Staying at the YH in Keswick, middle of Nov and heading up from/home towards West Yorkshire.

Hoping to do two rides.

Working on the basis that the weather could be really bad up high, I’m thinking Borrowdale Bash or Skiddaw (not the summit) with Whinlatter as a back up plan.

But if the weathers good, Ullock Pike looks tempting, (I realise its tricky and not legit). Is the route up through Dodd Wood/Carlside obvious?

There’s also been a shout for Helvellyn. I’m thinking that if we went up Keppel Cove, if the summit looks like a bad idea we could always hit Sticks Pass and then do an out and back on the Ullswater BW. Is that a realistic idea….

Or, once or twice on here, Lakes regulars have intimated that there are much better rides in the Lakes, if so, where should I be looking?

I’ve heard that Jenkins Crag is good fun, is there a good winter route out from Ambleside that comes back via this?

If it helps, my previous Lakes rides include:

Borrowdale Bash
Grizedale/Parkamoor/Claife
Staveley/Garburn
Walna Scar
Glenridding/Helvellyn/Sticks Pass

Cheers Jason

Skiddaw & Ullock…..12 miles round and you`ll be knacked afterwards. 😉

Forget about “up Dodd/Carlside” Carliside is a crackin descent in it`s self.

Go up Spooney to the car park, round the fence and(Pedal if you can/shove) up Jenkin Hill and not quite to the summit you then descend the scree and bare right onto Ullock.
Arguably the best descent in the north west. IMO 😛

If you happen to be here at a w.end then well show you? Otherwise itll be a Tues night but you WILL NEED a good set of lights/ sense of humour…..

speak to Mike at Mountain Bike Skills, he is based out of the Howgills.

http://www.mountainbikeskills.co.uk/

That’s a kind offer Stoney. I watched a video of Ullock last night and it got me excited 🙂

I’m looking at the map, is Spooneys the BW or the up via the road?

And thanks Chay, I’ll have a look at that.

It is the BW/Foot path up the front/side of Latrigg, a real nasty start to a ride as it is steep in 2 short sections, (there is no time to “warm up” before you get there).
The road to the car park is a nasty little climb from Applethwaite…..

So nasty ascent, superb descent 🙂

Sounds good to me.

It really is worth the effort!. 😛

Jenkins Crag is too short to be the basis of a route – it’s the little extra at the end of a kentmere/garburn ride. Your Helvellyn idea sounds reasonable, if not wet/windy – long way from east shore of Ullswater to Keswick though……..
Threlkeld, glendaraterra valley, skiddaw house, east down mosedale, clockwise north around caldbeck fells, up dash falls to skiddaw house again, finishing along lonscale terrace and down stoney‘s tough climb to Spooney Green lane is a classic day out and can be ‘cut and shut’ to suit, with bail outs and decent pubs/cafes.

Good choice there mate…!

Boxelder, thanks for that, in November I reckon choices are a must , in fact, up your way, anytime of year…

And we’ll drive to Glenridding first 🙂

Borrowdale bash in the morning back through Portinscale to Keswick, then round the back of the fitness centre which is down the same lane of the YH to pick up the old railway line to threlkeld, do a left in threlkeld & climb to skiddaw house youth hotel in the valley, have a short break enjoy the views and blast back down keeping right & go onto Lonscale fell watch it in the wet on the rocks, one part can be tricky in the wet, then that’ll bring you above Spooney green lane, turn right push up skiddaw to then do Ullock pike.

Check out Lonscale fell on you tube a great biit of riding

Cheers Mark

Or do Whinlatter & on the south loop when at the very top, turn to your right, you can walk through the few trees over the fence & ride so far & then push carry up Grisedale Pike to descend back down to Whinlatter good bit of natural riding.

Cheers Mark

Jeez Mark, that’s a big day out!

Everytime I’ve got to the top of the South loop I’ve eyed up that idea. If I’m picturing it right, you would cross the ridge from where you are & climb to the top, head right then descend down the end?
What kind of a descent is it? At that distance it look steep and straight?

Looking up the ridge to the top, off to the right is Hobcarton End and it is a good descent. Loose st the top, bare left over the old wall then into “no mans land”. Here there is NO given path, just a wide expanse of fairly large lumps that you can get a little air from, but watch out cos it drops quite steep into a short “scree” with a few zig zags and then you do a little climb up to a stile.
Then it gets quite good…..Fork right and into a fairly steep “follow the rut” down through the heather/bracken al the way down to a real nasty boggy bit and into the very dark/slippery tunnel of trees, and out onto the fireroad just above the 2 way section of red route.

Or, you can simply go up the main ridge, turn round and come back down what is probably the 2nd best descent in the area, forking right and down the flank (above the Force Grag track), over the stile into the ST and down those tricky steps into the car park just above Braithwaite.

Job Done…..

Mugboo, it’s the sort of thing i love doing, short rides leave me feeling like I’ve not had a full day at it though winter does play a hand in that.

Just pop through the trees 15 metres & it opens up in front of you clearly visible, jump over the fence and ride so far then push then CARRY …. bit of a scramble right at the top, turn right follow it & cross what’s left of a crumbling wall then bear slightly left and you can see the track dropping of fast gets narrow, good fun but not on a windy day.

Also once at the top of Grisedale Pike you can do quite a few routs of the left but more on that another time, all very cheeky dare i say foot path stuff but the wardens seem to be ok if you do it after 4pm

Cheers
Mark

Make sure you get in the drying room early for the best places to get your gear dry too, Pop in keswick bikes for a natter, very knowledgeable lads, Oh and give the George a go for the famous Cow Pie or Dog & Gun for Goulash both great.
The bike security is Ok at the YH too.

Cheers
Mark

Mark?, earlier you did the Bash first on the grand day out. Just wondering if you did the normal bash (from the books) or the Proper Bash, (not published :wink:)

Borrowdale Bash plus Warnscale is good.

Thanks chaps, all this route advice is being carefully poured over and stored. And the Cow Pie sounds perfect for my heartburn 🙂

Grum, I’ll have look at Warnscale. I think it was an earlier thread of yours I was reading about the bash.

Always the Cheeky bash my friend ! got to be done, knee pads if you have them, mind you I’m getting on a bit now.

Also I’d recommend some decent tyres, nowt light weight, the rocks around Keswick love skinny little tyres!

The lads in KMB used to sell route maps cheap as chips worth collecting a few.
If you don’t fancy going up Skidder to do Ullock after doing lonscale fell there’s the nippy descent down spooney green lane with lovely little jumps, fast with a few corners that come up very quick but watch for walkers & the gate at the bottom as you’ll be braking hard.

Enjoy the Cow pie & a pint.

Cheers Mark