Staying near Ambleside in the summer and looking at a bit of local riding I quite fancied doing Garburn pass then back through Jenkin Wood. Whats Garburn like these days? I have heard that in the recent-ish past it was improvec/santisied, but that it has also been badly damaged by the flooding

So is it a dull sanatised canal towpath, a washed out unrideable boulder fest, back to its old glory or a combination of all three?

I’m likely riding up from Kentmere and down to Troutbeck to fit in to the route

Thanks

Same as it’s always been, last time I rode it. That’s a nice wee ride, throw in the 3 rivers descent too – head out of kentmere toward staveley, and after a bit turn left at longhouses up onto staveley head fell, then turn right and descend back to the road. Then high borrans back to troutbeck.

From memory a couple of years back the ascent was much smoother than 15 years ago. That is ascending from Ambleside. The far side seemed looser and bumpier

The drop to Kentmere is still pretty wild – loose and rocky with plenty going on. I always enjoy it. The drop to Troutbeck is pretty smooth with just a few steeper rocky ramps that are cleanable on the way up, so not much of a challenge on the way down. Give us a shout (email on profile) if you need other route info from the area.

Good to here, as I’m up there a week on Monday to do Garburn and Nan bield

Double post

i personlly wouldn’t bother doing it that way round, some pushing up for a fast mainly smooth ride down. going up the troutbeck side is an easy pedal up for a good rough loose descent. easy enough to get from kentmere back to troutbeck via high borrans(as mentioned above also worth adding in 3 rivers as it only adds a few miles on the way to high borrans)and then back to ambleside via jenkins which is another good descent

Defo not from kentmere over, go from troutbeck.

thanks for all the advice – much appreciated. We’re staying near the Brockhole visitor centre, so plan was to go up the bridleway from there to Townend, lane past High Borrans and the bridleway to Kentmere, then up and over Garburn, Limfit Park, Troutbeck then Jenkin Crag back to Ambleside. Then try and persuade the wife to pick me up from a pub there rather than try to ride along the A591. But I’ll look at how it can be done the other way
Thanks again

After you’ve done Jenkins crag, have a beer in Ambleside at the waterside, then head up past holbeck ghyll back over. Happy days.

I much prefer the descent from the Kentmere side down to Troutbeck as I think the surface heading down into Kentmere is awful.

if it was wain lane you where planning on going up from near brockhole it got very washed out in the floods, unrideable although its a while since i tried to ride it. should be easy enough to do your ride the other way, when you return past high borrans go up dubbs road then drop down to limfit. if you climb up to garburn from near the church(back towards windermere a bit) theres a short section at the start thats a challenge to clear when its wet, only ever seen 1 person do it.

going up the troutbeck side is an easy pedal up for a good rough loose descent.

Assuming you are “fit” 😉
Still a bit of pushing for some of us 🙄

if it was wain lane you where planning on going up from near brockhole it got very washed out in the floods, unrideable although its a while since i tried to ride it.

It was a mess when I rode up it a few weeks ago 🙁

I much prefer the descent from the Kentmere side down to Troutbeck as I think the surface heading down into Kentmere is awful.

Bless. I thought this was a mountain bike forum. It’s pretty much the main reason I drive 2.5 hrs to the lakes, for ‘awful surfaces’….. 😆

I must have missed the memo that said it’s only mountain biking if it’s how someone else said it should be.

I must have missed the memo that it has to be suitable for a rigid 23c.

I must have missed the memo that it has to be suitable for a rigid 23c.

I don’t recall anyone saying that. I expressed an opinion on which way around the loop *I* prefer to ride it whereas you’ve just come across as a bit of a cock 🙂

going up the troutbeck side is an easy pedal up for a good rough loose descent.

Assuming you are “fit”
Still a bit of pushing for some of us

maybe i didn’t word that very well, a couple of sections take quite a bit of effort to pedal up, by easy i mean nothing technical to climb.

Whatever, I do try to refrain from calling people cocks, but if it makes you happy….. carry on Simon.

The drop to Kentmere can be a bit devisive amongst our group up here, it’s deffo on the technical side, if your running a short travel bike ( I ride a Scott spark) it’s in places borderline unrideable maybe with 160mm and a dropper mileage may vary. 3 rivers is ace, as is the other side over the valley up green quarter

Hi
As above up from Troutbeck and down into Kentmere.
It’s definitely technical going down but with commitment it’s doable- cleaned it the last half dozen times I’ve done it on bikes from 150mm 26ers to mid travel 29ers and hard tails of both variants. You have to be committed though!!!
Only cleaned it up once-you do have to be fit!!!
I’m nowt special and I can do it so just go for it.
It’s one of my favourite rides-enjoy.
Cheers
Steve

Those saying you’ve cleaned it – do you really mean up from Kentmere? That looks like a big push to us, though I expect someone could do it. Up the troutbeck side is just a long stiff climb. Or at least it was for us, the once we were there a couple of years ago (on a tandem). Don’t think we stopped except for a gate and/or photo?

@thecaptain
To clarify cleaned it once riding up from Troutbeck definitely NOT up from Kentmere! Only pushed up once and vowed never again!
Don’t really see any reason why I would do it that way round again.
Cheers
Steve

i’ve only pushed up the kentmere side once not long after i had started riding, there won’t be many people that can ride that side. i would expect anyone who does a lot of lakes riding to be fit enough to clear the ride up the troutbeck side.

Rode the pass twice this week whilst on hollibobs nearby, heading east to Kentmere both times. Rode up Dubs Road to the pass, which required a couple of pushes (I’m from Essex…) but it’s a nice gradient and the surface is decent for a climb.

The descent to Kentmere is really enjoyable and I’d definitely recommend descending in this direction. I rode it on a 26 120mm full sus and found it just the right side of challenging. There was only one bit I failed to clear but it does require commitment.

Meadowplatts Plantation back towards Stavely is a good ‘un too.

I went up to Nan Bield from Kentmere as well. The switchbacks at the beginning are bonkers – I certainly didn’t clear all that! At the moment it is quite boggy further down though.

Enjoy!

I doubt anyone has cleared it up the garburn pass from Kentmere. it would be hard climb if they tarmacked it all never mind as is.

Up the other way by Dubbs is threshold in places but doable by a fittish rider.

Its horrible if you did nan bield first and it hurts then. Never cleared it in the wet personally.

only people on fat bikes can clear the climb up Garburn from Kentmere Hall and you have to be bang on with your tyre pressures 🙂