The gradient ramps up, and you will soon be getting out of the saddle to get over the steepest sections. It reaches a height of 1,489 feet (454 m) and affords great views of the surrounding lakes.

All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Kirkstone Pass - Ambleside by bike. I was racing up the first half, recovered a little in the middle section, but then struggled on the last part.

After 3km, the road levels out and there is a bit of descent.This gives you a little chance for recovery but the second leg is really tough because it finishes with the steepest section right at the end. The Kirkstone Pass Inn stands close to the summit of the pass. The Kirkstone Pass, looking north, with Brother's Water visible in the distance. It’s called A592 and is the Lake District's highest pass that is open to motor traffic. The route takes you on the Lake Districts highest mountain pass, with 1 in 4 gradient in some points along the road. The entire climb is just 4km in length. Formerly an important coaching inn, it now caters primarily for tourists. All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Kirkstone Pass - Ambleside by bike. Caudale slate mine is a few miles further down, on the Ullswater side, and was last worked at the beginning of the 20th century; all its adits are now blocked.

From Troutbeck to the top it is 5 km; the last 5km averages 5%. The hardest section is near the top, where the nice easy gradient gives way to a couple of km of 12-13%.It makes a nice descent. It is the third-highest public house in England.

Brothers Water provides a picturesque view on the descent to Patterdale.

This starts quite steeply at the bottom and is a fourth way!Cheers, That’s quite a lot of the epic Lake District climbs.I’m on a family holiday and was cycling through Ambleside and I saw the struggle and thought “I’ll give it a go” very tough work for someone used to Lincolnshire flat lanes trying kirkstone from Windermere tonightTejvan, you’ve missed out another route that misses out much of the fighting with tourist traffic:I like this route and it offers great views across the top of Lake Windermere.I would also say that the toughest section of Kirkstone Pass from the south is earlier in the climb, after the Queens Head Hotel.

Explore the route with streetviews, photos,videos, weather reports as well as browse other routes in the area.

There's a descent in there, and gradients of 22…

There are two wicked hairpins at 20% before you finally reach the Kirkstone Inn at the top of the climb.

For a considerable distance, the gradient is between 18%-20%. The other two ways, on the main road (A592) are less steep, but make good long challenging climbs.” There are three primary routes up to Kirkstone Pass: from Penrith, from Ambleside, and from Troutbeck.From Penrith  (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, Britain #83), 236,200 hectares (583,663 acres) established in 1951: “The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. It is a long unremitting hill climb, punctuated by a few false flats and sections of downhill. If you love climbing by bike and would like more detailed information on the world’s top bike climbs, join our PJAMM Cycling group and receive our Special Edition Climb Report.
It is the shortest in distance but the steepest and requires over 400 metres of climbing. The route takes you on the Lake Districts highest mountain pass, with 1 in 4 gradient in some points along the road.

Kirkstone Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria.It is at an altitude of 1,489 feet (454 m).This is the Lake District's highest pass that is open to motor traffic and it connects Ambleside in the Rothay Valley to Patterdale in the Ullswater Valley - the A592 road. The inn was restored after having fallen derelict in 1847. Known as The Struggle, Kirkstone Pass from Ambleside is a BEAST. Wordsworth described the pass eloquently and evocatively:-A few yards from the roadside, stands the large stone from which the pass derives its name, The views from the pass of Brothers Water are impressive. The road to the pass is asphalted. Ullswater side – 3.3 miles.

The Fred Whitton Challenge starts off with the Kirkstone Pass, but with common sense tackles, the longer and shallow ascent from the South.The ascent from Ullswater is another great climb. If you are feeling particularly keen, The Struggle is a really great climb to tackle. They can only descend the sharp hairpins quite slowly.A really scenic climb, the maximum gradient on this climb is 16%, there are several  hairpins and places for recovery.

At 454m the Kirkstone road is the highest pass in the Lake District that is open to traffic, the gradient is 1 in 4 in places. Kirkstone Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. There is another route from Troutbeck, which joins the Ambleside road at the Kirkstone Pass Inn. Its shadow resembles a steeple; 'kirk' means church in old In local names the climb from Ambleside is known as View route map, streetviews, images, slideshows, videos and more for this cycling route to the top of Kirkstone Pass - Ambleside, United Kingdom. The average percentage thus is 7.3 %. The most difficult ascent is from Ambleside, otherwise known as The Struggle.

The gradient is shallow until you get out of Windermere. The hardest is ‘The Struggle’ which takes the shortest route from Ambleside to Kirkstone Pass. It connects Ambleside in the Rothay Valley to Patterdale in the Ullswater valley – the A592 road. Impressive stuff, you must be in fine form!…… 8.58 km ride with 385 m of climbing, average grade of 3.9 %. The … Places to Stop: None Yet Stated; If you would like to place a link to your “place to stop” please get in touch. At 454m the Kirkstone road is the highest pass in the Lake District that is open to traffic, the gradient is 1 in 4 in places.