Dear folks,

I’m an italian rider that loves uk trails and finally managed to set up a riding weekend with a good friend in the lake district. We will arrive the 27th and leave the 2nd of march. Most likely we will be able to ride 3/4 hours the 27th (we will rent two mondrakers at the grizedale bike shop) and then two entire solid days (28th and 1st). Considering the season and the fact we will stay in ambleside/hawkshead can you suggest us some good rides?
As I said, the first day we will be on the pedals for few hours and i think the best solution it will be to ride around the grizedale forest that it appears to be a great fun ride. For the other two days I’m looking for 25/35 mile ridings that should go with the season (I guess I should expect a lot of rain…) and the fact we are on the south lake district (consider that we have a car anyway…).

Well that’s all, I thank you in advance for your suggestions and of course if anyone of you is planning to come to italy for a beautiful ride just ask 🙂

Benedetto

For Grizedale make sure you hit the BW’s that surround the NF trail, they are better and make a great loop. Check out either the boggies page or the Lake District Guide Book.
A trip either way on Ullswater lake shore is worth a go (not if it’s busy though) linking up some of the stuff above too. After that a personal favourite is the marmite route down Dollywaggon from Helvellyn, no way you will finish it without loving or hating it.

After that some of the stuff out the back of Ambleside towards haweshead (maps of that stuff in Biketreks) and then the other side towards garburn.

anyway a current local will pop up shortly

Best bet would be one of the STW lakes locals to show you round.

Benedetto

Ask for a trail map of Grisedale when you hire the bikes and get them to point out the natural trails as well as the North Face trail.
For the other two days, visit Biketreks shop in Ambleside and they will show you where to ride. If the weather is good enough, head over Garburn Pass to Kentmere one day.
Another option, especially if the westher is not so good, is the many trails around Loughrigg Fell, Elterwater, Tilberthwaite and Tarn Hows.
As you’ll need to be dropping the bikes back at Grisedale, a Coniston, Duddon Valley, Walna Scar ride might be a good option if the weather allows.

Stay in Italy. The mountains are bigger, the weather is better, the trains run on time, the roads aren’t full of holes and the women aren’t fat.

Have a look at the Bogtrotters.org website’s routes. Plenty of ideas.
From Grizedale if you want a big day you can fill your boots in the actual forest and then expand out to the surrounding area. Wray, Claife, Elterwater, a circuit of Coniston and more are all very doable from Grizedale Visitors Centre.
If you stay in Hawkshead go to the Kings Arms for the best pint in town, foods not bad either. If you’ve got the £€$ then the Drunken Duck at Barngates does great beer and very good food.
If you are stuck call the Bogtrotters numbers on the website and someone I’m sure will help with routes.

Vertebrate Graphics Lake District Guide is your friend. Don’t think I’ve ever done a bad route out of there. You can combine the Grizedale routes in there with bits of the North Face Trail and add on Claife Heights if you fancy it. Grizedale is quite sheltered so a good one to do if the weather is crap.

There’s another route in that book called iron Keld and loughrigg which is really scenic as can also easily be extended.

Hellvelyn/Dollywagon is a good shout, or you could try Ullock Pike on Skiddaw.

First thing would be to buy the 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map which covers Grizedale/Ambleside. Have a look at the key to pick out Bridleways and Byways.

Probably the simplest way to research in advance is to buy a Vertebrate Graphics guide called ‘Lake District Mountain Biking’ which has a few routes in and around Grizedale and Hawkshead.

My recommendations from that would be the Grizedale and Parkamoor route (added to the Claife route via Devil’s Gallop if you want a longer ride), or the Parkamoor and Tilberthwaite one. The Iron Keld/Loughrigg added to the Jenkin Crag route is also good fun.

Another recommendation for the VG guidebook from me too

Grum – you seem to be mistaken Ullock is FP not BW……

also watch the Boggies maps they also can’t work out which green line is FP or BW.

Yeah but being Italian you have a perfect inbuilt excuse for not understanding the difference. 😉

mi scusi !

Anyone not ridden an unclassified path in Grizedale?

Stay in Italy. The mountains are bigger, the weather is better, the trains run on time, the roads aren’t full of holes and the women aren’t fat.

But he’s heading to northern England…….
Innit bruv

ok, thanks a lot…. tryng to summarize most definetely the first day it would be in the grizedale forest in and out the n.face trail.

starting from ambleside and reading your suggestions this is one of the routes that convinces me more:

http://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/uk_trails/gps-route-ambleside-lake-district/

and this is another one that could fit the third day:

http://pedalnorth.com/content/hawkshead-hilltops-0

approved?

this two look also really appealing: http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/trail_news/mountain-bike-route-%E2%80%93-helvellyn/

http://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/uk_trails/ullswater-lake-district-hard-route-distance-35-1km-22-miles/?utm_campaign=relatedarticles&utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=plugin

decisions decisions decisions…..

There’s always the borrowdale bash!

