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The Beast Sportive 108 Miles – Lakes Cycling
August 14, 2022
“THE BEAST” SPORTIVE – LAKE DISTRICT 108 MILE LOOP
Come and use your mid season fitness to take on our challenging annual Lake District sportive – 108 miles of scenic riding – remote lanes, stunning views, challenging passes, lake shores, forest roads and seaside promenades – something for everyone – especially as a pre Fred Whitton warm up.
Your day begins on the Lune cycleway and heads through Halton village before a short, sharp climb to gain the quiet road that heads north and towards The Lakes.
Traffic free lanes lead to a short section of quiet A road through Burton in Kendal and continues over the busy A65 at a roundabout. After a short distance, deserted country lanes are rejoined and followed around the large Cumbrian town of Kendal.
Your route joins and follows the quiet A road that heads gradually up to Shap summit and village, this is rarely busy with traffic and it is a joy to follow it up and up into the remote fells before a tiolet and refreshment stop in Shap village itself.
Country lanes are then ridden from Shap, all the way to Pooley Bridge, and your second refreshment break on the shores of the lake a few KM’s up the road, you will ride the complete North side of Ullswater and through both Glenridding and Patterdale hamlets, before passing Brothers Water to the foot of the infamous Kirkstone Pass – ranked #83 of Britain’s top 100 climbs .
A steady grind will see you though the 20% sections and up to The Kirkstone Inn at 1 481 ft above sea level and then it is downhill all the way to the village of Staveley and your second toilet and refreshment break.
Once through the village – with its loos and feedstation, you will head south on remote lanes through several villages and head across the busy A6 towards the coast at Arnside.
You then turn your back to the coast to head inland and through the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that we ride most, passing through our home town of Carnforth and back up to the surrounding hillsides. Here you can savour a last view across Morecambe Bay and the distant Cumbrian Fells before dropping back down to event HQ.
Distance –
174 km / 108 miles
Ascent –
2406 m / 7892 ft
Event HQ –
Lancaster Park & Ride car park, Caton Road, Lancaster, LA2 9HG (M6 junc 34)
Feed Stations –
2 – in Shap and Staverley villages