Cumbrian climber Anna Taylor, who honed her skills on the sheer rock faces of Borrowdale, has completed the Lake District leg of her marathon circuit of the UK’s toughest climbs.
The 23-year-old is attempting to be the first female to complete a continuous round of every route that features in Classic Rock, the iconic guidebook written by Ken Wilson.
The climbs are located around the UK, from the north-west Highlands of Scotland, to the spine of Wales and to the south west tip of Cornwall.
Carrying all her kit, she will cycle between each set of routes, covering 2400km and climbing more than 10,000m.
“Over the past year and a half, just about every plan I’ve had in terms of trying to put together an adventure style trip has been foiled thanks to Covid,” said Anna, who started climbing at the age of 10, but didn’t take up the sport professionally until she was 19.
“But I thought it would be the perfect time to come up with something UK based. I’ve always wanted to try cycle touring, so after a bit of thought, linking together all of the Classic Rock routes by bike became my plan for the summer.”
Having completed gruelling legs in Wales and the Peak District, Anna headed home to the Lakes last week, where she attempted nine climbs, including Shepherd’s Crag and Black Crag in Borrowdale.
She is now having a brief rest before the final part of the tour, which will see her cycle to Scotland.
