If Hardknott is the show-off, Wrynose is its older, grumpier sibling. The two passes are usually ridden together, linking Ambleside and Langdale in the east with Eskdale and the Cumbrian coast in the west, but Wrynose comes first for those heading from the east, and it sets the tone. The road is single-track for much of its length, narrow, with passing places, rough edges and a gradient of one in four on some of the hairpins. At the top, at about 393 metres, there is a bare saddle of grass and boulders, and a modest stone marker in the road called the Three Shire Stone.
The stone stands where three old counties met, Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, and it has stood here since 1816. Today all three lie inside the modern county of Cumbria, but the stone remains, and children like to stand with one foot in each former county. The high ground around is known as Wrynose Bottom, and there is a ford where the River Duddon rises, a short walk away. Fell ponies and sheep graze freely, and they pay little attention to bikes.
The ride from Little Langdale is a fine one, climbing through stone-walled fields, past slate quarries and then onto open fell. The road is narrow and the surface variable, with loose gravel at the sides and potholes after winter, and visibility around the bends is poor, so ride within your limits and be ready to stop. Cars and walkers come in the other direction, and in summer, the pass can be busy with coaches and cyclists, though the road is not suitable for large vehicles. Cloud is common, and rain makes the rock slippery. The best times are a dry spring day or an autumn morning, when the bracken is bronze and the air is clear.
Wrynose Pass is beautiful in an austere way, and it gives access to some of the great walks of the Lake District, including the climb of Pike of Blisco. In the valleys, you pass dry-stone walls, small farms and old slate workings, a reminder that this was industrial country as well as pastoral. The Duddon Valley, which Wordsworth wrote sonnets about, runs from the foot of the pass.
Windermere, about fourteen kilometres away, and Ambleside, a little nearer, have fuel stations and cafés. Check your fuel and carry water. If you plan to ride both Wrynose and Hardknott in one go, allow plenty of time and expect delays.