Off up to the Lakes Wes/Thurs/Fri, 2 days of which will be biking.

Firstly – what’s the state of the high ground like for snow & ice at the mo? Realistically going to be more the passes than the summits.

I’ve got a few route ideas planned, but would like comments/advice please

Coniston/Walna Scar – this was done a few days ago. All good.

West side of Helvellyn. Looking at starting at Legburththwaite and doing Sticks Pass/Seldom Seen over to Ullswater, then back up Keppel Cove. Which is the best descent back down to Thirlmere? Birk Side looks interestingly steep.

High Street to Nan Bield (so I can have a crack at riding down the N.side of Nan Bield, before doing it the conventional way). How soft is the ground on the cheeky bit? Don’t mind doing cheeky stuff if it’s rocky, but would rather not be digging big holes in the FP if it’s boggy ground. (Or am I better doing Gatesgarth and across Harter Fell))

Lastly – my crap weather option – Borrowdale Bash. Never done this one, even though it’s a supposed classic – always seems to have a lot of road in it. Any good pointers for minimising the tarmac? I seem to recall something about Great Wood when leaving Keswick maybe?

Cheers all!

Birkside is the best descent on the Thirlmere side of Helvellyn. Avoid the Thirlmere side of Sticks Pass as a descent; it’s dull (as you’ll see on the carry up).
There are still patches of snow and ice around on the summits.

Hardly any snow on Gar urn and Nan Bield this weekend.

I think its quite a well used route from High St to Nan Bield and while it is soft in places it is mainly quite rocky

Snow almost all stripped by recent thaw.
I’d descend Sticks East before Birkside any day (sorry parkedtiger). They’re both good, Birkside is bigger and induces epic arm pump as it’s extensively stone pitched. Sticks East is all rideable but immensely steep, speedy and tight towards the end.
High St – Nan Beild is very bike-proof, recently had a proper ‘motorway’ gravel track laid on it, then pitched steeply down to Nan Beild.

Edit: There’s a bridleway between Birkside and Sticks East, which is immensely dull. Don’t do it!

Thanks all

Kettle – do you mean Sticks West? East is the Patterdale side which I’ll be doing anyway.

Oops, yes I do mean Sticks West 😳

Birkside is bigger and induces epic arm pump as it’s extensively stone pitched.

Perhaps you’re thinking of the descent to Swirls which matches your description there. Birkside is a nice mix of man-made and messy singletrack, with a short, steep pitched section about 3/4 of the way down.

Birk side is a great descent – do it!

As for the bash, there might be a way up through the woods out of Keswick and up onto Walla Crag, which might lead to a great piece of trail that takes you to Ashness Bridge. But that would involve riding on FP’s so I wouldn’t know anything about that. 😉

Not thinking of the Swirls descent, but clearly I have a skewed memory of Birkside, perhaps trying to ride it flat out from the summit to Wythburn Chapel/road was what destroyed my arms. Will make a note to savour it next time as it sounds like I missed out.