A two-day circular started with an overnight in the brilliant camping pods at Grinton YHA, and a walk to the Black Bull in Reeth for Theakstons and a great pub supper (after which the landlord drove us back to the hostel!). Up in the morning, and up it was, south over the moor to Wensley, then up again over the moor to Coverdale, and then SW up Coverdale and down Park Rash into Kettlewell. From Kettlewell NW to Arncliffe, where the Falcon (aka the original WoolPack), opened up for lunch just as we arrived, massive plates of sandwiches in the sunshine on the green. Then the high and wild road behind Malham, dropping down to Stainforth, excellent coffees from “Sew Hands On” in Horton, up to Ribblehead through crowds of Three Peakers, and then the fast descent (famous for Paddy McGuinness’ Lamborghini “off”) into Hawes. Bikes into the Hostel, lads into the deservedly famous Wensleydale Pantry (hidden upstairs off Hawes main street) for massive calorific intake of lasagne and sticky desserts.

Great breakfast in the hostel, then over the Buttertubs Pass from the South side for an early warm up in gentle mist. Down to Swaledale, and up and over west through Birkdale to Kirkby Stephen, narrowly avoiding kamikaze sheep on the 40 mph descent! Lunch at the White Hare Café, great chili and super friendly, track pump on hand should cyclists need it. Then eastwards to the Tan Hill Pub, steady climbing, with the pub visible long before we reached it. East again, across the top of the dales, and then fast down through Arkengarthdale, Swaledale, and a last niggler of a climb back up to the hostel. 100 miles and 3000 meters of climbing, through some of the most glorious cycling country in the UK. Do it.