Starting @ Dufton?
Not been up there for many years and it was a bit foggy!! Remember riding through some military ground 🙄

Dufton to Knock then up the tarmac to the radar station, bear right & follow Trout Beck (apparently it’s once again a 6km hike a bike) Join the track to Cow Green with a bit more push/carry, follow pennine Way back to High Cup & Dufton, about 40km.
The only alternative I can see is to take a cheeky line over to Cross Fell from the radar station & go down to Garrigill then head back to Cow Green but that’s a big loop, probably 58-60km.
Or maybe what you did last time was from Dufton to Hilton the head NE over the range to Maize Beck & back that way, 24km?

Is this on footpaths or bridleways? I’ve only walked up to it from Dufton, and I’m sure that was a footpath? I’d love to ride there, possibly all the way to Cow Green 😀

esselgruntfuttock – Member
Dufton to Knock then up the tarmac to the radar station, bear right & follow Trout Beck (apparently it’s once again a 6km hike a bike) Join the track to Cow Green with a bit more push/carry, follow pennine Way back to High Cup & Dufton, about 40km.

Cheers. Remember seeing the Cow Green sign. Need to hunt out a map.

funkweasel – Member
Is this on footpaths or bridleways? I’ve only walked up to it from Dufton, and I’m sure that was a footpath? I’d love to ride there, possibly all the way to Cow Green

Without looking at the map I think some of it could be described/considered as ” cheeky” However having done Cross Fell a few times over the years we have never met a walker. Last time we were there we spoke to a Dufton resident and the biggest issue was MX bikes ripping up the fells 🙄

The only cheeky bit I mentioned is the Pennine Way bit from the radar stn & over Great Dun & Little Dun Fell to Cross Fell. The rest are all BW’s. Oh, apart from the heather bash from the Trout Beck/River Tees confluence to the track to Cowgreen, that’s just err, heather & grass, no path or anything but It’s less than 2km.

Was up there on Saturday, from Cow Green to HCN. Sticking to the Pennine Way was fine. Not too much hike-a-bike. Decided to return via Maize Beck, honestly wouldn’t bother again.

Once you get to the military zone it’s all hardpack to Cow Green, lovely fast run back!

There’s still a Bridleway from by the Radar Station, or a little below anyway. I took that route last time. Indeed, the only cheeky one I know is the Pennine way which crosses over Cross Fell. All Bridleway past High Cup along to Cow Green too. Tough riding, every time I’ve been round that way the weather has been grim!

That brings back memories of last year’s North Pennines MTB Challenge – twice up Cross Fell!

Resurrection of this thread on Easter Sunday 🙂

Is the way through from Cowgreen to Hilton via Maize Beck possible? Noting comments above.

Cheers.

Did find something on the web on the Hilton bridleway (for fell baggers – seem to recall only open at weekends – better check online).

Also see on my new online OS subscription there is a new (i.e. not on any of my on computer or paper maps) bridleway from High Cup Nick to Murton, descending west of Murton Fell and South of Murton Pike. Might check this out in the next month or so – looks to be present on the aerial photography.

Still need to do the full round over Cross Fell following this abortive attempt last year… https://gcrapper.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/disaster-strikes/

That’s interesting. Marked on my os as a footpath to partway up Murton Fell.

The bit from Hilton fell looks like a gravel road and there is a line on aerial maps but there’s a good three or four miles that could be a walk. Mind you, compared with your walk back to Cowgreen that’s nothing!

I’m trying to get to the Pennine Bridleway from Hexham.

Here’s the new map section…

Thanks for that. Curious line but I guess it avoids the danger area.

Can’t remember the exact details but I used to park in Dufton, ride up to the Nick, cross the river and continue over to the reservoir then take the reservoir road in a roughly westerly direction, cutting off south-ish and picking up a very vague trail that climbed up beside a beck to the top of the radar dome access road. Thence a glorious fast downhill and back to Dufton. It was a tough day out that required self-sufficiency and some map reading for the half mile yomp and a stream crossing.