Harptree Hill
GR 552568 (junction with A368) to GR 543552 (Gibbett's Brow)
Height Gain: 150m Horizontal Distance: 2.2km Category: 3
When I did the parallel route up Highfield Lane I said that I was hoping for a better surface on this one. It is. The road is considerably wider, a number of vehicles passed me while I was on the climb and none of them involved a dive into the hedge which would have been the only solution on the other route.
The base of the climb is easy to find, the road down from the A368 to Chew Valley Lake is clearly marked. It could be argued that you should start this climb from the road by the lake, but I'd been that way a few days previously so I decided that the road in from Blagdon was enough compensation. Purists - there's a car park by Chew Valley Lake, but be warned, you'll be climbing from the outset if you use it.
From the junction the pull starts fairly easily but once it kicks in it stays there - this hill does not let go until you reach the junction with Western Lane. There's a twisting section (on really wide road) past Beaconsfield Farm where by staying well left on the road you can keep to a reasonable gradient - I guess this is the bit that shows steepest on the cross-section, but in the main, this is a hill where you (I) adopt a pretty low gear and keep on pushing the pedals round, only your pain threshold will determine your pace. Once you're through those bends and the bit immediately above it, the angle eases back just
enough as you get in sight of the Wellsway Arms. You can't stop - you haven't finished the hill! You've climbed 86m in the first 750m of the climb, that's an average of 1 in 8.7 (or 11.5%). The steepest section through the bends is about 1 in 6 according to the map and the cross-section above, that feels about right even though there is no arrow on the map. At least that excellent road surface makes progress only a measure of your leg strength and breathing! All that remains is to finish the hill - but you're past the steep part of this convex bank now so you can steadily wind that pace back up...
Summary: Rather better than Highfield Lane, which deals with the same challenge in effect. This route forms part of a logical north-south ride passing Chew Vally Lake and up on to the Mendips. Go do it!
DP
GR 552568 (junction with A368) to GR 543552 (Gibbett's Brow)
Height Gain: 150m Horizontal Distance: 2.2km Category: 3
When I did the parallel route up Highfield Lane I said that I was hoping for a better surface on this one. It is. The road is considerably wider, a number of vehicles passed me while I was on the climb and none of them involved a dive into the hedge which would have been the only solution on the other route.
The base of the climb is easy to find, the road down from the A368 to Chew Valley Lake is clearly marked. It could be argued that you should start this climb from the road by the lake, but I'd been that way a few days previously so I decided that the road in from Blagdon was enough compensation. Purists - there's a car park by Chew Valley Lake, but be warned, you'll be climbing from the outset if you use it.
From the junction the pull starts fairly easily but once it kicks in it stays there - this hill does not let go until you reach the junction with Western Lane. There's a twisting section (on really wide road) past Beaconsfield Farm where by staying well left on the road you can keep to a reasonable gradient - I guess this is the bit that shows steepest on the cross-section, but in the main, this is a hill where you (I) adopt a pretty low gear and keep on pushing the pedals round, only your pain threshold will determine your pace. Once you're through those bends and the bit immediately above it, the angle eases back just
enough as you get in sight of the Wellsway Arms. You can't stop - you haven't finished the hill! You've climbed 86m in the first 750m of the climb, that's an average of 1 in 8.7 (or 11.5%). The steepest section through the bends is about 1 in 6 according to the map and the cross-section above, that feels about right even though there is no arrow on the map. At least that excellent road surface makes progress only a measure of your leg strength and breathing! All that remains is to finish the hill - but you're past the steep part of this convex bank now so you can steadily wind that pace back up...
Summary: Rather better than Highfield Lane, which deals with the same challenge in effect. This route forms part of a logical north-south ride passing Chew Vally Lake and up on to the Mendips. Go do it!
DP
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