Rosedale Chimney – Simon Warren #55

• SW Rating: 10/10
• Wheelygood Rating: Hard
• Length: 0.83 miles
• Avg. gradient: 14%
• Category: 3
• Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/6690945
• Parking: You can park on the streets of the village of Rosedale Abbey at the bottom of the climb.

There’s signage at the bottom of the Rosedale Chimney ascent which kinda says it all, really. As well a reminder that it’s not suitable for heavy goods vehicles there is also also a reminder it’s not a good route to use in wintry conditions (as if!) and the slightly legendary 33% sign. Thing is, there are a number of areas on the North Yorkshire Moors which also have 33% signs and if you ride around the area for any length of time you’re pretty much guaranteed to go past one, or more, of them. Still, this is the Daddy and it’s not to be underestimated.

In some ways it’s quite an innocuous start to the climb as you ride across the small bridge and follow the road as it kinks around to the left and then right with the gradient climbing all the while up towards 10%. As the road straightens out, the gradient holds pretty steady and you can make decent progress up here.

Things get a bit more serious as you reach the pub on the left: the slope kicks up several percent and you’ll know you’re on a real climb. The road surface also takes this opportunity to degrade significantly just in case you’d missed the clue of the steeper slopes. There’s nothing much for it other than to winch your way through the trees trying to expend as little energy as you can get away with. It doesn’t work and it will cost you as much as it costs you, but, hey, it’s worth a try!

And, then, you’ll come to a cattle grid. This is where I’d suggest you gird whatever is left of your loins and brace yourself for the Hard Part. Pretty much as soon as you cross over the grid, the slope into the 20% region. And stays there as the road twists right and then left before pointing you pretty much straight up. The inside of the two hairpins is ridiculously steep and it’s advisable, if you can, to take as wide a line as you can manage, particularly around the left hander. It’s monstrous.

Assuming you get past the hairpins, you’ll get some not-quite-respite into the 20+% range before ramping up to the famed 33%. It doesn’t last long and, like many of my descriptions, it boils down to there being nothing much for it other than to keep turning the pedals and just trying to keep moving. If you need to zigzag up this section then, traffic permitting, feel free – you’ll not be the first and you’ll certainly not be the last!

Once past the very steep part, don’t stop pedalling, because things only relent to being merely steep¹. It’s manageable – the trick is to try and relax, knowing that the hardest part is over and you can, just, now see the actual top of the climb. If the wind is in the wrong direction, this part is miserable because, in fact, the hardest part is only just beginning. On a decent day, though, it’s fine and your spirits will be buoyed by the fact that you are reasonably close to the top, although you will still have to work for every yard. It helps that, in general, the slope gradually lessens as you climb from this point onwards.

Except, of course, for the right hander just before the top where the road kicks up again in a final attempt to break your will. Thing is that if you’ve made it this far then it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be put off by a small ramp like this one. Another couple of hundred metres is all you’ve got now and most of that is below 5% (unless the wind’s in your face, in which case it will feel like 10%).

You’ll feel it when the ascent finally finishes, if only because that’s where the two pieces of tarmac join up from the last time they relaid the road! Great job for making it up here – it’s by no means easy and is a test for any cyclist!

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…

Rosedale Chimney - Simon Warren #55

Rosedale Chimney Descent

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1. There’s still a ‘2’ at the front, but, hey, you’ve just ridden worse! ↩