Buttertubs Pass
Any road that includes the word 'Pass' usually fills me with fear and dread!
Buttertubs Pass does that to me now.
We actually did this and then continued to Fleet Moss but this was my favourite.
We climbed this from the North which is regarded as the toughest side. There are
two section of very steep gradient. Cliff Gate Road is steep from the outset and
very open and exposed to the elements. It gets tougher as you go into the steep 25%
hairpins. A nasty headwind here had us struggling to get forward and stay upright.
The reward for this is the best bit of the climb with a snaking downhill
with a sheer drop to the left thankfully fenced off. The final is a 20% grovel
to the end, not as tough as the first as it is a little more sheltered.
Where
Leave the B6270 just south of Thwaite in Swaledale and turn onto
Cliff Gate Road. Follow all the way up and over to Hawes.
