Read it yesterday – even though I’ve done a few decent Lakes rides a good while ago, I felt really inspired to do it. I’m in the Lakes in early June but will be over the western side in all likelihood.
Worth a trip that way or are there better days out nearer where I might be?
Like the look of the Grasmoor area/Whiteless Pike etc.
Not done 4 passes/Ullock Pike/Walna Scar/area around top end of Borrowdale.
Done Helvellyn/High Street/Back o’Skiddaw/BB/Garburn/Hodge Close & Loughrigg area.

Any must-do rides? Done trail centres – want something new and something that makes me feel like I’ve earned that first cold refreshing Loweswater Gold 😉

went up there on friday, via ill bell and mardale.

nan bield in the distance.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/rGj5j9]cidImage_FOT8450.JPG[/url] by 20ston, on Flickr

and up and down a ace track yesterday.

rigg beck.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/sD9GGs]cidImage_FOT725.JPG[/url] by 20ston, on Flickr

[b]

How was it Ton?

How was it Ton?

fantastic Rich. hard work pushing/carrying up, but once i got down the 1st zigzags it was a blast.
7 years since i have been up there, was good to be back in the mountains.

Superb, that’s a great loop Ton. Managed to do it 3 times last year, better every time. Must be some of the best views in the lakes too.

We did it on Monday last week. Having not done it for 7 years. A Spitfire and a bad back made the carry very hard work, and the switchbacks were a bit beyond me. Gatesgarth was fun. Still not convinced its the best ride in the world, but there is a definant sense of achievement.

Slightly different ride ahsat, start up garburn from troutbeck, once at top carry on over yoke, ill bell etc and then round to top of nan bield. It’s cheeky, but great.

When you get to the Shelter @ Nan Bield keep going up to Harterfell then down to Sadgill must be one of the longest downhill rides in the Lakes not over knarly but still fun 🙂

i found the hardest bit, getting down off ill bell to frostwick. too steep for me to ride, as were the zigzags off nan bield.
proper exposed bits with stunning views. i need a good small camera. phone pics are rubbish.

Aye, the first 20 metres off of ill bell I walk, as it’s too, too exposed to ride a steep step like that. That’s common sense I reckon. Nan bield switchbacks are ace though.

Having done the classic Nan Beild, i did the Kentmere horsehoe in reverse a few weeks back, thinking the descent would be awesome at the end, nice opening singletrack traverse from Mardale, yep it’s looking good, but whats this over foswick to yoke spoilt by a wide manmade track, descent from Yoke and Garburn fast and easy, i wouldn’t do it again, Nan bield is better, so not quite the Lakes classic i was looking for.

7 years since i have been up there

I still have the scar 🙄

Ridden it a few times since its well worth doing IMHO

As noted a number of choices and routes up the place

Is this doable with kids?

Depends on whether you want them to live

Absolutely not
Its natural trail and its a Black and a proper Black black with the top being very tricky indeed. Many riders will elect to push this bit and it hen goes to easy but steep and lose like this see pic- the lower bit is fine

The only way up to it is a massive/push/carry as well
NO WAY FOR ME UNLESS THEY CAN RIDE BLACK AND CARRY THEIR BIKES

Take that as a no then 😉

Its a maybe 😉

Shame…as it looks awesome

Leave the wife and kids in the tearoom in kentmere!

Done it a few times, doubt my back will thank me for attempting ever again 🙄
http://s95.photobucket.com/user/bigjohnskona/slideshow/3%20Passes

It’s a cracking ride, up there with the best in the area like Ullock Pike. I have done the Ill Bell route described by Ton and it is good. If you like really technical trails though do it as an out and back. The northern descent is amazing, exceptionally technical but an amazing ride. I would avoid doing it as a loop via Gatescarth – It isn’t an interesting descent, just a landrover track. A real waste of height gain.

As I say, if you like mega tech, go out and back, if you like normal amounts of tech do the Ill Bell and High Street loop via the garburn pass.

@ the OP

theres good cheeky riding to be had off whiteless pike / whiteless breast

Did nan Bield at the end of this route

http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/staveley-three-passes/

it was my first visit to the lakes and finishing the ride with the hike a bike up nan bield into a howling wind probably wasn’t the best idea..

I thought it over rated to be honest but we were very weary by the time we got to it as it was the last of the four. Ridden better in the Lakes.

