Helvellyn « Singletrack Forum

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Helvellyn

44 posts & 21 voices | Started 1 year ago by swoosh | Latest reply from lowey

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Helvellyn route

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Brown - Member

call me old fashioned but when I go mountain biking, I want to actually ride my bike...

I'd have said more 'new fashioned'...

You're likely to be pushing up a few bits no matter where you go in the Lakes. Not worth missing a ride because of it though.

Helvellyn is awesome. If it's been wet, just go up direct from Patterdale. (It's still doable over the Dodds, you'll just push more and get wet feet.) Definitely come down Dollywagon - the steep bit is nothing special, but the bits before, and particularly afterwards, are awesome.

The Borrowdale Bash will probably take around 3 hours going fast, but I've not done it for a while. (You still might find yourself pushing up from Watendlath though).

Posted 10 months ago #
elliptic - Member

so is it much of a hike-a-bike effort whichever go we go up?

Well, yes, as I pointed out upthread...

The Keppel Cove zigzags are rideable in theory but very steep. Anything from ten minutes to an hour of pushing needed, depending on how fit / determined you are to ride as much as you can.

And then the ridge up to Lower Man is definitely not ride-uppable, at all, there's 15-20 mins of carrying up that.

As Brown said all the classic high mountain rides in the Lakes do involve some pushing/carrying, it's part of the deal. It's usually worth it

Posted 10 months ago #
Pook - Member

Agentdagnamit - when I say dull I mean in that there's only so much of the samey, though techy, stuff I can take before I get bored. Like riding a long flight of steps. Sticks pass is so varied all the way down I wouldn't ever consider dollywaggon again.

Glad I've ridden it though.

Still - sticks all the way!

Posted 10 months ago #
agentdagnamit - Member

Fair enough Pook, I do know what you mean. I'm looking forwards to riding Sticks next time maybe.

Posted 10 months ago #
Blower - Member

Dollywaggon and Graizedale Tarn down to patterdale is an awesome downhill imo.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pook - Member

I think it would've been before it was surfaced. On a hardtail it's grim!

(was for me anyway, maybe I'm just rubbish)

Posted 10 months ago #
dave1980 - Member

Helvellyn is very "all up followed by all down" if you just go up Keppel Cove and back. FWIW I'd say Borrowdale Bash is a more entertaining day out, especially if you tag an extra bit on beforehand to go up the old railway line from Keswick to Threlkeld then flanks of Blencathra/flanks of Skiddaw/descent of Latrigg back down to Keswick:

...however, you won't get this on the Borrowdale Bash:

Enjoy it, whatever you choose
Dave

Posted 10 months ago #
trout - Member

Thanks Dave I wondered what the view was like .
we walked up there in May

Posted 10 months ago #
lowey - Member

Tis a lovely view...

DSC02321 by lowey.com, on Flickr

Posted 10 months ago #