So is the coniston loop more technical …………….

If you mean the ‘tour de coniston’, which goes up through the quarries at Tilberthwaite, you’ve done the hardest bit already.

If you mean, as above, a route which goes up to Stephenson Ground, then Seathwaite, push up Walna Scar etc, then there is one rocky bit on the Seathwaite drop, and a couple of short sections on WS, but I wouldn’t say any of them are harder than Nibthwaite. The pushing bit will take longer than you think. If in doubt, start and finish in Torver, that will bring it down to 13 miles or so.

Walna Scar

Coniston

Yep, that’s the Tour de Coniston minus the quarries. And yes, Parkamoor to Nibthwaite is the technically hardest thing on it. The rest is just XC in nature.

The longer loop (25 miles) which includes Tilberthwaite and Oxen Fell takes me a little under four and a half hours.

It’s easy to miss the turn off on the woodland fell descent, and the linking section is a bit crap, I’d drop to the little stone bridge, through green moor wood and pick up the farm track from the road (it’s the first right, can’t miss it). It has been known for people to cheeky it over beacon tarn too but given the BH weekend maybe not this time

I’ve not done all of the NFT, just the small section where you pick it up from the BW heading out of Hawkshead down to Moor Top car park. Enjoyed it.

Is that the best bit?

Is that the best bit?

First climb is the best bit! IMO naturally…

Last descent is OK, but a bit uppy-downy and actually has a gate in the middle of it.

It has been known for people to cheeky it over beacon tarn

Or actually climb up to the top of The Beacon. Great views and a nice little decent back down over a bedrock gully.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ND5wXg]20161203_140130[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr