After fueling up on a colossal Weatherspoons breakfast (and after managing to escape Kendal's chaotic one way system), we were soon on the long climb to Shap fell on the old A6.

Despite the weather deteriorating as we climbed, we made good time with just a little bit of a twinge from my knees. Our 'northern nemesis', the ongoing headwind, was in fine form so our descent to Shap village was somewhat slower than expected. My knees were starting to get a touch painful, so I dosed up on ibuprofen, tubigrips and jaffa cakes.

At Penrith a cafe stop was in order, partly for refuelling reasons, but also as we reckoned we now had cracked the halfway mark!

The final 18 miles were on a delightfully straight and easy going lane, seeing us arrive in Carlisle just after 6pm.

Tomorrow should prove to be interesting with the snow forecast.....