Highmoors Sportive

A sportive taking in some challenging & spectacular climbs throughout Teesdale & Weardale based from Appleby-in-Westmorland. Expect a lot of climbing and descending with a good mix of terrain, from quiet lanes to open moorland. Starting & finishing in Appleby there are three routes to choose from: 170km, 115km and 45Km options. The routes initially wind through quiet lanes through the Eden Valley then into Middleton-in-Teesdale via Stainmore Common. Route 1/170km then takes in the awesome climbs of Bollihope Common (511m) & Crawleyside (474m) over moorland roads to Blanchland, Allenheads village, then back into Teesdale over Langdon Common at 630m the highest point on the course. The route then passes through upper Teesdale over Harwood Common past the ski tows, before descending into Garrigill & tackling Hartside Pass (577m) the last major climb of the day. There is a fantastic sweeping descent from Hartside to the village of Melmerby before returning to Appleby. Route 2/115km follows the same course to Middleton-in-Teesdale, then heads west through upper Teesdale via the villages of Newbiggin & Langdon Beck. You then follow the same course as route 1 over Harwood Common & Hartside Pass to finish at Appleby.