The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Dales delight by bike
Abi Jackson rides in the tracks of the greats on Wilderness England’s new tour
Annemiek van Vleuten holds the women’s top spot for cycling Yorkshire’s Trapping Hill. The Dutch rider raced up this 1.7-mile climb, which hits thigh-burning gradients of 17%, in seven minutes, 10 seconds during the 2019 World Championships.
It takes me about three times as long. Then again, my approach is slightly different.
First, a refreshment stop at Lofthouse village at the bottom of the hill, where dairy farmer Diane has set up ‘Nan’s Ice Cream Shed’ on the roadside. The sun’s blazing, so I top up my factor-30 and fuel up with strawberry ice cream as a buzzard circles overhead and songbirds chirp in the hedges. The only thing racing once I do get going is my pulse. I stop halfway to take a photo and I’m almost hyperventilating by the time I reach the top.
The Yorkshire Dales have played host to a number of major cycling events, including the Tour de France Grand Depart and the World Cycling Championships – and many of the very same routes feature in Wilderness England’s new Self Guided Plus Cycling Tour of Yorkshire, which I’m trying out.
This trip’s full five-day itinerary (I’m doing as much as I can in three) takes you on a 192-mile (308km) loop, starting and ending in Pateley Bridge. This may not sound massively challenging distance-wise, but the Dales are hilly. And we’re not just talking the handful of lung-busting corkers you’ll encounter; the whole region is famous for its rolling landscapes. Plus, this is a holiday, not a race; the country pubs and cake stops are just as important as conquering those climbs.
With a difficulty grade of ‘blue 6’, the route is at the upper end of ‘moderate to challenging’ (green 1-3 grades are easiest; red 7-9 are toughest). While you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete for this trip, you will need a decent level of cycling experience. So, what are you paying for with a self-guided-plus tour? The cycling is selfguided, meaning you and your partner/pals can enjoy the ride at your own pace, without having to merge with strangers – but navigation’s all taken care of, as Wilderness England will supply Garmins with pre-saved route maps. They’ll also sort all your accommodation and you’ll get a dedicated soigneur (support driver), who’ll cart your luggage and be on hand throughout for mechanical support, and generally making sure you’re all set and taken care of.
Will, my soigneur, doubles up as a tour guide, as well as having a canny knack for knowing exactly when I could use a caffeine boost (there’s fresh coffee in the van, as well as snacks and water). Plus, you can hop in the van at any point if you need to (there is no shame in skipping a hill or two!). Bikes are either hired (for an extra fee) or you can bring your own.
The accommodation’s a mix of 3-4-star hotels and inns, on a B&B basis. Everywhere I stay has its own character and charm
– a highlight is a night in a yurt at the Black Swan in Ravenstonedale. Lunches and dinners aren’t included, so you’ll need to budget for these, and book ahead to avoid disappointment.
You can stop along the way at some tourist hotspots too, such as Malham Cove
– a 260ft high natural limestone amphitheatre – and Wenselydale Creamery, a great spot for lunch and sampling their famous cheese.
So, it’s the best of both worlds, really: the convenience of being looked after and someone else doing all the organising, yet you still get your own adventure with some lovely long days in the saddle, soaking up the scenery.
HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP
Wilderness England’s Self Guided Plus+ Cycling Tour of Yorkshire costs from £845pp based on four sharing.