Considering going up Helvellyn in June, the mrs has ok’d it (hoorah) searching through the forums it seems opinion is that the best (eastiest) way up is from Glenridding over keppel grove and then the best down is over dollywaggon but then where?
At the bottom of dollywaggon there is grisedale tarn and presuming I parked in glenridding or patterdale there are 2 routes down, by Deepdale beck or Grisedale beck. They both look long enough to provide a decent ride and I’m after fast and flowing rather than techy. But which one is bettter?

(there’s only one way to find out…..)

Grisdale if your up for it, tough hard but rewarding if you get it right 🙂 check out the videos

Thanks Mike

tough hard

how, techy? rock strewn or water or what?

have you done both as well?
I will check out vids but at work at the mo and like to daydream.

tough, steps steep and there are some big drop off roll ins lower down, crap if you can’t ride it really, great if you can

Alternative way down is to head back from the summit to Sticks Pass, then back to Glenridding from there. Easier than Dollywagon and masses of fun. Steep and techy to start, good swoopy bits in the middle, nice steep rock-fest to finish.

Here you go:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n47q6O06B5U[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNclmY1bZ4g[/video]

We did the same as Ir. enjoyable route

Did it on Saturday. Dollywagon is hard, beyond me. I’m ok with the pitching but the drainage ruts just freak me out, therefore probably walked about 50% of it. Grisedale Tarn down to Patterdale is just brilliant though. Techy with loads of line choices. Best part of the ride for me.

Thanks for replies all.
Lowey, did you do Deepdale or Grisedale down? Deepdale would have been straight on from the end of the tarn and grisedale would have been a slight climb to the left from the end of the tarn passing ‘ruthwaite lodge’ a little further on.

Deepdale would have been straight on from the end of the tarn and grisedale would have been a slight climb to the left from the end of the tarn

You’ve got your contour lines the wrong way round.

Deepdale Hause is 100m ABOVE the tarn. And its not technically legal…
Grisedale Beck is downhill all the way.

Was with Lowey, agree about those drainage bars. Angry. Jekkyl we did grisedale, Brilliant, techy, ace. 😀

Thanks IR

Deepdale Hause is 100m ABOVE the tarn. And its not technically legal…

it can be confusing just looking at a map. The route down deepdale is marked as large dotted lines which means bridleway to me yet you say it’s not legal?

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=335930&Y=512312&A=Y&Z=115

Looks like a footpath to me.

I presume you’re talking about this one

large dotted lines are a marked track, not a legal right of way. (bridleyways are red dashes)

I’ve never been down it, but looking Geograph.org, it doesn’t look great:

ha ha boggy much. Thanks a lot for your efforts there lads, much obliged.

Jekkyl,

Your miles off the money. To get to Deepdale from Grisedale tarn involves a massive carry. There is no BW in Deepdale either. Walked up deepdale years ago to Deepdale Hause and over Cofa Pike to Fairfield. Its a bit bleak but has some good views of Fairfields North Face. I wouldnt take a bike anywhere near it to be honest.

Girsedale to Patterdale is epic.

Hey folks, how long up and down? Just watched the Stick’s Pass vid and it looks great. We did Snowdon Ranger Path last year and were going again but this looks a fun alternative.

For my two penneth, I think Grisedale is one of the best singletrack descents in the area. A good mixture of everything, fast & flowy, a few rockier bits to make it interesting but nothing technically difficult and all 100% ridable from the Tarn down. Great descent.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha9-r3Yy4ng[/video]
Dollywaggon down, the video makes says safe to say not all rideable, I’ve seen other wise 🙂

mikewsmith,
That section from Dollywaggon to the tarn that you’ve linked is a bit “Marmite”. It’s not ridiculously hard but the waterbars immediately after the apex of the bends make it difficult to get over them and they’re frequently “wheelsized”. I wouldn’t say that bit was that great.
The section that starts where that video ends and runs down Grisedale is an absolute hoot though.

Yeah just randomly linked the first one I found, looks like it started a bit in, I can see how it’s marmite, can vs can’t really. I got most of it on the first attempt just too far to head back now.

Watched Max’s vid the other day clearing it top to bottom.

I’m not ashamed to say that its way above my skill / sphericals level.

Ian, there were some sections of the Grisedale descent that had clearly had a kicking over winter and I’d say its pretty tasty now. I rode probably 95% of it though so not overly bad. Great fun!