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Cold Dark North

@colddarknorth

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Come explore the Cold Dark North with us... We're making exciting adventures, top-notch races, routes & group rides in the #ColdDarkNorth

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🚨 THE STRUGGLE HILL CLIMB 2026 — UNFILTERED Audio🚨

Having never done a hill climb race before, this is exactly the kind of video I was looking for beforehand.

Not the polished version.
Not the “I’m absolutely smashing it” version.

The actually racing up a 24% gradient and questioning every life decision version. 😂

So, putting any pride or self-respect to one side… here I am, struggling up The Struggle — with all the stats to prove it:

📍 4.8km
⛰️ 403m elevation
💀 24% max gradient
⏱️ 21:37 official time
🏆 13th female
🤝 9th team
🥇 Team with the 3 fastest riders

And probably the stat I’m most proud of:

🚴‍♀️ I’d only been riding for 1 year & 5 months.

This was my first ever hill climb race, and honestly, having the actual unfiltered audio makes it so much more real. You can hear exactly how much I was suffering 😂

The atmosphere was unreal, and a massive thank you to everyone who organised, raced, supported, shouted encouragement and captured these moments.

Would you race up The Struggle… or would you absolutely NOT be caught dead doing this? 😂👇

#cycling #cyclist #roadbike #bikegirl #lakedistrictcycling taken in The Lake District, Cumbria by @colddarknorth

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a day ago

A little totally impromptu throw back to September 2023 and our (still) Not A Thing bike packing adventure with lots of great humans. Seems like a lifetime ago… 💚💙💖

It was fun looking back over some photos on the blog here earlier: https://www.colddarknorth.co.uk/post/still-not-a-thing-really 📸😍🙏

Good times on bicycles with friends. More of that, really. 🧃🍫🤟

#colddarknorth #notathing #ukgravel #bikepacking

(Apologies on a few photos - forgotten whom to credit! 🙄🤣😬) taken in Salter Fell by @colddarknorth

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5 days ago

The Struggle on Film 🎞️

To round out my photos from last Sundays event for now, here’s a collection of the shots I took on film, focusing a little more on the event as a whole, rather than just the riders coming up the hill.

Love how these turned out, inspired to take my film camera to a race by @adam_winfield_media

I’ll add the full batch to my website where they can all be view properly by all.

📸: Olympus OM-10 @omsystem.cameras
🎞️: @ilfordphoto HP5 35mm
🧪: @takeiteasylab
📍: The Struggle, Ambleside
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#cyclingphotos #shootfilmstaypoor #blackandwhitephotography #colddarknorth #hillclimbracing by @colddarknorth

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8 days ago

I wish every ride I did could end with photos like these! 💙💚💙💚

@lewisguyphotography captured some incredible shots-not just of me, but of the whole COLD DARK NORTH team and so many other riders taking part in The Struggle Hill Challenge.

Every photo tells a different story of the pain and suffering we all went through while climbing that beast! 😂

Once again, a huge thank you for the support, the atmosphere and the memories! ❤️ taken in Lake District by @colddarknorth

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8 days ago

Absolutely buzzin’ at The Struggle Hill Climb again this year! 🐮🛎️🥰

There might have been a little fewer folks at the top than when the Nationals rolled through, but this event MORE THAN makes up for it with the badass athletes attacking their terminal efforts on horrific gradients, the feral spectators making a racket and the amazing volunteers and supporters that make it run so very smoothly! 💚💙🙏

Like an overly proud parent, we’re insanely in awe of our incredible sponsored athletes this year - Sophie, Paula, Zoe, Hamza and Tracey all smashing up the Struggle - with Tracey even throwing down so many watts that her bike couldn’t hack the strength and snapped a spoke with 100m to go! Heartbreaking. But no less impressive an effort for a short finale stroll! ⚡️👏😱

Big shout out too to all the ace snappers and content creators that make the effort to show up, capture and promote this wonderful cycling family! We’re lucky to be able to use @lewisguyphotography’s lovely shots here - how good are the black and white FILM shots! 🖤🤍🎞️

#cycling #colddarknorth #stabbybastardhills #hillclimb

(Also, how lovely to see Chris and Pete’s jersey designs racing up the mountain! 🥰🥰🥰) taken in The Struggle Ambleside by @colddarknorth

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8 days ago

Struggly McStruggleface 😱😱😱

Congratulations to this year’s Struggle Hill Climb Pain Face Award Winner - Kerry Mellor of Kendal CC. A truly splendid face, one she can be very proud of. Apparently her mother has already ordered the large high res print for framing in the entrance hall. 🤪🖼️🥰

Kerry also wins a free shot at our swag store: colddarknorth.co.uk/swag 👏👏👏

Thanks to the very awesome Lewis Guy for the use of his photos from the event and thanks to everyone that voted and shared the various rounds of knockouts. See you up there next year for more of the same? 🐮🛎️📯

#cycling #colddarknorth #painface #stabbybastardhills taken in The Struggle Ambleside by @colddarknorth

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10 days ago

🚨 THE STRUGGLE HILLCLIMB 2026 FULL BREAKDOWN 🚨

4.8km.
403m elevation.
24% max gradient. 💀

And…. I voluntarily raced up it.