Usually start from Ings at the lay bay near the garage, past reservour up the Garburn & drop down to Kentmere eventually work my way up & down Gatesgarth to Haweswater & up to small water, up & over to enjoy Nan bield descent & even managed to clean it last time chuffed with my old legs then back to kentmere & over the tops dropping back down a dry stone walled blast bringing me out near the road to Ings a true gem in my book & as long as my legs let me do it I’ll enjoy it.

Looks amazing and is inspiring me for this weekend.

I’m heading up to the Lakes, staying in Keswick on Saturday evening and ride on Sunday. I’ve had some great tips from mates but only ever walked in the Lakes so putting a route together on a map based on pointers.

Does anyone have a GPX file of a Nan Bield loop, or tips and recommendations for a descent ‘all mountain’ mini adventure, say 4-5 hours for reasonably fit Peak District locals with a strong bias for downs.

Staying in Keswick but heading home South and based from the van so can get anywhere really.

@yorkcsl – nost admirable thing about your ride how you have the self control to not start in Staveley with its many attractions! Don’t you like free parking, food, beer or shiny new bikes 😉

I’ve done Nan Bield from Shap. That was a reasonably epic ride, the idea was reduce driving time to a minimum and riding a maximum. Worked on that count.

and up and down a ace track yesterday.

rigg beck.
Looks ace. I’ve been meaning to go up there and over to Buttermere.

Up Sail, down Rigg unless you plan to do an out and back

Was planning to go up Gatescarth then over Harter Fell and down Nan Bield tomorrow – never been up there before. Any better ideas/variation I’m missing out on? I’m not known for being super-fit 😛

Worth pushing/carrying up the Mardale/Ill Bell path from the top of Nan Bield then coming back down it before doing Nan Bield?

Or should we do this instead?

start up garburn from troutbeck, once at top carry on over yoke, ill bell etc and then round to top of nan bield. It’s cheeky, but great.

Nan bield sounds like a winner, the loop here looks simple to follow but maybe a bit short.
http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/20-best-mountain-bike-trails-uk-322684

Maybe get the Ullswater one done in the morning and Nan bield after a pastie!

Like the look of the Grasmoor area/Whiteless Pike etc.

I’ve done a bit round there and like it, probably need local info to make the most.
Not done 4 passes:I’ve done sections this will be a long day out, start early
Ullock Pike: Do it!
Walna Scar: Less tech but worth a go.
area around top end of Borrowdale: My favourite part of the lakes, so much good stuff.

Up Sail, down Rigg

I was thinking up Rigg, down Sail, Up Liza and over Grisedale Pike and Hobcarton End.

@Bandito – sooo much on offer up there so tricky to plan an ideal circuit unless you know your way around. Much of it’s cheeky though so exercise caution and politeness. A cracker around there is Coledale, Coledale Hause, Wandope, Whiteless, Sail Beck, Rigg Beck.

I’ve done Nan Bield from Shap.

Up the mosedale BW? How was it?

That was a reasonably epic ride, the idea was reduce driving time to a minimum and riding a maximum.

google says that if you’re heading there from the south (M6) kentmere is the same travel time as shap 😳

if you’re heading there from the south (M6) kentmere is the same travel time as shap

But I was heading from the north…

We did Shap-Swindale-Old Corpse Road-Haweswater-Nan Bield-Sadgill-Gatescarth-Mosedale-Uncle Monty’s farm-Shap

Mosedale was a wet grassy slog to be honest, but I’d like to try the bridwleay over Swindale, I think it was in a Pinkbike article last year

Old Corpse Road:

Nan Bield:

Mosedale

scuttler

Not that I dislike Stavely at all, a smashing little place & we often call in at the Artisan bakery for a Hot beef sarny, they are superb, I enjoy the climb past the reservoir & then go down the Garburn or go cheeky left up to Ill Bell.

ill bell and mardale

which way is that? From the left or the right of the top/start of Nan Bield (if you are facing the start down)?

Both involve cheeky …naughty 😀

ir_bandito Great photo’s, there’s one tight left that I find tricky with a large make that massive rock really tight in the corner & had to go right on the edge of the switch back to get round but thankfully cleaned it the second time I did the loop. absolutely love it, my favourite natural loop.

Looking forward to getting back there soon.