Hellvellyn is the one including Dollywaggon
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgbJQpEQIEM[/video]
The Troutbeck/Garburn can be done form Ambleside too

The first two routes you’ve linked to, could easily be joined together for a days riding, though the second one goes through Grizedale, where you are for day 1.
The first link also uses a trail called High Arnside, climbing it, when it is much better as a descent (but is very muddy just now)
Your third link, Helvellyn, is very unlikely to be much fun with the weather as it is.
The fourth, Ullswater is great (but a long drive from Grizedale!)

Your best bet is to ask in Biketreks if staying in Ambleside or use the VG guide mentioned above.

I took routes from these websites
http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtb-route-search-results/
http://www.bogtrotters.org/list_routes.php
routes I’ve enjoyed
Grizedale-Parkamoor-Claife Heights
Loughrigg circuit
walna scar

Helvellyn is much more likely to be weather-dependant at that time of year. Snow above 2000ft is quite likely at the end of Feb. Most of the other stuff recommended is on good surfaces at lower levels, and can be ridden pretty much year round.

The Ambleside one you linked takes in Loughrigg Terrace, which is a fun descent, but can be full of walkers at weekends.

The Hawkshead Hilltops route seems OK, although it seems to miss out on some of the more fun ways to descend within Grizedale (quite a bit of fire road descent, if I’m reading that right). Others may be able to advise if it goes up the Lawson Park descent from Coniston, or whether that’s the next BW to the north, which had been closed for felling last time I went, and was completely unrideable.

EDIT: Checked against the map – it is the bad one, that ascent from Coniston is to be avoided unless they’ve reinstated it properly.

The Lawson Park and BW up from Coniston were fine at Christmas?

All the routes listed look good.

Anything that goes over a mountain pass such as Garburn or Helvellyn or Nan Bield would as others have suggested be weather dependent – high winds, rain and mist can all make these mountain tops quite unpleasant and at time dangerous.

You could spend a whole day touring Grizedale as there are lots and lots of options and so many great tracks to explore.

The Lawson Park and BW up from Coniston were fine at Christmas?

Both of them? The one up from just south of How Head, starting SD 318970 was covered with brash, mud and branches last summer. Would be good if they’ve fixed it.

Oh that one, yes that had trees across it earlier this month. I thought you meant the two be going up from Coniston just north of Brentwood.

Your best bet is to ask in Biketreks if staying in Ambleside

Boxelder is spot on, Theres quite a few trees blocking trails after the recent storms and the shop staff have up to date knowledge on whats best to do under the current conditions.

As mike smith has pointed out any of the Bridleways are spot on but the shops have some excellent classic route maps and these are probably your best option if you your new to the area. 😉

thank you guys… we’ll have a car so it won’t be a prob to go from ambleside to some trailhead even if some miles away… i’m a little bit concerned by the weather, so i think i’ll skip the passes, it would be more forest…. so far it’s going to be grizedale forest on day one and ullswater…. I’m missing just one trail now… and I’ll definetely go to the bike trek shop as you suggest to get some maps/advice…. of course are more then appreciated other suggestions also including pubs and cafes 😉

thanks,

benedetto

and the vertebrate publications book just landed in my house this weekend… looks good

Bennedetto, the first of the routes you linked to has a last little section called Loughrigg Terrace….its not particularly hard-core but has to be one of my favourite sections of trail in England. Fast and swooping with amazing views. Plus in winter / spring you don’t get the crowds. Have fun!

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

Loughrigg terrace is very over rated IMHO!been cleaned up !
Benedetto stay @ the Ambleside YHA tis very good and close to lots of great trails for this time of year!

If staying in Hawkshead then I love:
– climb out the village on the BW into Grizedale > NFT to the visitor centre and a quick coffee and cake > NFT climb and onwards to the top of Parkamoor > Parkamoor to Satterthwaite descent (absolutely brilliant) > road around to Force Mills and then swing a left and climb up the fireroad onto the hillside on your left > great BW descent back into Satterthwaite > climb up and over Breasty Haw > cross the road and do Devils Gallop > back road to Sawrey > BW climb from Near Sawrey onto Claife Heights > climb through Claife Heights as far as the cross-road and take the left hand turn for a great BW descent to finish on to Gillbank and a 5 minute pedal back into Hawkshead.

Could easily turn that into a bigger ride if you wanted to by doing more of the NFT etc but I love that ride. Its pretty weatherproof as well with it virtually all being on rock.

Elterwater, Little Langdale, Tilberthwaite, Hodge Close, Oxen fell, Iron Keld, Skelwith force, Lunch in skelwith bridge, then go play on loughrigg terrace.

Breasty haw is great fun !

http://www.bikemaps.co.uk/mountain-biking-bundles.htm

Make your other day from Keswick – 30 min easy drive from Ambleside and has great trails plus the option of Whinlatter trail centre. If you want a guide, mail me (see profile). If I can’t ride I could meet up and show you options – or drop in at Keswick Bikes.