Yesterday… beautiful day parked up at Elterwater – tiberthwaite – Coniston – Walna Scar…..

and this is where the anger began i haven’t been up for a good while and last time i was there a large section had been sanitised, now it is pretty much all done, including a large portion of the top. I remember after the slate bridge half way down (descent on Coniston side) there used to be a sweet rock jump ….. now gone! It used to be a challenge to cimb this side, now they might as well tweak the Fred Whitton route!

Seems to be happening more and more, Loughrigg, Garburn, Seathwaite to name just a few. I’d love to know why they do this.

As it happens i had a great ride, hike-a-biked onto the Old man and had a crackin tech fest down!

Is the Old Man legal?
Walked up from Coniston on Sun thinking it would be a great decent – well most of it.
Probably puncture-city with all that slate though 😕

I guess it technically isn’t legal no! but it is awesome, some of the most technically demanding riding I have ever done top half down to Low Water (i probably did 50/50 riding / carrying), from Low Water all the way to the Sun in at Coniston though it is absolutely fantastic and well worth the effort (just don’t climb up from Seathwaite Tarn!!) I was riding my Soul so on a full susser i reckon 75/25 riding/climbing on top half.
As far as being legal, I have never had conflict riding big all mountain trails like this… I find so long as your pleasant and courteous you get way way more respect than on a B.W.
I’m already thinking about a descent down either goat or levers water.

Why don’t you ask them? I’m sure they’ll have an email address on their website. It’d be interesting to hear the official response.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/walna-scar-sanitisation

Dobster… did you do the tourist path from the summit to Lows water through the quarries ? This one.

I’m having a crack at it later this year… always fancied a go down it.

How tech is it, say compared to Ullock or Warnscale ?

Yeah that was the one… seems like a distant memory now!
I haven’t done Ullock yet, but have done warnscale.
The top half of the track down to Low water is a serious serious tech fest, big steps, boulders, rocks that would stab you if you landed wrong! It is pretty much all doable from tarn down to coniston (watch for head hight mining cables!) then make sure you bear left after descending from tarn so far, as it leads to fantastic swoopy singletrack and then carry on FP all way to Sunn inn! awesome!
Later this year I’m going to check out Goat and Levers waters descents, could be great too!
I found Warnscale was technical but doable, but I got frightened by the drop at the corner, so walked what I should have ridden for a few yards!

I find so long as your pleasant and courteous you get way way more respect than on a B.W.

yes I find this as well and I fear that continued sanitation which lead to us all just riding footpaths