Im up in the lakes for a week and after some decent rides. Wanted to do Garburn, Borrowdale and maybe Helvelyn.

Are the any other big mountain routes that you can recommend and if links to maps with best way round that be great.

Have the OS just need the routes to draw on them!

Do the Howgills in this months issue, its lovely ride, a great s track decent from the Calf that goes on for miles – did it just before they published the article and it really is a good one! You need map OL19. Walna Scar road, near Coniston is good, dont do it the way its often described – i’ll get my map…..

Hi Si, Lake District MTBing by Chris Gore & Richard Staton is a great guide which all the local bike shops sell and recommend, £15.95 or text me your address and i’ll post you mine to borrow. Thrush/Qwerty/Martin

Well just downloaded the Garburn and Nan Bield route from MBR. Will be starting in Ambleside, so which is the best way round the figure of 8 it makes?

Helvellyn is good as a ‘tick’, but I’d say High STreet is a much better ride. Not particularly technical, and some of the route is a bit contrived (either a point to point if doing the whole lot or a bit of a push to do half) on a clear day you’ll have a good long ride from the summit to the far end of Ullswater.

Returning to Patterdale on the eastern shore of Ullswater should provide your singletrack fix.

Skiddaaw tour (doesn’t take in summit) which goes up to YHA, then NE and round the northern massif, looping back to YHA is good. The singletrack fix provided by Lonscale Fell on the final descent.

IMO Haweswater/Nan Bield is truly evil 🙁 Picturesque though 🙂

a few Lakeland routes here

Howgills

Walna scar…..Walna Scar road is map OL6. Start at the end of the little lane (runs west from Coniston) you’ll be heading uphill very steeply (past the Sun pub) up to the car park at the foot of the hills. Follow the Walna Scar road to where it drops the down “Walna Scar side” take the bridleway that heads South down the course of the ‘River Pickle’ (down the western edge of the plantation) take one of the Bridleways that bring you out in ‘Seathwaite’ (I recently took the loop around to the south) short section of roadheading north up Dunnerdale along Tarn Beck, then back up the Walna Scar road and the descent all back from the top to the car the way you came.
Vids will give you an idea of the terrain.

Garburn pass is in a good riding, but its lower ground and not as dramatic scenery, nice though and plenty of bridleways to pick up.

Skiddaaw tour (doesn’t take in summit) which goes up to YHA, then NE and round the northern massif

I call that the tour of Caldbeck Fell and it’s a big old ride 35 miles.

I’d not recommend going up Walna Scar from the Coniston side. Better ride to Torver and up Hummer Lane to go clockwise…

I’d not recommend going up Walna Scar from the Coniston side. Better ride to Torver and up Hummer Lane to go clockwise

Have to agree to disagree on that, you miss the nice descent along the River Lickle, but its all nice around there. 😉

Si – when are you up there?

you miss the nice descent along the River Lickle

I prefer to do that as part of a Dunnerdale loop :o)

Whereas, contra Pieface, I’d say Helvellyn is great, and High St not really worth it (although if you’ve never done Ullswater shore on a quiet day, that is fantastic). As for the best way, there are loads of options and opinions, most people climb from the east, some from the north, and typically descend to the east, south or north. I’d say the zigzags are the worst descent and the easiest climb. Climbing from the west is for masochists, unless you’re doing a figure of 8, in which case it’s unavoidable once.

Not sure what mbr suggests for Nan Beild, but the best descents involve going North-south over the pass itself. Strangely, the bit everyone raves about is always a little underwhelming (and short). The other bits that rarely get talked about are usually better than remembered.

Back of Skiddaw good too, as above.

Other circuits of big hills possible, but be prepared for carrying and walkers. It’s all pretty obvious if you have an OS.

Haddock up there week after next 11th-18th July

Deff going to do the STW Garburn/Nan Bield route. Probably Helvellyn route from MBR and maybe the Borrowdale route from sfb

I shall concede that Helvellyn is good acttually, proper mountain route, but the route I’ve done in the past always ends in a steep carry at the end.

I have no idea what Dollywaggon pike is like, when I did it a looong time ago it was a big, steep, eroded scree slope.

This bridleway is not a good trail.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=334812&y=522320&z=120&sv=334812,522320&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=680&ax=334812&ay=522320&lm=0

but following the ridgeline towards the summit is good.

The Borrowdale Bash is a must do route 😉

Helvellyn is best climbed from Brutts Moss ime,(the coach road)and via the dodds,this gives plenty of options decending sticks pass,greenside mine.or the zig zags from whiteside.

