OXNOP SCAR

ASKRIGG, LEYBURN

Taking Cross Top Road out of Swaledale, you immediately hit a 25% right-hand hairpin with a rough and deteriorating surface. This gradient is maintained through a very steep left-hand bend, with the surface on the apex almost impossible to ride – here you are forced right, so take care. The climb continues past a farm and bears right; although the gradient eases here, it is still 18%, and it’s not until you reach a 350-yard sign that you can back off. From here on the ride is a joy. It has a great surface; climbing, dipping, and switching left then right, it’s a rollercoaster of a road, always heading upwards but with so many twists and drops that as soon as your momentum is stolen, you’ve a chance to claw it back. Push on the short rises, recover on the downs, and you will sail to the summit. The surface is somewhat heavy-going but is in excellent condition right up to the top, past the intersection with a track on your left.