Boltby Bank – Simon Warren #54
- SW Rating: 7/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Hard
- Length: 0.76 miles
- Avg. gradient: 13%
- Category: 3
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/6696481
- Parking: Probably best off trying to find a little spot in the village of Boltby, but there’s not a lot of scope.
I don’t know what it is that makes some climbs feel harder than others, but this one very much does. It’s not massively long and there are steeper ascents out there, but this one has a very deserving reputation for being one of the nastier ones.
Mind you, you’ll wonder what I’m on about when you first roll up to this one. You can see the strip of tarmac going straight up the hill from the other side of the valley, but, somehow, it doesn’t look that bad. Even the immediate approach is shallow and you’re left asking yourself if you’ve come to the right place.
You have.
A couple of hundred metres in and the road starts to tip upwards, although not massively (in relative Simon Warren terms, at least). There are a couple of short ramps with a false flat between them, but they’re very manageable.
As you then pass the road/car park/riverside walk off that’s off to the left, the road kicks up properly and, for the first time, bears its teeth just a little. What you see is what you get on this ramp – it’s not too long and relaxes as you exit the woods.
One more false flat, so make the most of it.
When the road begins to tip up this time, it means business and it’ll start hurting pretty soon now. There’s the tiniest of relaxations next to the junction just around the left hand curve, but you’re straight back into the thick end of 15-20%, from which is does not get any better. By the way, you’re only about half way up.
This ramp continues all the way round the bend you can see, longingly, in the distance. And then gets steeper still – there’s a good 100m over 25%. You have no option but to keep the bike pointed upwards and do your best to simply keep the pedals turning.
It does end. Eventually. As the road kinks left slightly, the gradient backs right off for an instant, before kicking straight back up again. And then, as if by magic, you’ll get some respite1 as you round the right hand hairpin before one final steep ramp that takes you into the shadow of the trees, by which time the slight reduction in air temperature is no bad thing. If you’re still on your bike here, then you’ve made it past the very hard work and will have no trouble reaching the top.
One short drag to the end of the woods on the right hand side and you are all done, and probably cooked. Time to catch your breath, let the dizziness subside and begin to work out which way is up!
Chapeau!
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…
Assuming 15% counts as respite in your world… ↩
