2026's Dent-ish Appointment
- Tobes
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Our third annual trip to Dent-ish... only 5 ways in and out this year due to the Dent Head landslide still closing the Eastern end of the Valley. But after a one week postponement for concerns over ice - we got away on Saturday 14 March and were treated to another beautiful, sun-soaked day in the Western Dales.
Our third Dent-ish Appointment. Only 5 ways in and out again this year...
This year we tried to fit our Dent-ish Appointment into the unpredicatable season of "Spring-ish" and we thought we'd nailed it, but then snowfall a couple of days before the planned date (and resulting icy roads) forced a week's postponement despite a great "on the day" forecast. The same thing nearly happened a week later! The first feeling of warm winter sunshine and blue skies above, ahead of perhaps one more bitter hit of winter that's the precursor of the actual spring we’re all hoping for. It was during a particularly warm "Idiot's Spring" that we enjoyed the Wild West Ride back in 2019 and the same was true for the first Dent-ish Appointment too - so we have form when it comes to these Spring-ish rides.
Like last year's ride it was a bit nervy with the forecast showing a slim chance of icy verges in the high fells of the Western Dales - and so it was that on the morning of the ride blue skies meant some sparkling lanes (as above) and a decision to change the direction of the route slightly - this took us out on the Northern Loop of the planned route first to maximise main roads dring the colder part of the day. Risk assesment passed. Off we go.
What is an “unReliability Ride”, you ask?
If you’re not sure what a Reliability Ride is, you can read up on their idiosyncratic history here. Ours is not a reliability ride. It's a more chilled, more inclusive thing. Reliability Rides are great, if that’s what you want - but we wanted folks that don’t want that to have a tough early season alternative.
What is the Dent-ish Appointment?
The idea came as our Tobes was out riding his bike a few years back thinking about the ridiculous quality of each of the climbs in the Dent Valley - it wasn’t long before he was planning a route to take in the “best” of each of the six ways into and out of the Dent Valley. This year a smaller group joined us for their Dent-ish Appointment.
Here’s a photo Diary of what we saw over our new 100km route… with the picturesque Dent Head Viaduct off the menu due to a landslide road closure - there were only five ways in and out in 2026.
A tough start!
The Coal Road and Lights Out!
Sadly - it was after taking on the Coal Road that our Tobes realised he wouldn't have the gas to complete the ride - and he took the tough decision to cut his ride short at the rearranged cafe stop in Dent before the others took on the lower loop of the Route - starting with the massive climb of Deepdale! Sometimes you're the nail, right?
Little Red Ambulance NOT enough!
At least we got to see Barbondale thawed out and looking glorious on the drive home!
Here's the full route for you:
A few notes on the ride itself:
Start/Finish at the Public Car Park in Dent:
Dent, Sedbergh LA10 5QJ
Grid ref: SD 7033 8707
Parking is about £8 for the day.
Cafs/Resupplies/Public Toilets: There are public toilets in Dent
The route takes us into and out of Dent twice!
We recommend Seasons Bakery in Ingleton and Mug Story in Sedbergh for stops on this route - but there's also always the Heritage Centre in Dent itself too.
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