Killhope Cross – Simon Warren #185
- SW Rating: 8/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium
- Length: 3.22 miles
- Avg. gradient: 5%
- Category: 3
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/16406485
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1048600
- Parking: You can usually find a place to park around the streets of Nenthead…
The best known of the two Simon Warren climbs beginning in the village of Nenthead (the other being Dowgang Hush), the ascent to the top of Killhope Cross is a decent challenge. It1 begins, somewhat oddly, just before the bottom of the drop into Nenthead. This has caught me out twice in the past – including the time I filmed it. The actual start for the segment is a couple of metres behind where I began. If you’re not sure, keep pedalling uphill for a bit until you get it right – or use the smartphone app which will show you were you are in relation to the climbs.
Anyway, assuming you’ve managed to start off OK, then you’ll find that the early part of the climb is very gradual. In fact, it’s a gentle drag up through Nenthead – so much so that you’ll begin to wonder what all the fuss was about.
Then, as the road bears gently left, you’ll see it kick upwards as it leaves the village. The gradient ramps up to 10%-12%-ish pretty quickly and stays there for the first section. It doesn’t feel remotely severe and can be ridden pretty steadily. The next right hander is a little different: the sign just before it reads 15% and it means business. This is where the hard work really begins. As you round the corner, a number of things happen at about the same time: the gradient increases noticeably, the quality of the road surface degrades and you begin to break free of the greenery and enter the high moorland.
Once around the corner, you can settle back into things, although progress will be slower from here. Even the lines painted across the road to remind the cars to slow down seem particularly troublesome. As you pass the small wooded area on the left, you’ll begin to feel any wind that’s around on the day. Amazingly, it’s normally a tailwind, but, up here, you need to be prepared for anything – and don’t assume that the forecast you checked beforehand for Alston, or even Nenthead, will bear any resemblance to the conditions you’ll actually ride into! About the only positive is that the 17% gradient you can see on the sign isn’t happening … yet.
As you gently bear left, the road begins to kick up towards a crest. Don’t be fooled: it’s a very false crest as you’ll see when you get closer. The gradient builds to around 15% on this section and it can feel like a right old slog to haul yourself to the ‘crest’. It does, however, mark the half-way point and it’s also the scene of a (slightly) hidden junction on the left which, if you ever want to try it, takes you up to the top of the other Black Hill in the area and, eventually, out towards Allendale.
Once you’re past this road, you’re into that second half of the climb: the three big ramps before the actual summit. The first is a mere warm-up for the Big One, assuming you can think of 20% in that fashion. Turn the pedals over, and don’t weave about the road as it does carry a certain amount of traffic and they’re never pleased to see a wobbly cyclist.
Beyond this first crest, the gradient flattens almost back to zero. Make the most of it. The ramp you can see in front of you is the hardest part of the climb. Once it begins to get steeper, it will continue to do so mercilessly until 24% before, finally, letting you through and over the top. This, in combination with the accumulated fatigue from the lower slopes make this much more of a challenge than you’d expect.
After this comes another false flat followed by the final pull up to the summit. Again, make the most of the recovery: although this last ramp is a mere 17% it’s still tougher than you’d like because you’ve been climbing now for the best part of 3 miles. Fortunately, the steep section doesn’t last long so it doesn’t actually feel too bad, especially if you know that you don’t have to do another one…
And, as you pass the sign telling you that you’ve just entered County Durham, you can relax. The descent from here is excellent, with the caveat of being careful on the left hander near the top: on a dry and not too windy day you can let the bike roll almost as far as the eye can see…
Kudos for making it to the top of Killhope Cross – it’s a proper climb!
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…
The official Simon Warren Strava segment… ↩
