A few pics from my first go at the Black Coomb route as featured in the “Lake District Moutain Biking” guide.

I can confirm it’s rather hard going up! Certainly for a novice like me. I managed to ride maybe half of the ascent, though i could have ridden maybe 10 or 20% more if i owned some clipless pedals.

Going up:

Think i took about 1h30m to get to the top, a bit blowy, and cloud for the last 50m or so of ascent.

Then it was time for the long old descent! I went wrong at first, carrying straight on too far past the crags. A quick squint at the map got me back on track though, and once the track dried out a touch lower down, it took all of a couple of minutes to blast down about 400-odd meters of fellside. It was great!

Can’t wait to do it again later in the year when it’s maybe a bit drier. Cheers for reading 🙂

I can see Black Combe from outside my house. Sadly (as with you), I’ve never been able to see Lancaster, never mind my house, from Black Combe 🙁

nice one…

Blacke Combe is on my ‘to do’ list – I’ve walked up it a few times in my youth (having relatives who live in Silecroft) but never got round to riding it.

Problem is it’s a longish way for me to come to do a ride that’s basically ‘up big hill, down big hill, go home again’.

(Also my ‘to do’ list is getting longer, not shorter! Every new ride I do seems to give me ideas for two more)

Yeah, wouldn’t say it was worth a special trip. There’s nothing technical, other than seeing just how steep an incline you can ride up!

Some nice Cumbrian weather you had there Andy 😉

Quick hijack – with you being a ‘west coaster’, have you ever followed the bridleway from Tongue How heading around the back of Boat How, Lank Rigg (by Worm Gill), and ending at a spot called Iron Crag. Just curious as it looks like it might have potential (on paper anyway :-)):

as it looks like it might have potential

I rode there from Ennerdale Bridge to Nether Wasdale in 1997. My memory is very dim, but I think it was mostly gravelly doubletrack, getting narrower and grassy nearer Wasdale.

I’ve done the section over Tounge how and then down over the river through Scalderskew. On my OS map the bridalway doesn’t circle Lank Rigg completely. It might be ridable, that area does hang on to it’s water a bit though.
If you’re really lucky i might try and ride it tomorrow and let you know 🙂

I think Black Combe is a great fun ride. We tend to do it as a there and back, so no navigation issues, and you’re getting a good look at the descent as you climb. Great fun and super quick.

I live in the village at the bottom of Black Combe. I’m glad you enjoyed the ride, I wonder if your enjoyment would have been marred if there was a nuclear power station in view all the way back down? I notice the wind farm at Haverigg airfield pictured in some of your snaps, that’s the proposed site of a new nuclear power plant.

If you’re really lucky i might try and ride it tomorrow and let you know

Cheers Andy – I’m hoping to get over your way through the summer to do some exploring.

I rode there from Ennerdale Bridge to Nether Wasdale in 1997.

I should have known you’d been there Mr. Barnes 😉

I wonder if your enjoyment would have been marred if there was a nuclear power station in view all the way back down?

Depends on the new designs – I guess some of them will be quite attractive.

I did the Lakeland Loop sportive on Sunday and got a lovely view of Sellafield/Windscale/Calder Hall from Cold Fell. It was like a potted history of pioneering nuclear generation and recycling.

I’m glad you enjoyed the ride, I wonder if your enjoyment would have been marred if there was a nuclear power station in view all the way back down? I notice the wind farm at Haverigg airfield pictured in some of your snaps, that’s the proposed site of a new nuclear power plant.

To be honest i get a good eyeful of Sellafield from most of my local walks and rides whenever i turn for home. It doen’t bother me really, especially after seeing mountains themselves reduced to rubble in north wales last year!

Edit: Snap Higgo! +1 on your opinion too.