Day 12 - Ingleton to Penrith (46 miles)

Friday, June 3, 2011
I wasn’t really supposed to come to Penrith today but all the accommodation along my route was booked because of the Appleby Horse Fair and Penrith was as close as I could get. I had thought of leaving my bike somewhere like Langwathby and getting a taxi to and from Penrith but I found myself eight miles from Penrith on a nice road and I grabbed the opportunity.
Tired and stiff, I set off earlier than usual from Ingleton this morning to avoid such a late finish again and the first six miles to Kirkby Lonsdale on the busy A65 went quickly. I had breakfast with the crowds buying tea and rolls from a van then headed off towards Sedbergh on a quieter road. It was a pleasant nine miles but I was surrounded by big hills, the ones you see from the M6 at Shap, and I knew I would have to go through them soon… I developed a coping strategy for extreme gradient which was 100 pedals, stop, take a breather, another 100 pedals and that did very well for a while. I went under the M6 and five miles before Tebay I was bushed and had to put out the picnic blanket for a seat and a Scooby snack of nuts etc. An hour later - that’s how hilly everything was - I got to Tebay and was the only customer in the Barnaby Rudge pub where one dog barked at me and the other wanted to bite me but was chained up out of reach. A really good lunch was produced out of the gloomy interior and I got on my way which involved some major pushing up idiotic switchbacks.

Cumbria

After this I was due to go on to a lane. When I got to it, it was blocked by a Road Closed sign. Having no energy to follow a diversion, I took the lane anyway; everybody knows that one way systems, traffic lights and Road Closed signs don’t apply to bikes . Joy of joys I swept downhill for a couple of miles then followed a very flat road, all the time wondering if I could somehow sneak round the blockage, whatever it was. If they tried to send me back I decided to lie down and cry and beat my fists on the tar. LUCKILY there was a pedestrian rat-run around major resurfacing works and my happy progress continued until I found the Penrith road.
I am in a wonderful independent hostel tonight. It’s called Fellfoot and I am sharing the whole house with one other person called Mary. My next cycle is due to be huge, about 65 miles with lots of hills to walk up and I know for sure I will not be able to do it tomorrow. I have therefore decided to have a rest day in Penrith . I will find a café and an Independent and that’s the extent of my ambition. Nighty night.