Cultural Blip Point of Interest: Yorkshire Dales

I had a new hill in mind today, up Langcliffe Scar.  And it didn't disappoint.  I figured it would be a great outing on a lovely day to fit in to Alsacienne's Cultural Blip challenge.  So, in italics, I've noted worthwhile places to visit with a couple of links here and there too. 

When I set off this morning, I seemed to be very quickly  in a food deficit. My bars just weren't touching the sides so it was with joy that I found myself in Ye Old Naked Man cafe in Settle after my first hill for my favourite bike food - baked potato with cheese.  It's been a bit of a day for failed cafe stops.  The first was here as I went to try a new (to me) cafe in the bike shop which had no baked potatoes nor GF bread.  Fail One!

Heading out of Settle and turning right in Langcliffe and it was very quickly uphill.  But beautiful.  And very pleasant cycling.

The internal juke box has been singing a multitude of different tunes today - it's been the perfect Yorkshire day - calm, blue sky, cotton wool clouds and picturesque scenery.  

Once up on the tops, I had views of Malham Tarn as I headed over Malham Moor, crossed the Pennine Way and dropped down into the little dip (blipped) before taking a steep little hairpinned road to the top (just past the trees in the distance on the right.) I passed a cyclist with a double puncture eating lunch followed by his two buddies coming back up the hill to find him.

He had a mouthful, otherwise I guess he would have warned me; the top of Brootes Lane, living up to its name. The cattle grid at the top was partly collapsed and, as I crossed it with a bit of a bump, I heard the unpleasant fizz of a tyre going down.  

At least it wasn't two.  
At least it was sunny and warm.  
At least I had a gorgeous view.

And to top it all, I beat the boys fixing my snakebite puncture. (OK, so they might have all stopped for lunch!)  As I was patching the old one incase I needed another tube, a lovely cyclist in his car reversed back down the hill to check I was OK.  There's lots of thoughtful people around and this guy wasn't the only one today.

As I headed down Littondale, I was already planning a slight detour to my second cafe at Zarina's in Kettlewell (beautiful in all seasons)- punctures deserve cake was my conclusion.  However, THE finest coffee shop was closed on Thursdays.  Gutted was an understatement.  Fail Two. So, I headed to the other one which is not as fine but did the trick.  I met a generous couple who offered me a gluten free cake that they had in their bag to take on my ride home - they must have heard my disappointment!  When they told me that they did have GF bread, I was, however, sorted with egg on toast to fix the big calorie deficit.

Final 25 home now.  But, believe it or not, I was hungry and running out of steam as I dropped into Burnsall.  Lovely tea room there, I thought. Oh, 'eck!  Closed on Thursdays.  Fail Three.

Stuffing my face with another couple of bars as I headed up the hill, I hoped upon hopes that my favourite cafe at Bolton Abbey would be open.  I asked the gods, but quickly concluded that was the wrong request as nobody was going to magic it open.   But yay!  Finally in luck.  So I stopped off for a flapjack and a second caffeine hit in their little courtyard outside before the final pedal home.

Thankfully, I have no psychological barriers to overcome now I've done The Big Lakes ride so I stuck to the flat way home!  I ate very carefully before that ride - must remember to do the same on the day before all biggish rides!  

It's been another fine outing, breathing in the Yorkshire Dales.  Beautiful on foot, on two wheels, touring in a car, and even on the train. We'd love to see you in the Yorkshire Dales, but just three things to note...

1.  Don't all come at once. 
2.  Don't tour on a Thursday unless you've got a packed lunch.
3.  Keep it to yourselves ;)