The route is obvious, from the end of the road at High Salter above Roeburndale, to Slaidburn. Sixteen miles and 2355 ft ascent from Brookhouse via Winder and Haylot farms, or 1.5miles and 300 ft less from Hornby. My first outing, in the early 90’s, on a hybrid bike, took an hour and a half more than I calculated, and was gloriously rough. It has been improved somewhat, in fact upto what I call the first summit, Alderstone Bank, where gritstone boulders gather on your left, you might think this is a doddle, as most of the climbing has been done, but some inevitably puddled depressions then appear, with whoever knows what mysteries lie beneath. From the gate just before when the Roman Road, with alleged original stones yet to be pointed out to me, joins from the north, there used to be a series of ruts from which you inevitably tumbled off, now smoothed over, and worse still, “they” have got rid of a series of 5 or 6 peaty depressions just before the gate at spot height 416m, which used to give endless fun and filth. Experts will relish the descent from here, on medium stones, but after the right angled turn on Croasdale Fell I usually take to the grass on the left for a smoother descent for 200m, then partially broken concrete leads to the road and further descent.
A perfect end to a suitable evening outing would be a meal and drinks in the Hark to Bounty with your partner, book on a Friday, then get taken home!
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