They say round these parts that there is nothing to the east of Pinhaw (388 metres) until you meet the Urals and whilst the sceptic might ponder “‘appen so”, the refreshing winds, as today, coming from the West Siberian Plain can be very persuasive. Pinhaw lies just off the Carleton in Craven (near Skipton) to Colne Road and in both directions provides long steady climbs (the road totalling 9 miles). It is the turn point for several fell races.

John McAdam’s finest does not take you right up to the trig point although on the Colne side a few hundred yards away the road does take you right up to the gates of a BT antennae installation which at 363 metres gives you a nice view of Pinhaw and, who knows, the Urals too?

For those who really like riding their bikes right up to an OS trig point Leeds can, of course, oblige because the Scott Hall OS pillar is set between the dual carriageways of the A61 Leeds-Harrogate Road (SE 30054 36382).

Anyway 30 miles,3100 feet and views of Russia. Allegedly