Coast to Coast to Coast Day 11 - Summerbridge to Airton

Today's height profile!

Feeling much better today, the muscle linament or the tiger balm has worked, either that or the forced march back from the pub last night loosened my muscles up a bit. 10 minute push back to the road  from the camping field then a 4 mile ride into Pateley Bridge. Breakfast from the butchers...breakfast pie and a pork and chutney pie for later. Feeling fully revived and refreshed I cycled our the bridge to the bottom of the infamous Greenhow Bank..struth....it's steep, there's people cycling down it with manic terror on their faces and hands clenched over the brake levers.

Looking Back to Pateley Bridge

Anyway so begins an almost three mile push uphill, it's bad enough walking up without even trying to cycle, maybe with legs of iron and the lungs of a fell runner I could possibly have cycled about 1/10th of the way.... All in all better to walk, even some cars seemed to be struggling. My speed over the ground is about 1 1/2 mph.

Passed the highest point of the route just after Keld Houses at 404m. Presumably this means I've got 404m more downhill than uphill for the rest of the route. Yippee..... :-)

Stopped for coffee at Stump Cross Caverns on the start of the decent.

The road back to Stump Cross Caverns.

Alice found me a superb B & B at Airton (Linton Guest House if your interested, highly recommended).

I walked alongside the river along a bit of the Penine Way to the pub for dinner, I was a bit wary of the directions after last nights adventure but all is well this time.

On the last section of the map now, only 41 miles to go and 3 days to do it in, I'll probably get a day beside the seaside so I won't look totally cream crackered when I get home.

While I was in my sleeping bag last night I could smell something really stinky. I thought it can't be me I've just had a shower, I decided it must be my cycling shoes or sandals. I found out what it was today..My cycling gloves have provided excellent service over the last two weeks protecting my hands and for wiping the sweat from my brow. I thought they were turning brown due to fading in the sunshine but no.. They are just manky. I washed them in the basin in my room this evening, this is the second sink full of water!

Gloves being rejuvenated.

Hopefully they will be smelling a bit sweeter tomorrow.

Statistics for today:

Distance 40.42km ( 25.1 miles )

Total Distance 595.2km ( 369.9 miles )

Height Climbed 906m

Total Climbed 6979m

Ave Speed 14.1km/hr

Max Speed 52.1 km/hr