BOLTBY BANK

BOLTBY, THIRSK

Approaching the North York Moors from the east I am reminded of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World; the high, mysterious plateau rising abruptly from the plains. Arguably the hardest route up it is Sneck Yate Bank, more commonly known as Boltby Bank. Leaving the village of Boltby, ride over a small hill and round a left-hand bend to reach the climb’s base. The going is easy for 100 metres and then you’re into some steep stuff, the first forays taking you a couple of steps up to the turning for Hesketh Grange. Here the road kinks left and right, and then eases to deliver you to the meat of the climb. It’s a real tough slog, 1-in-6 and 1-in-5 all the way, and the steeper it gets, the worse the surface becomes – struggling vehicles’ tyres have torn away the tarmac. At the end of this grind there’s a tight right-hand bend, one more kick of 1-in-5, and then you round a final left-hander to level out.