Killer Climbs - Peat Lane

Less than a mile from Pateley Bridge this climb feels surprisingly remote.  A brutal climb used locally for hill climb training (some will do reps believe it or not) or as a traffic free alternative to Greenhow Hill as it has negligible traffic, and as such it can be included in a number of popular longer routes.

As with all our Killer Climbs there is no gentle warm up to Peat Lane, so you will want to arrive at the foot of this climb with a warm set of legs.

Climb Guide Part one: Steep and nasty

You begin by the locally renowned False Tooth Bridge with a sharp kick that quickly reaches 25%, snaking left and right. As if that wasn’t enough the road surface is rough and deteriorated, often wet and greasy from over hanging trees so cadence control, not just power, is needed.

These bends serve as the qualifier, the warm up for the climb proper which is a series of straight lengths each of differing severity and distance. Enjoy the short rest section (just a gentle one in ten) before the road kicks back up to 20% for 100 meters of leg burning gradient.

Then a brief rest and another 100 meters, this time around 15% which may as well be 20% given what you’ve already put your legs through.   The 15% then mellows to 12, to 10 and finally levels off, before a short gentle downward slope allows you to notch up the gears and spin out the lactic acid.

Part two: Spin it to win it

Often this brief downward gradient would signal the end of the ‘Climb’, but not on Peat lane.   This is the half-way point, the climb now resumes with three longer stretches of 400m, 200m and then 400m again, each with a lesser gradient than before starting at 6%.   So its eyes down, get into time-trial mode and find your tempo for each of these lengths.  However you will want to keep something back, because the last 100 meters kicks back up to 10%, those who have their eye on a Strava KOM will want to bound into this with some gusto. The finish point for the Peat Lane Killer Climb is the entrance to the Coldstones Cut on your left.

Cautionary Notes.

Descending Peat lane should be done with EXTREME CAUTION, the road is steep with a degraded road surface, loose chippings, limited visibility and tight corners. While quiet it does get vehicles as there are several farms and properties along the lane.    See the rest of Nidderdale's Killer Climbs here.