Anybody know if riding High Street from Patterdale to Pooley Bridge (south to north) is either possible or sensible? I’m not adverse to a bit of pushing but wondered if the climb from Hartsop to High Raise could be a bit much. I wanted to do the lakeside leg from Patterdale to Pooley Bridge but wasn’t sure on a return loop and didn’t want to use the road.

All opinions on route options gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,

P

Bogtrotters route…

Much obliged. Same route as I had planned.

Hi,

A bunch of us did a High Street loop last year – Hartsop to Hartsop, picking up the singletrack along Ullswater on the way back … I’m having trouble uploading the loop, so that’ll come later when I’ve sussed out how.

However, the climb out of the car park at the back of Hartsop starts off easy; easy until you get out of the car park that is! I’m a fairly good climber on a bike but, Jesus, that’s a tough one and anyone that claims to have ridden the whole way is either lying, or really very very good … be prepared to carry your bike!
When we got to the point that joined up with High Street & had to turn left to follow it, however, we noticed that there was a trig point someway off to right that was higher up than we were at that point – challenge! – an hour or so later we returned to the same point to actually go in the direction we had planned!!!
From that point it was a flat tootle along High Street, then a great long long descent down towards Ullswater 😀
To cut a long story short (sorry, I can go on), we had a long and fantastic tiring day out … I’ll post the route asap.

Hi,

A bunch of us did a High Street loop last year – Hartsop to Hartsop, picking up the singletrack along Ullswater on the way back … I’m having trouble uploading the loop, so that’ll come later when I’ve sussed out how.

However, the climb out of the car park at the back of Hartsop starts off easy; easy until you get out of the car park that is! I’m a fairly good climber on a bike but, Jesus, that’s a tough one and anyone that claims to have ridden the whole way is either lying, or really very very good … be prepared to carry your bike!
When we got to the point that joined up with High Street & had to turn left to follow it, however, we noticed that there was a trig point someway off to right that was higher up than we were at that point – challenge! – an hour or so later we returned to the same point to actually go in the direction we had planned!!!
From that point it was a flat tootle along High Street, then a great long long descent down towards Ullswater 😀
To cut a long story short (sorry, I can go on), we had a long and fantastic tiring day out … I’ll post the route asap.

I think the bogtrotters route is fine except that instead of coming along the lake shore I’d return up Boredale and over Boredale Hause. The last time I rode along the lake shore (admittedly years ago) I remember it being a whole series of short sections of flat path linked by fairly awkward rocky outcrops. By comparison he descent from Boredale Hause is brilliant.

iainfrancis … I agree, the last few miles along the lake shore are not as good as expected.