Lodge Hill from Chequers

This is something of a wall climb, feeling crazily steep (front wheel lift-off steep) before you go over the brow. I've seen higher gradient figures on my head unit than are shown here, but it's not super steep for very long.

You may be more likely to include this climb in a gravel ride than a road ride, because there's some good off road riding along the ridge from Coombe Hill down to Cobbler's Hill and beyond. Lodge Hill actually offers an easier way to get up there than the off road options, which are soft, loose and rooty.

However Lodge Hill is a through route for road cyclists, although not an easy one. The road surface beyond the Coombe Hill car park falls apart somewhat, even though it's passing through some beautiful woodland. And then you have another wall climb, to Dunsmore village, where it's difficult to carry speed due to a bend, and you're soon rapidly shifting down through your gears to find one you can pedal. Select your small chainring before starting that climb.

So the difficulty of what follows may be a reason that not many people turn up Lodge Hill from the Chequers road.

As with Aston Hill, Lodge Hill is really only the top part of a bigger climb, especially when approaching from Butler's Cross, and you have a significant approach climb to take on even before you make the turning to Lodge Hill. In total the climb is 115m from Butler's Cross. The approach from the south is easier, and you'll only feel it if you're going hard.

For me, Lodge Hill and all it entails is a necessary addition to anybody's list of must do climbs, if you want to say you've done all the main climbs in the Chilterns. But it's part of that "dark heart" of the Chilterns, between the A4010 and the A413, and it fights back.