Hartside Fell

Hartside Fell is long steady climb in the north Pennines. It is one of the longest continual climbs in England – rising 400m over 5 miles. It will be used as a summit finish in this years Tour of Britain, stage 5.

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Photo by Bryn looking West from top of Hartside

 

  • Location: A686 – North East of Penrith towards Alston
  • Distance: 4.9 miles
  • Avg grade 5.0%
  • Max Grade: 7.0%
  • Elev Gain: 400m
  • Maximum Elevation – 1915ft / 583m
  • Cat: 2
  • 100 hills #77
  • Strava segment
  • Everesting? 23*9.8 miles = 225 miles

Photos from 2015

I rode Hartside on May 4 – after Kent Valley R.C. Shap hill climb. There was a nice tailwind on that day. As it is an exposed climb, a tailwind makes it much more enjoyable. Would be hardwork into headwind. The good news is that the prevailing wind is a westerley (tailwind).

There’s no real secret to the climb, it’s just a steady 5% all the way to the top. Perhaps slightly steeper on final hairpin.

You get a lot of motorbikes in this part of the world whizzing past you on the way up.

BTW: if you want a real test, Great Dun Fell is about 10 miles south.

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Lake district in the distance
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The long winding road
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snow markers

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heandfi-fiona-hartside-floods-2009
Photo Fiona in Eden from top of Hartside after floods of 2009
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Photo Brucie Stokes – bottom of Hartside

 

Veloviewer

Strava

Tour of Britain 2015

It will be used as a ‘mountain top’ finish in stage 5 of the 2015 Tour of Britain.

ToBstg5-630x475

 

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8 thoughts on “Hartside Fell”

  1. Wonderful KOM time for The Hartside Tejvan.

    Next time you’re near Alston take a ride across to St Johns Chapel.The ‘Chapel Challenge’ from Chatterbox cafe in St Johns Chapel is a challenging route taking in Chapel Fell and Peat Hill and more ‘rare’ brutal climbs. 53 miles and 7500ft E.G.
    The view across the Pennines to the Golf Ball at Great Dun Fell is worth it in it’s self.

    Simon 🙂

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Great Dun Fell -
  3. Last photo is not of the main road route up Hartside, but is at the bottom of a minor road route from the village of Renwick – an even more challenging climb which comes out onto the main road a little under 3 km from the summit. This is the route followed by the C2C.

    Reply
    • Good shout, Oliver. I was up in the Lakes last week and took the (assumed) lesser travelled route from Renwick, mainly because I didn’t really fancy being on the main road – some cars go way too fast on there for me to be comfortable!

      Great climb and I still got to do the top part of the main road. Great surface!

      I also took in the Great Dun Fell. I’d never felt simultaneously good and bad on a bike before that!

      Reply
  4. Did you do it on a TT bike Tejvan?
    Just curious as I’m planning to do it soonish also for kent Valley. I’ve rode it a few times on the road bike. Thought the shiv with a good cassette range and clx50s might work over a tarmac

    Reply

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