle lower slopes before things get trickier near the top.

After riding to the north of Ambleside, there are two classic climbs in short order. The first, Wrynose Pass is difficult enough, with 20% and 25% slopes hounding you to the summit. But it’s not the toughest thing you’ll ride today. That comes next. 

Hardknott Pass is possibly the hardest road in Great Britain, with the lower 25% hairpins just a starter for the 30% hairpins further up. It’s epic, awesome and, as Simon Warren says: “If you can ride this, you can ride anything.”

Things ease off a little as the route heads to Gosforth, then back into the Lakes further north. A slight detour from Buttermere takes you to Honister Pass, a tough but breathtakingly beautiful road that ribbons up the hillside.

Then it’s back to Buttermere for the challenge of Newlands Hause. This is another ride set amongst stunning scenery, although the narrow and bumpy surface may detract from the pleasure somewhat.

Just before Keswick - which is good for food and supplies - branch off west for the final climb of the day: Whinlatter Pass. Compared to what’s gone before, this is a piece of cake and, unlike the spectacular open climbs earlier, it’s entirely tree-lined and rather fun.

Then it’s just a matter of crossing the Lakes to Penrith, and your herculean day in the Lakes is finished. Well done!