ABR Wainwrights walks Day 2

 

This is a little cabin is in the grounds of the Wanlockhead Inn, Scotland's highest pub.  It's where we'd be spending the evening in the company of a band of folk musicians, but first St Bee's needing ticking off the list. 

There were many miles to cover today if we hoped to finish the coast to coast and then head north into Scotland. 

Setting off at 8am from Kirkby Stephen and heading west on the ABR route, you're straight into the dales. 

After the dales comes the lakes. Yep, it's beautiful, shame about all the people.

Anyone that's ever been there will know its a tourist trap. If you use the main routes expect to be stuck in traffic sat behind a motorhome.  Plan your route accordingly if on two wheels. 😉

As it happens id done a fair amount of planning and we were soon off the beaten track and heading toward a difficult pass. 

The incredible views above and below are from Cockley Beck when approached from Ambleside. It's a couple of turns off the main road and away from the tourism. 

From cockley Beck you can turn onto Hardnott Pass. It's a 30% slope full of hair pins on a single worn out track. It beckons the brave, or the stupid, like a tarmac devil.  

Below, a buggy making its own route. Not sure that was entirely legal. 

At some point between mid-day and one PM we reached St Bee's and the west coast finish line.

After four or five hours it was a relief to reach our destination. Here's Sarah doing an impressive impression of a local drunk in celebration of the accomplishment.

Heading north east out the lakes and towards Scotland was a slog. The wind was fierce and the little Honda 300 was knocked around like a childs bike in the elements. The huge Africa Twin hardly noticed.

Making a wrong turn north of the border left us riding the bikes up and down stairs over a pedestrian foot bridge. Sorry Scotland! 

The M74 is the main route to Glasgow from Carlisle, its a road I've used many times.  What I'd never noticed is that there's a B road running parallel through nicer country. We took the scenic route, which was deserted as the cars and trucks take the Motorway.  Ive never travelled for as long on any road in the UK and seen fewer people, it was like a scene from a post apocalyptic film where the characters travel through an empty country searching for resources. 

Speaking of resources, the CRF300 has a fuel tank the size of a rain drop. You're constantly looking out for fuel and there isn't much up here. So plan ahead. (Or take an Africa Twin to drain petrol from) 

Final destination. Wanlockhead. Nothing to do but listen to the wind and enjoy the folk music. 

Today's route. Circa 200miles.