off to Helvellyn tomorrow with a old school buddy, ive not been before, any tips or things to watch out for, things to recommended etc ? we both riding alpines so if your up there say hi! 😛

Do something else…

tbh while it is the highest B/W, its a long slog up (esp. Dollywagon which is a severe push).

If that side of the Lakes I’d look at High Street and the ridge running north myself.

We were up there a couple of fridays ago. Go up the zig zags past the glennridding youth hostel, up to raise, turn left up to the top and down Dollywagon.

But check out the raise webcam to see what the snow is like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raise_up_dated_pics/

We turned back from near the top of Raise a couple of weeks ago in a blizzard.

Will post a pic of my phone in a min.

T

see if this works:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2989347539427&set=o.178795538864614&type=1&ref=nf

see if this works:

nope, what is it?

Do something else?

2 words:
Sticks Pass

Oh yes….

Go down Sticks Pass it was ace! Although tbh being a big girl I’d probably ride the highest parts of the Lakes when the weathers better 8)

Should have been a link to a picture…

looks snowy up there! ok cheers guy thx for the info 🙂

Above was 30th December.

I rode it last winter when there was 6 inches of snow from about 2000ft upwards. It was still ace. My route is from Wythburn up between Dollywagon and Helvellyn, left onto the summit, down to Raise, up Raise and down again to Sticks Pass, left down Sticks and back.

Helvellyn seems to get a bad press on here for some reason, but it’s a great ride if you don’t mind a bit of pushing. Which you don’t or you wouldn’t be going up mountains in the Lakes.

If there’s no snow you can pedal onto the summit to cheers from the American/Japanese tourists and get your picture taken! What’s not to like?

How do you get back from Glenridding?
T

Hellvelyn is fun – much better than High Street which is mostly a bog imo.

Going up through the mines then the zig zags is surprisingly easy (pushing) and Dollywagon/Grisedale is amazing hurty fun.

Lots of different routes up and down – we’re Thirlmere side and tend to go up and over Sticks to Glenridding and back to Keswick via the Coach Road, or up Sticks, Raise, Lower Man and up to the Summit, then down to the church at Wythop.

Current forecast is good for Saturday and there’s not really any snow to speak of on any of the tops here (Skiddaw, Grisedale, Blencathra, etc). Not sure about Helvellyn though. Have fun.

EDIT – sorry Paul…just realised I suggested the reverse of your favourite route there 😀

Today’s picture on Lakes Weatherline showing Swirral Edge and the shady east-facing headwall above Red Tarn :-

Go for it, forecast looks like it’ll be a lovely day 🙂

Looks stunning, Off to france tomoz so no Helvellyn today:(

If it’s clear and cold it’ll be lovely.

Just do it. Ace forecast and that is hee haw snow.

I have to agree with paulrockcliffe. It’s a fun route if you don’t mind a bit of pushing near the top. It’s a day up a mountain with a bike. That’s got to be a good thing.

what’s hee haw snow? (serious question!)

so which is the best descent for both sides? I’m going up there for a week in April and staying at the north western side of Helvellyn. (st johns in the vale).

Best way down for west and east?

I can imagine it being easier in the snow, filling in some of those awkward holes on the Dollywagon switchbacks.

Have fun, I’m jealous!

Riding tomorrow, High Street… frozen and fun or just cold and minging?

A group of us did it today,I like to park near the Lakeshore to Maximise the downhill 🙂

Brutts moss via Dockray is frozen at the moment,its normally a bog so the climb up onto Great Dodd is a bit easier,theres not too much ice about and all the downhills are very fast.

You could climb via Keppel cove,(Greenside mine) although I prefer Brutts moss unless its an evening ride.

you have a few options via routes..

Techy descent via Dollywagon to Grisedale valley to Patterdale

More flowey via Sticks Pass to Greenside mine steeper and harder lower down..

Fast,can be icey, and busy with walkers Keppel Cove to Greenside mine

An orange alpine is an exellent choice,big 2.2 to 2.4 dual ply tyres are the way to go,take plenty of warm gear,tubes and armour its a brilliant mountain to ride on..enjoy.

Horse,High street will be ok tommorrow but it will have a lot of ice on the flatter bits..

Brutts Moss today…

Brutts Moss? That’s the way pook took us up- it was boggy then 😀

what’s hee haw snow? (serious question!)

Hee haw means no or nothing etc

So hee haw snow means there’s no snow.