Grizedale Grind (Grizedale Challenge 2005)

When?
18th September 2005

Where?
Grizedale Forest (Lake District)
SD 335 944

Who?
Gatecrasher Steve, The King of Ross, Mountain Man Dave.

Which way?
Followed the route markers around Grizedale forest over to near Consiton Water and back to Grizedale.

Is it published?
No.

Tracklog file? (What’s this?)
Yes. Download it from here.

Highlights
Lots of great Grizedale trails, most of which can be ridden all year round.

Memories
Suffering! My 2 week old son had allowed me little sleep since his birth and, boy oh boy, did I suffer for it. Climbs that would normally not register or interrupt conversation suddenly rendered me speechless and saw me sinking lower and lower through the gears to the eventual biggest cog and a slow grind of the granny ring. I bailed out after about 18 miles, leaving my fellow riders to step up from my painfully slow pace.

Route details
Distance: 31.8 miles
Duration: 5 - 6 hours
Ascent: 5853 feet
% off-road: Over 90%
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Fitness difficulty: 4/5

Directions
Route waymarked for the event only. See the Tracklog file (above).

What else?
The Visitor Centre at Grizedale serves good food. It also has "Go Ape": a tree-top assault course which is well worth a go.