C2C day 2 Penrith to Allenheads

 A hill too far for Tracy!

Today was sponsored by Greggs the bakers - it was right next door to the Travelodge and we got breakfast there and grabbed a picnic lunch before heading back to our room to pack. Our lack of training for this trip meant that we ended up having another nap instead. We finally got on the road about 10am and headed through Penrith and out into the countryside. A few hills took it out of us on route and worryingly they barely registered on the climbing profile for the day on our os map app. Downhills were great though.

View back to Penrith from "not really a hill"

We paused for refreshments on the village green in Langwathby. We lingered a while, delaying the start of the inevitable climb to Hartside top. This was to be the longest climb of the day - in fact Strava informed us that it was our longest climb ever at 1600ft! We passed a short detour that would take us to Long Meg and her daughters - an ancient druid stone circle. On any other day we would obviously be dancing naked around the stones whilst chanting to the elder gods, but today we were on a mission and could not be distracted!

Probably what Tracy will look like after the hills

The climbing began in earnest at Renwick and the farmland made way for the untamed fells. We climbed slowly with frequent stops on the flatter parts to refuel. We finally reached the summit at 1:45, I would like to say we made it look easy, but actually we were both horrible sweaty messes (but no lowest gear!)

Never looks as steep as it feels

Giant penis under construction - the millennials answer to the Victorian folly

Brief stop on a flat(ter) bit

We had our lunch in the carpark at the summit, Tracy wrapped up in many layers as it was pretty cold up there - she looked like a homeless gnome. Apparently the cafe burned down in 2018 - could have done with a coffee. The ice-cream van at the top was not a suitable replacement and finally decided that was it for the day and it left at  2:00pm.

Cake of the day - sponsored by Greggs

Felt like more 

Spectacular views from Hartside top

We lingered far too long at the top chatting with a couple of mountain bikers who had come from Allenheads Inn - our accommodation for this evening. We then chatted with a couple of motorcyclists for a bit. We were definitely going at this point, particularly when an 8 year old came steaming up the off-road route, making it look so easy. We wanted to avoid the embarrassment! Turns out it was an electric bike and his dad arrived on the road route 5 mins later. They're doing the C2C over 4 days. Again stopped for a chat.

We finally started our descent about 2:30, suffering from major cool down, exacerbated by the speed of the downhill, hitting 34mph at some points.

We continued on to Garrigill, where a local dog walker told us where to get food at the barn, where the toilets were and how to get free WiFi at the village hall. She introduced us to George, her black Labrador. He rather rudely didn't share his owners name.

We stopped at the barn - an outdoor cafe for cheese and onion pies, made by Angela the owner and a welcome coffee. We got chatting with a walker who was hiking the Pennine way over 15 days. Again we stayed too long and I've realised that Tracy is just trying to delay the next climb - Flinty Fell, a brutal hill that hits 1 in 4 in some places. She even left her phone there to slow us down even more

The Barn - coffee stops are essential 

Flinty Fell was proper hard. We did end up walking briefly on the steepest section, but the rest of it we rode, but painfully slowly. A family from the Netherlands caught up with us and we spent the next hour or so leapfrogging each other. They are spending 2 weeks riding the way of the roses, the lake district and now C2C. They were also camping - sounds like a challenge too far to us.

Tracy loves the climbing 

Finally we reached the summit and enjoyed the rapid downhill to Nenthead. We were immediately rewarded with another climb and Tracy had run out of people to talk to in order to procrastinate. 

We endured an expletive filled 152m climb to the summit of black hill and the border of Northumberland - a county I don't think that I've visited before. Tracy has had enough of climbing. Luckily we have one more hill climb to do - Killhope law. I rode on ahead to protect my ears from Tracy's venting. 

Climbing - definitely Tracy's favourite thing

Pretty poor advertising campaign by the council - "Northumberland - next to Scotland"

A final and well earned downhill into Allenheads brought us to our accommodation for the night - Allenheads Inn. The building is well over 200 years old, about as different from a modern Travelodge as you can get, and all the better for it. A warm welcome from friendly staff, a couple of beers and a filling dinner before an early night - too tired to do the blog this evening, we plan to get up early to finish it.

Pretty comfortable 4 poster

We had our own little lounge

Total miles : 38 (but challenging!)

Elevation: 5008ft

Average speed: 8mph (for Dan), 7.3mph Tracy

cake of the day: Greggs millionaires shortbread 6/10 - points deducted for lack of cafe and coffee to accompany it 

Tracy whinge factor: 6/10 for being a sweary mary