Hartside Run

While the weather was forecast to be nice and dry this weekend Helen and I decided to go on a run on Saturday. We both thought Hartside independently and it would be a good long run to test the satnav and bike to bike comms.

We filled up with fuel first thing and then headed over to Clitheroe on the M66/A56. As we already had fuel we went through Sabden and over the Nick of Pendle. When then did are usual route to the A65 at Settle via Sawley, Wigglesworth and Rathmell. We then joined the A65 and followed that all the way to Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale. We stopped briefly to use the toilets, it wasn’t mega busy and some cars had also nicked some spaces(which they are not allowed to do on a weekend).

We left and headed north on the A683 towards Sedbergh. Around half way down this road one of the bridges had been damaged in the recent winter floods, at the moment is a sort of metal table top affair. So caution and reduced speed is most certainly advisable, it was well signed though and isn’t on one of the really fast sections. Just before Sedbergh we joined the B6256 and then did a right then left onto and off the A684. Here we joined the B6257 and continued north towards Tebay. We followed this road to the A685 and then headed through Tebay and down the B6260 to Orton. From here we continued on the B6260 to Appleby-in-Westmorland. We then joined the A66 briefly before getting off at Temple Sowerby and joining the B6412 to Langwathby. We then turned right onto the A686 and headed from Hartside. Just after Melmerby the proper climb of Hartside starts, we had a relatively quiet run and managed to catch cars at overtaking points. We continued over the top of Hartside and down the other side and into Alston where we stopped for fuel. We then joined the fast and quiet B6277 and headed over the Pennines passed High Force and into Middleton-in-Teesdale. We stopped here for a late lunch at one of our favourite cafes, Cafe 1618.

After lunch we joined the equally fast and quiet B6276 to Brough.

We then followed the A685 to Kirkby Stephen and then turned off onto the B6259 to Nateby. We followed this picturesque road all the way to the junction with the A684 at The Moorcock Inn. We then turned left and followed the A684 to Hawes. Just before Hawes in Appersett we came across a Police incident that was blocking the road, looked like a crash. I knew an easy way around it so we turned around and backtracked a 1/4 mile and then turned right and headed through Hardraw. We then passed through Hawes and joined the B6255 and headed for Ribblehead Viaduct. At the viaduct we turned left onto the B6479 and headed through Horton in Ribblesdale to Settle. We stopped in Settle and parked up and headed over to the Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe to have coffee and a cream tea.

After our afternoon coffee stop we headed home via our usual route of Rathmell, Wigglesworth, Sawley, Sabden and the A56/M66. The satnav and my comms worked flawlessly and seemed far clearer on this bike. However Helen seems to have an issue with hers, I don’t always hear her and her helmet speakers are only in mono. I suspect a damaged wire from the unit, we might try and use the passenger lead instead. If that doesn’t work and us plugging into each other bikes to test her helmet wires fails to reveal anything, then we might have to replace the Autocom unit.