High Knowes – Simon Warren #156
- SW Rating: 6/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium
- Length: 2.35 miles
- Avg. gradient: 5%
- Category: 3
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/16337830
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1002553
The archetypal Road to Nowhere, this one.
It begins benignly enough with a, rather rutted, road alongside the local watercourse for quarter of as mile, or so before bearing left onto the lower slopes. It’s at this point you’ll know how much of a factor the wind will be in the day’s ascent as it’s where the tree cover runs out and you’re on your own.
Over the cattle grid and onto some more really awfully surfaced roads. There’s not much traffic up here and it’s pretty much all farm stuff who aren’t so fussed about the craters. Or the gravel. Bob and weave: it’s your only choice really.
The slope picks up ever so gently and you’re heading up 6% before you really realise it. Wind your way around the Alpine feeling section and you’ll wonder why this road ever made it into Simon Warren’s list.
You don’t have long to wait: eventually the road will kick up above 10% and you’ll come to a cattle grid. Once over that, the road pulls up steadily to what I always feel is the worst part of the climb. The road surface is awful, the gradient unforgiving and the wind is normally out to get you. It’s very much one of those ‘head down’ sections and, if you ignore the calls from your brain to just stop and take a break, the road will bend right once more towards the farmhouse where the wind direction will become your friend and the slope will slacken. The road surface is still pants, though.
Enjoy the easier minute, or so, as the road very quickly curves around into another spiky little ramp which places you straight into the wind again. Relax, gird those loins, and keep on pushing even though you’re likely just that bit fatigued now (I was).
Surprise!
There’s a 13% descent. Enjoy it! On the day I rode it, there were a couple of icy sections at the bottom and, as you’ll see if you watch the videos, this came as something of a surprise. I’d not had any trouble on the rest of the ride, but, just here, where the temperature was down and the wind chill in full effect, it got just a bit interesting.
You’ll be pleased to note that the absolutely horrific looking road that winds its way up from the bridge is nothing of the sort. You’re given a false impression of it as you’re heading downhill. It’s still in the 8-10% range, but it’s not the wall that it first appears and, in fact, is pretty steady in terms of the gradient. I can’t say the same for the road surface, which continues to be woeful and there are sections where you’ll have to pick your way through the gaps (and the gravel).
It’s just one of those sloggy bits where there’s nothing for it other than to just turn the pedals over. Jens to the rescue again.
And, then, just as on a left hand bend, you’re done. It’s not obvious that this is the case and, typically, I’ll ride on another couple of hundred metres to the next cattle grid, partly because it’s a natural stopping point, but mostly because there are some fantastic views down into the next valley and it’d be a shame to miss them.
Great effort – it’s not an easy ascent, this one, so well done on making it all the way up!
A final note is that you’ll see there are two videos. The second one is the descent of High Knowes on the same day which I took because it’s an interesting descent, not least because of the 13% climb in the middle of it. I also wanted to give everyone an idea of the road surface as it looks on the way back down – it’s nicely into the ‘treacherous’ category…
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…