Dollywagon is now sanitised from top to bottom,and there now “repairing” the grisdale valley Bridleway. 😥 Its still a challenge to clean it though,but only if your keen! 😉

High street is great in a heavy frost,or after a dry spell (now).about half is dry short grass/rocky and the other peat/bog/grass.

hello mate,

I am so envious – am sick as you like at the mo – no riding for me !

however routes – Skiddaw loop is great – long ish but not too hard.

Walna Scar is truely superb – I would agree with Simonfbarnes – do it conniston / torver / hummers / ace xc dh into seathwaite cheeky bit at bottom near the pub – then bugger climb ( oh yes its a bugger ) and down into conniston – ace descent not as bad as ten years ago – watch v steep road at bottom near Sun pub….

High street – long day – epic views towards helvellyn but not that techy but def worth a punt – navigation can be tricky at times… I got a few ticks up there last time…

Nan bield is a bastard either way you do it..

Edge of Ullswater is a superb rocky tech fest – either direction fun – can suggest you avoid busy walker times – its hard to clear it all – trust me you wont !! Can link it into a loop back into patterdale..

Helvellyn is my favourite mtb ride ( 3 times so far this year )- hard carry / climbs but epic views and a nice DH either down dollywagon or Xc dh down the Raise. I normally do it up dollywagon and down Raise and down switch backs into keppel cove. Its a tough ride despite short distance – dollywagon is severe – be warned. Allow 4 -7 hrs to do that loop depending on group.

Garburn pass is superb – pref to go up from limefitt park as more ‘rideable’ up that way and down t’other side myself but either way is great fun…

Oh n dont forget an up and down Skiddaw assault either….

Would also suggest Howgills – superb riding – easy tech wise till you go down bowderdale…

Take decent clothing n a med kit too as lakes can be unforgiving !!

enjoy !!

Paul

Couple of links from the Trail Guides tab at the top:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/trailguide/category/uk/north-west/

Garburn – do it from Staveley via Dubbs/Limefitt or from Ambleside via Jenkin Crag/Town End. It’s best heading East (ie towards Kentmere).

Caldbeck Fell tour will be featuring in a ST magazine near you soon. 😉
Borrowdale Bash is a Lakelands Classic (maps from Keswick Mountain Bikes), there’s enough routes round Ambleside to keep you occupied all week as well!

watch v steep road at bottom near Sun pub..

if you go down Walna Scar on the Coniston side, turn R at the car park and pick up the very technical BW to Spoon Hall near the village. 20 times better than the boring road!

Si – Doh, wont be up there then, was going to offer to show you some of the best bits I know, another time maybe.

Update…

Rode the STW Garburn/NanBield Route in sunshine on sat. Somewhat dissapointed by NanBield, I think the descent back down towards Haweswater would be much better. However, Gatescarth more than made up for it. Epic, epic descent. Absouletly mental.

Sun did Borrowdale in the wet. Lot of road but the rest deffinately made up for it, although those descents are absouletly deathly lethal in wet.

And today did Ullswater, not enough time for Hellvelyn, but will do both together later in week. Ullswater singletrack is absolutely fantastic. FACT

Will also admit that the lakes has been the first time ive honnestly questionned whether I should be wearing knee pads. Awaits another thread…

Garburn pass is superb – pref to go up from limefitt park as more 'rideable' up that way

strongly disagree! Go east young man!

, I think the descent back down towards Haweswater would be much better

REALLY ??Now that would be mental 🙁

Garburn pass is superb – pref to go up from limefitt park as more 'rideable' up that way

strongly disagree! Go east young man!

Yes east is best 😛 The Climb is all rideable and the downhill more challenging/technical into Kentmere.

OTH I thought Nan Bield was good, but I did enjoy Gatescarth as well.

Glad you enjoyed Ullswater. Not too many walkers I hope.

Garburn pass is superb – pref to go up from limefitt park as more 'rideable' up that way

strongly disagree! Go east young man!

I seem to have misspoken myself there, having read it as up from Kentmere, and I should have said strongly agree 🙂

I think the descent back down towards Haweswater would be much better

If you can ride that you need paying my friend!

At the moment I think Garburn riden down all the way to Troutbeck is one of the best descents in the Lakes. If you want to decide for yourself it's pretty easy to sort out a route that starts in Staveley, rides one of the trails to the Garburn, up and over to Troutbeck, back up the road to Dubbs reservoir, back up the Garburn, down into Kentmere and a different trail back to Staveley.