Holiday - Part un

 Well it wasn’t what most people would think of as a holiday.

I spent a glorious week in the Peak District, based at a lovely hotel/B&B in Chinley, near Chapel-en-le-frith, and more importantly near a very small village (more like settlement) called Bagshaw! We stayed at the ‘Old Hall Inn’ which I would recommend. They very kindly locked out bikes in a garage overnight (however if there had been many more cyclists it may have been a bit of a squeeze!). The Landlord is a triathlete himself so was extremely helpful in advising some decent routes, and a little bit of local know how really helped, since the Garmin route planning software seemed determined to turn us into cyclocross riders! The food was good, breakfast was plentiful, comfy beds and if you are into beer and ale they had hundreds!!

We racked up some quality and hilly bile miles. There are LOADS of national trust places, cafes and scenic stops, but a little bit of research goes a long way, since one of the days we went rogue one day and didn't plan, ending up in a café that despite having ‘cappuccino’ on the menu, they weren't so sure how to make it. :/

The peak district is a really great area for cycling, with lots of bike friendly cafes and on the whole car drivers seem pretty receptive to cyclists when passing and overtaking. When out in the heart of the peak district there are hardly any cars about anyway! We managed to tick off some of the must ride climbs and routes. The first being the one that gave me the idea that it would be a really good idea to come cycling in the peak district. A huge great climb out of hope valley which is on the 100 climbs to do in Britain, find more pain here.

The second which I did on a solo mission was mow cop. 25% gradient and removed from strava as a segment for being too dangerous!! :O The weather can be a bit hit and miss so make sure you take all manner of cycling gear. I didit take my overbooties off once (although I have the coldest feet in the world!) 

Halton Hills

The Halton Hills is an off-road race which takes place in the woods surrounding RAF Halton. Good news for those non-military people in the local area is 99% of the route is on public byways so you can have a go yourself! 

The race was first run in 1979 and its founder was the late WO Don Cobley, an RAF PTI and British Olympian in the Modern Pentathlon in Melbourne (1956) and in Rome (1960). One of the most grueling hills on the course (Cobley’s Rise) bears Don’s name.

The route winds its way through the Wendover Woods for approximately 7.5 miles, and over 7 hills of varying steepness and longness. There is an overall ascent of 1200 ft, which I can assure you is enough!

The first hill ‘The Snake’ is very steep and very long. This is followed by a small period of respite along a gravelly flat before coming to Hill 2 – ‘Boddington Bank’. This is a gentle incline followed by ‘Wimp’s Way’, a gradual incline which merges into hill 4 – ‘Cemetery Hill’. Number 5 – ‘Cobley’s Rise’ is definitely the worst, and this broke me into a walk. At the top of the hill you reach the Wendover Woods 'Go Ape' so it is likely you will surprise a few members of the public with your panting and red face! Last 2, ‘Cardiac Arrest’ – steep, but short. And finally Hill 7 – ‘Legless Last’, to be honest I can't remember what this one was like. I was just glad it was coming to an end!! You can view the full route on Strava here.

I had a really great race, much better than I was expecting on-top of a fairly tough week of training which is always nice. I finished 1st Lady and 3rd overall, which I think is one of the best results I have had, however there was an absence of the usual male racing snakes. Plus the lead man decided 7.5 miles want hard enough and went the wrong way (accidentally) adding a significant amount of time and distance. In the mens race Mike Kallenberg destroyed the field to finish in 45.40, almost 10 mins ahead of his nearest rival. 

Hill Stats

Order run	Ascent	Distance
The Snake	80m	300m
Boddington Bank	35m	350m
Wimp’s Way	55m	250m
Cemetery Hill	45m	200m
Cobley’s Rise	65m	250m
Cardiac Arrest	55m	200m
Legless Last	55m	350m

Thank you's of course must go RAF Halton for organizing the event, the RAF Sports lottery for assisting with the funding and Ultrasport for the T-Shirts! :)

Full results can be found on the RAFAA website and pictures will be added in due course.