Outdoors

HILl REPS

At time of writing, the Snake Pass – the iconic winding mountainous road that crosses the Pennines to link our beautiful region with equally stunning South Yorkshire – is closed to all traffic because of landslips. Briefly, however, it was closed to motor traffic only, which set corks flying in the sport of cycling. Every cycling club in the region, including my own – Stockport Clarion CC – scampered out in search of the holy grail: a winding mountain climb and scary fast descent with no cars! This got me thinking just how rare a privilege that is. Even mass participation road cycling events, called sportives, are very rarely closed-road events in this part of the world because of the disruption that causes. However, we do have the luxury of plenty more serious hills in this part of the world – and if you’re into cycling or even just giving it some thought, it’s hills that really add spice. While these may not be free of motor traffic, you can certainly time your trips to have these roads almost to yourself:

1. Swiss Hill. A gnarly cobbled road climb up to the Wizard at Alderley Edge. On damp days it’s so steep and slippery it’s almost impossible to ride up without wheelspinning. 2. The Cat & Fiddle. Definitely the longest – it can take even a fit rider almost an hour to get up from Macclesfield to the summit – but a lovely gradual climb you can enjoy at your own pace.

3. Pym Chair. Another Cheshire classic in the Goyt Valley – very few cars so you can challenge yourself up its relentless ramps.

4. Winnats Pass. Surely the hardest challenge of them all. Just west of Castleton in the Peak District, it’s a nice ride out to get there from Cheshire, but getting up it is an entirely different matter. Gradients hit 20% and it feels like it goes on forever!

If you want more recommendations with stats, such as mileages, gradients and grid references, I highly recommend the book Cycling Climbs of North-West England by Simon Warren, RRP £8.99 in paperback.

DIP DONE

News update: after I took the challenge last issue from watersports brand Red Original to do a sub-zero outdoor dip, I’m proud to say I did it, loved it, and will do it again. The location has to be kept secret because it’s open to swimmers by invitation only, but I can share with you some of the things I learned:

1. The cold really is exhilarating. There was ice on the shore but the water was just above freezing, which woke me up I can tell you. The feeling of being completely submerged, if only for a moment, is truly euphoric.

2. You can do this at sunrise and still get to your desk for a normal work day. I got from a quick plunge to Central Manchester in time for 09:00, and started work feeling like a hero.

3. Special thanks to Red Original for the essential changing robe, and to Melitta for the super-quiet coffee machine that made my necessary espresso without waking the kids at such an ungodly hour!