My first ever hill climb race — and The Struggle was certainly one way to get introduced to them 😂

Here’s the full breakdown:
⏱️ Official time: 21:37
🏆 13th female
🤝 9th team
🥇 Team with the 3 fastest riders

And the bit I’m probably most proud of is my own personal challenge having only been riding for 1 year & 5 months 🚴‍♀️

The atmosphere was absolutely unreal and thank you everyone for all the support, organisation, encouragement and images/videos!

This is the first of a few Struggle videos coming your way —👇 FOLLOW for the unfiltered audio video because… yeah i STRUGGLED.

Were you there for The Struggle 2026 — or would you absolutely NOT be caught dead racing up this thing? 😂👇

#cycling #cyclist #roadbike #bikegirl #lakedistrictcycling taken in The Lake District, Cumbria by @colddarknorth

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12 days ago

Let the public have what they want! 😱😬🗳️

All this week on our Instagram stories you can vote for the best Pain Face Award from this year’s Struggle Hill Climb. A particularly bitter sweet prize for whomever wins it, obviously. As far as we know, no faces were (permanently) harmed in the making of these photos. 🫣🫣🫣

It’s the quarter finals on Monday, semis on Tuesday and then the final will be on Wednesday with the result on Thursday. Thanks to the very excellent Lew for these brilliant shots - they really capture the atmosphere inside the minds of a rider nearing the top of this famous climb! 💚💙🤪

Winner will get a free go on our swag page at colddarknorth.co.uk/swag

#cycling #colddarknorth #painface #strugglehillclimb taken in The Struggle Ambleside by @colddarknorth

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13 days ago

Struggle Hill Climb ‘26 is a wrap!💥

2.7 miles of torture, willing participants and a load of cowbell!

It feels like 2 hill climbs joined together only separated by short breather in the middle. 20%+ gradients lead you up to the 446m of elevation at the top.

Huge efforts from everyone riding and supporting - it’s not just about your own struggle but everyone else’s; it’s a pleasure to watch everyone in the pain cave giving it their all to the finish line. 🏁

NLTTA Championships 💪

🎥 @toe_rag

#wheelbasecycles #strugglehillclimb #lakedistrict taken in The Struggle - Kirkstone Pass by @colddarknorth

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13 days ago

🚨 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

Tomorrow I’m riding The Struggle.
2.7 miles 4.8kms.
403m elevation.
24% max gradient. 💀

Cyclists are f***** insane.

If you’ve done it before — GIVE ME YOUR TIPS.
If you’re supporting tomorrow — where will you be?! 👀

Riding or spectating? 👇

#cycling #roadbike #cyclist #bikegirl #lakedistrictcycling taken in The Lake District, Cumbria by @colddarknorth

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15 days ago

👋 The A Team! Introducing this year’s Cold Dark North sponsored riders for The Struggle Hill Climb… 👋

This year we’re delighted to be backing @cycling_paula, @zjlock, @_sophiekirkby, @hamzehalsamwi and @tee_racey in their attempts at this monster hill climb that we love so much! Please give them a follow and let them have your encouragement - better still, grab a cow bell, some pots and pans, a klaxon or a horn and come and cheer them on at the top of Kirkstone Pass with us on 20 September! 🐮🛎️📯

We’re honoured to be able to make it a little bit easier for these riders from often underrepresented groups to take part. But the truth is that everyone’s welcome at the Struggle. So you still have time to put your entry in and join them at the start line (not literally, obviously, you start at 60 second intervals!). Why not treat yourself to some lovely Type 2 fun?! ⛰️🔪😬

Get your entry in here: https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/events/42676 (they close in 3 days)

#hillclimb #climbhighertogether #colddarknorth #cycling taken in The Struggle Ambleside by @colddarknorth

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23 days ago

We’ve chosen our team of sponsored riders for this year’s Struggle Hill Climb - more on them soon! 💚💙👏

But everyone else has 6 days left to enter! We checked with @strugglehillclimb and the entry levels are already HEALTHY! Why not come and join the field? We’ll be there with bells and whistles to make it as loud as possible for you… 🐮🛎️📯

There are guaranteed Fred Whitton places up for grabs too! 👀⛰️🙏

Entries are still open here: https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/events/42676

#cycling #hillclimb #colddarknorth #stabbybastardhills taken in The Struggle Ambleside by @colddarknorth

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a month ago