Sry for the 47th Helvellyn thread, but one more won’t hurt right?

Heading that way tomorrow, staying in Grasmere but am driving and can take it on any which way. What is the best ascent for ridability? I’m not keen on a total push up, want to turn the pedals at least part way.

I’m wibbling a bit on descending down Dollywagon – I’ll be on my own, and don’t want to take on a really tough descent. Some descriptions of it sound quite fierce. OTOH, I know how to ride a mountain bike – how difficult would you say it is? Can you take it easy or does it require commitment?

Also, any pointers on an alternative, low level ride if the weather is pish? (apart from the bash). Thanks for any advice you can give.

Going up – Glenridding and up Kepple Cove, or head up through Dockray, onto the Coach Road, and up over Great Dodd (which will be at it’s driest at the moment). Coming down – Lower Man, Raise, Sticks Pass (towards Glenridding).

Easter week I did it twice:
Up Kepple Cove, over Raise and down over the Dodds to the Old Coach Road. Not as fast a descent as I’d hoped for.
Also went UP the Dodds, which is mainly all doable, if a slog, now its dry, and down Sticks Pass to the mine, then cheekily around Glencoyne Head to Aira Force. You ain’t seen me, right?

Kepple is a rideable climb in that it its smooth. It is long and steep and probably only actually rideable with lungs and legs of steel.

Top bit of Sticks Pass is now one of my favourite Lakes trails. Gelncoyne Head looked like it should be good (and in fact there were previous tyre tracks) but unrideable rocky outcrops every few yards slowed things down. Descent through Sticks Mines is supposed to be the shizzle.

If the weather’s grim: Ullswater singletrack – Bridgend – Boredale Hause – Martindale circuit.

Cheers. When you’re saying up the Dodds, is it the more easterly bw better (Bruts Moss, Randleside on the map) or the more westerly one (towards Calfhow pike)?

yes – Randleside.
The path on the ground follows the dashed black track on the map, not the marked bridelway, not that it really matters.
The westerly one isn’t much there.

….and don’t forget the photos 😀

Start Glenridding, Coach Road Up the Dodd’s (Bruts Moss should be a bit drier now, it nearly consumed me when I did it). Over Helvelyn and down Dollywagon. I’m an average rider and would have had a go at Dolywagon if I was with mates, but on my own and a long drive home I walked most of it.

It is rideable, but not by me. Grizedale was great though.

Pics…

DSC02334 by lowey.com, on Flickr

DSC02336 by lowey.com, on Flickr

hooray, been looking for some nice pics of those steps, rode them over easter weekend. did the whole thing except 1 water bar, tough stuff, was going to make a thread asking how others found that trail.
We went glenridding, dockray, great dodd etc and then on the way down I took the route mentioned above (dollywagon, grisedale tarn, glenridding) and two friends came down sticks pass I believe.
I’m a crap climber and so hiked most of the way but if you’re on a hardtail and are ok on the climbs going up great dodd way isn’t all that bad.

Thanks for the tips – I did it today. Great ride, but a game of two halves. Thought I’d have to swerve it with the rain, but I got to Ullswater and it was bright and breezy. Climbing up to the Dodds was excellent, winched up nice and slowly, very rideable with the dry weather. I start out across the tops and the keystone kops arrive.

Descending down to the top of Sticks pass, and I absolutely case the back wheel over a wee fold in the track. Totally innocuous, but it’s bitten the bead of the UST tyre and dinged the rim. I’ve not had a puncture on the trail for years, literally, and it shows. Because when I put a tube in I manage to pinch it somehow and put a hole in it. We’ve all done that at one time, right?

How many of you, though, have replaced the flat with another tube, then left the tyre lever inside the tyre, seated it and pumped it up, ridden it 50 yards before it’s punctured in four places? If there’s a STW award for most cretinous trail fix I reckon this deserves some consideration.

It was down to the puncture repair kit then, which looked like it was last opened in 1992. I had one patch, which mercifully went on OK to the first tube. Rain was coming in, so I descended down Sticks. Minced it a bit – another puncture would have been the end, and the trail was really difficult in parts anyhow. Epic trail this I reckon, would definitely like to give it another go some time.

Got to the valley floor and did actually flat for the **** third time. A passing pair of riders gave me a patch – many thanks to you. Back to the car and really happy with the ride, despite the shenanigans.

😥 At least you got that descent down Sticks in !!

did the whole thing except 1 water bar

Hmmm…

You must be pretty amazing – I know some very good riders who haven’t managed anywhere near that.

Re the OP – I’ve done it a couple of times and I probably wouldn’t on my own – weather isn’t looking great either. Not done any of the other descents sorry.

I think the climb over the Dodds is a bit of a slog though, even if it’s dry-ish. Going up Kepple Cove isn’t too bad – would have been able to ride quite a bit of it if I was in any way fit.

edit: Oh, just realised I am too late – never mind.

How many of you, though, have replaced the flat with another tube, then left the tyre lever inside the tyre, seated it and pumped it up, ridden it 50 yards before it’s punctured in four places? If there’s a STW award for most cretinous trail fix I reckon this deserves some consideration.

Hats off to you sir! I’ve done some pretty cretinous things but that might just beat me.