The Rat
- Wheelygood Rating: Easy/Medium
- Length: 0.27 miles
- Avg. gradient: 12%
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/3970153
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1003648
Lurking near the bottom of the Vagabonds Hillclimb is an even shorter, sharper, shock: The Rat, so called because it passes by The Rat Inn.
If you’re looking for a time, I’d recommend coming at this one from the Corbridge direction and (traffic permitting) getting a good run up. It won’t last long, but you’ll feel better about it. The road kicks up immediately into a double digit gradient which doesn’t relent until you get to the left hander at the top.
Be aware that this is quite a narrow road and if there’s a car coming the other way, then there’s a decent chance you’ll have to stop and get out of its way unless, as I was, you’re lucky enough to meet it at the turn for Anick where there’s just that little bit more room.
There’s no easy way to do this one, no cunning stunt which will magically reduce the required effort: you’ll need to just keep fighting against the curvature of spacetime until you get to the top, at which point you can relax and feel that you’ve achieved something. Good effort!
If there are any other road climbs you’d like me to take on, the more ridiculous the better, then please send me a message on my FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/wheelygoodcycling/ or email me on wheelygoodmail@gmail.com and let me know…
