Our Favourite Yorkshire Climbs

With only a few months to go until Yorkshire hosts the start of the Tour de France there’s more than a little bit of excitement and anticipation in the air in ‘God’s Own County’ – none more so than at Ride25’s HQ in Leeds! After ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ successfully won the bid to bring ‘Le Tour’ to Yorkshire, there has been a flurry of activity with local businesses gearing themselves up for this momentous event.  From road improvements to campsites and cycling cafes popping up everywhere, Yorkshire is certainly enjoying its time in the limelight – not to mention what will happen in July when crowds of supporters flock to witness the momentous event of the ‘Grand Depart’.

And so, with the added focus on this wonderful county, we thought we’d shine our own ‘Ride25 spotlight’ on some of our favourite climbs in Yorkshire, one of which is included in the Tour de France route itself. If you’re in the region, why not try a couple out for yourself and let us know what you think?

Buttertubs Pass – Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales (3.6km length and 223m climb)

Even if you have limited knowledge of the Tour de France route, you’ll probably have heard of Buttertubs Pass. It’s the first ‘King of the Mountain’ climb that the riders will take and it’s certainly a challenge but a brilliant one, with incredible scenery to take in. To get onto it, you leave the B6270 just south of Thwaite in Swaledale and then turn onto Cliff Gate Road, where you start your ascent straight away. You then follow the road all the way up, taking in hairpin bends which make you feel like you could be in the Alps rather than the Dales, before you embark on a sharp and exhilarating descent. The final section sees you on a 20% incline to the finish (and perhaps a well-earned rest!)

Boltby Bank – Boltby, North Yorkshire (1.4km length and 162m climb)

This climb starts at the small village of Boltby on the edge of the North York Moors. After leaving Boltby, you go over a small hill, take a left hand turn and then arrive at the base of the climb. The first hundred metres are fairly easy, but don’t get lulled into a false sense of security as it gets pretty steep very quickly! You’re soon onto 1-in-6 and 1-in-5 gradients and the surface isn’t all together brilliant, but that’s all part of the challenge. Just before you reach the end, there is a sharp right hand turn, one last ascent and then the road finally levels out for you to get your breath back.

Carlton Bank – Carlton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire (2.05 length and 202m climb)

This reasonably short climb is situated at the top of the North Yorkshire Moor. It starts on the somewhat gloomy plains of Teeside and finishes up on Cringle Moor where you can take in a truly fabulous view.  Heading south from the A172 you ride through Carlton-in-Cleveland and, on leaving the village, take a left hand turn onto Alum House Lane where you begin your ascent. Although the gradient at the start is fairly steady, beware as the road is quite potholed, but who said everything in life was easy?! Once you’re past a cattle grid, the road quickly starts to climb steeply and you can see the Bank looming above you. After taking a sharp left hand bend, the road levels out a little before it becomes steep again, although the road surface is much better at this point. After two right hand bends, you will enter the most challenging part of the climb –  the surface of the road is terrible and added to that there is a vertical drop (with thankfully a stone wall to protect you!) From here, you need to pick your best line through the broken road surface to the summit where you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view.

Rosedale Chimney – Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire Moors (Length 1.43km and 179m climb)

This climb is certainly not for the faint-hearted and is probably one of the most challenging rides we have ever done. Near the beginning of this climb is warning sign alerting you to the 1 in 3 gradient – enough said!

This climb starts at the bottom left hand corner of Rosedale Abbey where you leave the main road and turn onto Gill Lane, which is where you will see the aforementioned warning sign. From here, you head up on the slightly rough and steep road surface past a cattle grid. After two sharp bends – the second of which is ridiculously steep – the road straightens out but gets steeper still and the biggest problem you will encounter is trying to stay upright. Eventually the 1-in-3 gradient relaxes into a 1-in-6 gradient, allowing you to make your way to the summit with a little more dignity! All we can say for this one is good luck!

Photography from www.yorkshire.com