The 2025 Challenge
This was an even tougher route than usual, with well over 6,000ft (nearly 2,000m) of ascent. After a bit of gravel leaving Ludlow, the hills up to View Edge and Edgton before the 1st feedstop at Ledbury North were merely a warm-up. The big climb was up to the Stiperstones from a very rough lane out of Linley, but it was rewarded by the magnificent descent to the 2nd feedstop at The Bridges Youth Hostel, Ratlinghope. The climbing continued over the Long Mynd, between Caer Caradoc and The Lawley, over Wenlock Edge and half way up the Brown Clee to the 3rd feedstop at Abdon. The final leg around the Brown Clee to Cleobury North had its own climbs up to Burwarton and then a very lumpy if fine descent to Ludlow via Hopton Cangeford. The weather was good and feedback included:
Another great route and so well organised with the usual abundance of food and drink. All very much appreciated. Karen P
Yet another successful event! š¤šš I’ve ridden this event every year for the last 20 odd years. Now considering every year is a different route, quite how you keep finding new hills is beyond me! Great and challenging routeā¦.Thanks to the army of volunteers for all the hard work making it such a wonderful event. Alan W
Thank you to all the organisers and everyone who rode with me today for your company. Splendid scenery and a great route. Louise L
What great day today, tough tough route, really enjoyed it.
Great organisation and feedstops.. well done, see you next year. Ian M
The 2024 Challenge
After leaving Ludlow on an unseasonably cold morning, riders climbed the southern flank of Titterstone Clee Hill and crossed Shropshire Wildlife Trustās Catherton Common. They āup-and-downed’ their way towards Shropshireās highest hill, the Brown Clee, skirting its north side via Ditton Priors before descending to Corvedale and climbing over Wenlock Edge. After skirting Caer Caradocās massif, they started the big Inwood climb on the Long Mynd and descended dramatically to follow Darnford Brook to the Bridges, and then rode under Norbury Hill. The final stage took them down the Onny valley and on to Ludlow Castle. They rode 65.9 miles (106 km) and climbed 5,318 feet (1,621 metres) and saw the Shropshire Hills National Landscape at its finest. Feedback included:
Great course, excellent feed stations, couldnāt fault anything, good day out
A fabulous ride with brilliant support. Please pass on my thanks to all of your wonderful volunteers
Thank you for another great route
Great fun event & well organised. Good to see so many riders out enjoying some of what Shropshire is all about!
Yet another absolutely top draw event
It’s a very enjoyable event and I look forward to doing it again
This was my second ride and I really enjoyed the whole day. Obviously it was made easier and better by cake, tea and friendly volunteers making me feel very welcome. While I really enjoyed the ride and the scenery my high light was having a quick chat with Danny! Thanks to everyone and hopefully see you next year
The light touch to the organisation was perfectly judged, although I know that thereās an awful lot of work goes into achieving this feel
…a fabulous day! The route and refreshments were really great. We particularly enjoyed the steep climb up onto the Mynd which we hadn’t been up before – very pretty and certainly tested us!
The 2023 Challenge
A 65 mile westerly route with 5,348 feet of climbing, riders left Ludlow via its racecourse and followed an old Roman road before climbing above the River Clun and descending Clunton Coppice to stop for refreshments in Clunbury. The route explored the wilds of the old Clun Forest under the Kerry Ridgeway before lunch at Newcastle-on-Clun. A ferocious climb out of Newcastle led to a beautiful and remote section down to the Teme valley and the final refreshment stop at Bucknell. The return to Ludlow required riders to climb the High Vinnalls pass. Feedback included:
I’d just like to convey my sincere appreciation for all the hard work you and all the volunteers put in to make this year’s ride the success it was. As ever the course was tough and I certainly found it challenging but thoroughly rideable. The views were epic and the welcomes at the food stations warm. Thanks again for organising such a great ride. MW
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the ride yesterday. Definitely a challenge but nothing you hadnāt warned us about. Glorious countryside and great people to chat to on the way. Thanks for your hard work in setting this up and to all the other volunteers. DL
I just wanted to let you know how much me and my wife enjoyed yesterdays ride, well, apart from that very steep hill after lunch! Thank you for organising the DMHC. Thanks also to everyone who was manning the feed stations, carparking and marshalling. I couldn’t believe how quiet the roads were, car free. I grew up in All Stretton and while I knew alot of the names of villages and towns, the route was brilliantly devised to disappear off into the back country. RH
We certainly had a brilliant time and the route was fantastic! And all the people at the refreshment sites so cheery and helpful. BJ
The 2022 Challenge
Another great day out in the Shropshire sunshine with a route that went north of the Severn to skirt the Wrekin. Feed stops were at Ditton Priors, Little Wenlock and Church Preen/Hughley. We raised over Ā£3,000 for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
The three most appreciated features of the 2022 event were the route, the organisation and the food, which does sort of vindicate where we put the most volunteer effort.
Below are a few favourite comments which capture what the event is about:
Abs brill – thanks (Ali A)
Friendly support; well organised (LB)
Bloody loved it. Thanks (Andrew B)
Awesome (Nathan C & Tony N)
Knackered! (Susannah C, Robert J, Jason S)
Great day and even better for meeting Danny Mason (Reha D)
Great ride, great food & drink – thank you all (Brian E)
Great route. Fab organisation & brilliant food stops. Thank you (Jolanta K)
Fab as ever (Stafford M)
Brilliant. My first time (Peter W)
2021 Highland Challenge
It was great to be back after Covid meant that we had to cancel 2020’s event. The route took in Wenlock Edge en route to a feed stop in Edgton, then via Bishops Castle and the Unk valley to Newcastle feed stop, over the Anchor and Bettws y Crwyn ridge to Clun feed stop and back to Ludlow over a ford and down the Clun valley. We fund-raised for Shropshire Wildlife Trust for the first time, raising approximately Ā£3,000.
What folk said:
The route was just fantastic, true to the Highlands Challenge’s magical one-off atmosphere. Danny Mason
What an amazing day. Russell
Thanks to the organisers for another fine event. Excellent challenging route, great atmosphere. Steve
We loved it from beginning to end – fab instructions, stunning route and scrumptious food. Bryony
Thank you for another scenic day, testing route (it is a challenge) great food. Tim
…absolutely fantastic event & atmosphere. Tim
Once again another cracking event and even more so given the circumstances. Alan
A great event again, thanks for organising another cracking route and all the support that goes around it. Robert
Fantastic venue, feed stations out of this world, big thanks. Les
Really enjoyed it. Great route. Greg
Best route! All loved it. Stourbridge Cycling Club
Excellent feed stations, well organised. Ordered the weather! Anonymous
Brilliant event. Friendly. Great food & drink supplies. Geoff
Route first class! Really good, food xxxxx brilliant. Fantastic day. Andy
Brilliant!! Superb course. Will
Really challenging but fabulous views & feed stops. Huw & Anna
Fantastic event. Well organised. Andy
It was a perfect, and quality, day, my first time at the event, and I certainly hope to be back! Gill
…my eighteenth highland challenge and certainly one of the best. Michael
The route was absolutely fabulous and the organisation was faultless. James S
Fantastic route Helen
Great day out! Thanks James D
