Pennine Cycleway

[honesty]

Just finished a week doing this ride. What an amazing route, and bloody hard in places.
I've written up a blog on the first few days, and stuck up my photos here:

http://www.onesti.co.uk/cycling-holidays/pennine-cycleway/

I'll get the last few days up tomorrow.

[PH]

A group of us did it in May, tough and amazing sums it up well!
Feeling were mixed on some of the challenging off road bits, they were the best parts for some and the worst for others.
Extra points for doing it with camping kit, I found it tough enough with lightweight B&B stuff. It's also said to be tougher in the direction you took, though one of our group has now done it in both directions and isn't sure.
A few of our photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/149532011 ... 1672143351

[honesty]

A group of us did it in May, tough and amazing sums it up well!
Feeling were mixed on some of the challenging off road bits, they were the best parts for some and the worst for others.
Extra points for doing it with camping kit, I found it tough enough with lightweight B&B stuff. It's also said to be tougher in the direction you took, though one of our group has now done it in both directions and isn't sure.
A few of our photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/149532011 ... 1672143351

The off road bits were wild and beautiful, and I had totally the wrong bike and the wrong kit to do them. With something lighter and more off road based they would have been fun I think...

[Heltor Chasca]

I really enjoyed your blog. Thanks for sharing.

[honesty]

All days written up now. Links the same as above.

[videoman]

Great trip report and photos and that would be my luck as well, I think I will cross that one off my list of things to do for the future though.

[honesty]

Thanks.

Just realised I "Everested" this holiday. I have much greater respect now for those people who do that in on day.

[PH]

Nice read, I enjoyed that.
How was the camping? did you have all the kit you needed? Anything you won't take next time?

[honesty]

I enjoy camping, so it was good thanks. Yep had everything I needed, I'd dropped a few extras out as part of a repack so don't think there was anything I'd drop further (left my tablet and a small flask). I may be persuaded to leave another set of clothes and just wash a set a night. That way each set should get a full day drying. May look to change the sleeping bag to a quilt if the alpkit one is ever back in stock as well.

[uppadine]

Excellent read, and I know that frustration at finding some Sustrans touring routes which really aren't for loaded touring.
Meeting and overcoming adversity like you describe is good for the soul, no?

[robc02]

Good blog - enjoyed reading it. Wish I'd done so before riding (most of) the route!

I've just finished doing a large section of PCW. I started from Carlisle, riding Hadrians Cycleway until I picked up PCW at Haltwistle, which I followed (with a few detours - some intentional, some not!) until Ashbourne. From there I cycled to my home near Stafford. My plan was to catch a train in one direction only - i.e. to Carlisle, to save cost and to remove the deadline of a pre-booked return train. The trouble with this was that I was riding into the prevailing winds, which were pretty strong and sometimes accompanied by driving rain! Like you, several times I thought "the hardest day's cycling ever"!

If I did it again I would reduce my planned daily mileages and consider travelling northwards to have the prevailing winds helping me.

[honesty]

I would add another day if I were to do it again, definitely (or leave the camping gear!) The section after Hartwhistle is nice but contains the most farm gates in any small section ever. Also love the bit were you end up riding over grass on top of tarmac as well. It's a real pity you can't cycle over the viaduct either. Someone needs to bung the reticent house owner some cash...

[PH]

It's a real pity you can't cycle over the viaduct either.

It is, though you can access it from the other side if you want to enjoy the views.

[robgul]

I rode it South to North in May 2004 staying at pubs/B&Bs - I have to say of the lots of cycle tours I've done, before and since, it was the one I least enjoyed. Following the signage pretty much to the letter there were sections where a horse would have been struggling, never mind a laden bike* - and the hills were extremely tough.

The best bit was probably the section once you got to the Kielder area and to Berwick.

Rob

* Specialized hybrid with slick tyres and minimal luggage.

[honesty]

I enjoyed it a lot. It was definitely the hardest route I've cycled through.it doesn't beat the LLC as my favourite, which in my mind has pretty much the perfect combo of amazing views, interesting things along the route, mountains and valleys and countryside that changes along the ride. The PCW is almost too much similar countryside, not enough things (which seems silly to say about a route that that focuses on the mountain but hopefully you know what I mean).