コープランドの峠・トップ14

stunning views

The Three Shires Stone at the top of Wrynose Pass is the meeting point of the former counties of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland. Now most people pass over en-route elsewhere. The road to east and west is single track with a few passing places. There is a small amount of parking here. Walkers often ascend up to Red Tarn to the north from here or south onto the Coniston fells.

Sty Head at 1,601 feet (488 m) is the summit of the mountain pass between Wasdale and Borrowdale. Great Gable rises to the north and the Scafells are to the south. Mountain Rescue has a stretcher box here to aid rescue in this mountainous area. It makes an excellent navigational aid.

Very very steep climb

Very very steep in places

Very very steep for road bike

The Wrynose Pass connects Little Langdale with the Duddon and provides hillwalkers with a high start point for the surrounding Wainwrights. To the south, the Coniston Group can be easily accessed, while Pike o' Blisco and Cold Pike are just as easily claimed to the north. There's quite a bit of parking along the road though it can get very busy in the height of summer.

One of the finest climbs in the British Isles. Pace it well and don’t try and go hard on the first steep bit so you can recover enough for the final sting in the tail on the ‘flat’ bit.