We arrive at the top of High Cup Nick in the North Pennines. “It’s like the world starts just over there,” comments my friend Mark. He’s pointing down the U-shaped chasm of High Cup Gill, beyond whose

We love the Yorkshire Dales, but in summer it can get quite crowded, with walkers off on adventures up the peaks and the less energetic strolling around the picturesque market towns and villages. In a

5 15.6 km / 9.7 miles / 6 hours Ascent 1080m/3543ft

AS hotel names go, this one’s a little unusual. Across Church Street, where I’m standing in the Welsh Border town of Chirk, is the Hand Hotel. Parts of it date back to 1610, during the reign of James

4 38.9km / 24.2 miles / 12-14 hours Ascent 2927m/9603ft

For any cyclist, the name Fred Whitton sends a shiver down the spine. The annual Fred Whitton Challenge is among the most notorious sportives in Britain, serving its 2,000 participants with 180km of d