Chapel Fell – Simon Warren #62
- SW Rating: 9/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium / Hard1
- Length: 2.45 miles
- Avg. gradient: 8%
- Category: 2
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/6678141
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1128047
- Parking: There’s a public car park here at St John’s Chapel
If you’ve never cycled in the North Pennines before, you really should. Despite the unforgiving terrain and reputation for treacherous weather, on a good day, you’ll struggle to find many better places to ride – especially if you like climbing.
Chapel Fell is, in some ways, one of the cornerstones of the area. It’s a proper climb and one which deserves real respect. It isn’t the highest point around – that honour goes to Great Dun Fell, which is in a whole different league, but it’s an up-and-down whereas this is a pass which allows you to go somewhere else from the top2.
Assuming you’ve picked a reasonable day3, you’ll start in the small village of St John’s Chapel. Almost as soon as you’re past the final house, the road kicks upwards, as if to say ‘welcome, now get used to it.’ The fortunate thing about this part is that it’s very short and serves, mainly, to act as a warm up for the main event. You even get some downhill to recover, which will give you a nice chance to look up and see the remainder of the task in front of you.
Down you go, around the bend and down some more until, Bang!, you come to an unceremonious almost-halt on the steepest part of the entire climb. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll be in a low-ish gear before you get to this point. If not, then you’re either hugely strong (and chapeau!) or you’re about to perform the Walk of Shame. That momentum from the descent will carry you about 1/3 of the way up the ramp, but not really any further and there’s not much choice other than to muscle your way over the top. Feel free to curse if you have to. You’ll not be the first and you certainly won’t be the last…
Once over this small hurdle, you can relax for a few metres before you hit the first part of the main body of the climb. I say first part, because it’s broken up by some flat/slightly downhill sections further up. This ramp, however, is the single longest of the climb and, although it’s not particularly steep, it is sufficient to expose any poor selection of pace, or effort level. It doesn’t help that this entire section of the climb is into the prevailing wind direction and, as you’re quite high up (for the UK), then it is often pretty breezy up here. So, there’s not much option but to go one pedal stroke at a time and break the whole thing down into small chunks. There are some landmarks to help with this: there’s a gate on the left hand side where I threw a strop the first time I ever rode up here as well as the cattle grid and road which comes in from the right.
By the time you’ve ticked all of these off, you’ll pretty much be at the first point of respite. It’s not much more than a false flat, but it’s something and will allow you to build up a little bit of momentum, which is useful as the road is about to get steeper again. This next ramp isn’t long, but it is steeper than the section you’ve just ridden. Best take it steady, though, because there’s still a reasonable amount of climb to go.
Another small respite, then a steep kick in the teeth as you head up towards the left hander. If you’ve got clear road, keep out towards the middle around here as the left hand edge is definitely steeper; if there’s traffic then all bets are off. As you get around the bend, you should get a little push from the wind4 which will help you make it to the right hander. As you get round this one, the headwind will likely reappear – and all the worse for being closer to the summit – and the road steepens up, one last time. You’re not far away now, although it could feel like it – just keep going!
Over the crest … isn’t the top. And nor is the next one, but the gradient won’t get any worse now. Best keep your head down until you see the cattle grid in front of you. Unlike the false summits that you’ve just had, this really does mark the top. You can do this!
Job done! Time to give yourself a big pat on the back for a fantastic effort – well done, this is no easy ascent!
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…
It is critically dependent on the weather – the wind in particular… ↩
Not that you have a huge amount of choice – when you get to the end of the road you’re really looking at heading East to Middleton-in-Teesdale or West to Alston, but, still, it’s better than having to come straight back down again! ↩
I’ve ridden up here on some unreasonable days and really, really, cannot recommend it. ↩
Or, at least, not have it work against you quite as much… ↩
