I’m camping in Keswick for the last week of July with the Family and my Wife’s friends. With suitable spousal permission I would like to include a bike-packing night away, so I am l planning to ride from Keswick to Grizedale forest, bivvy, ride the NF trail then ride back early morning.

Was thinking of riding the first half of the Borrowdale to bash (clockwise) to the bottom of the lake then, Looking at the OS map I can see there is a bridleway from the bottom of Borrowdale heading south out of Rosthwaite following Langstrath Beck, up and over the Stake Pass to join the Cumbria way. From here I could follow the CW through Elterwater towards the forest.

Is this a decent, rideable route? I’ll be on a Whyte M109 FS, confident on natural trails and fit but not after a constant rock garden assault, prefer smoother, flowing trail.

Is there a good alternative for the ride back instead of going in reverse?

thats the way to go, both directions, but I wouldn’t say it’s smooth and flowing, also I’m sure there will be others along in a minute to agree but the NF trail isn’t great. It was ok when it was made 10+ years ago but deteriorated since and poorly maintained. Some mega bridle ways around grizedale if you want a ride there in the morning though.

Why not just ride over the tops to langdale/grasmere or something and have a bridle way ride from there and incorporate the best grizedale bits?

Via Patterdale? Head up to Grasmere (via Loughrigg perhaps) and then right up to Fairfield on a long grassy push up the Great Tongue (won’t be much fun). Descend to Patterdale down Grisedale (will be very much fun) and then the easy option of the Old Coach Road across to Keswick from Dockray. Or go over Helvellyn with a near-impossible carry up Dollywagon…

Good suggestions above, stay out of Easedale, looks good on the map. It isn’t.

Your route sounds good, though I don’t really know it too well beyond stake pass.

Two wee tips. Right at the start, climb up the road past Castlerigg campsite and onto walla crag then falcon cragg to ashness bridge, it’s a footpath but I’ve ridden it a few times now no issues, it’s a far better way go.

Langstrath – once on the rhs of the valley (heading from Rosthwaite) stay on that side, even though it looks as if the trail peters out. Theres a temptation to cross the river at that point, but stick with it – the trail appears again after the grassy bit, and there is also a bridge at the top just before the switchback climb. Lovely valley.

Thanks for the help guys, forum at its best.

I think that route is good both out and back but it’s pretty tough. Rather than spending time in Grizedale, you could go back via Walna scar and over to wasdale via Burnmoor and then either sty head or blacksail /scarth gap. This work be tough too but you could stay in Wasdale head for night number 2.

That would be a killer ride.

As everyone says the north face is poor but there are brilliant rides in grizedale re the fox, breasty haw and Parkamoor if you decide to stay in Grizedale.

Watch the weather over Stake as it can be treacherous in the wet

Thanks for the help guys, forum at its best

Agreed, I love these threads and getting the maps out. You may be interested in this one too, I’m hoping to ride thee in a couple of weeks

Natural Grizedale

Jambalaya – if your route includes the Breasty Haw/Great Wood descent, then it was shut for forestry work when I went about a month ago.

To the OP – you could head back via Oxen Fell/Tilberthwaite and the BW over to Little Langdale to pick up the return into Borrowdale.

we recently ignored the closed signs on the last section of the breasty haw descent and soon regretted it.they have made a right mess of it, the machines have destroyed the path and turned it into a deep thick muddy mess. we all had to wash our bikes of in the river over the road at the bottom.
can’t see that one ever being worth riding again.

That’s a pity – it is one of the better sections. Hopefully a load of rainfall will sort it out a bit.

Are they clearing the whole area?

they had taken quite a bit out, it was unrecognizable. it took us a while to work out where the trail used to be near the bottom.

Yep.. that last section of Breasty Haw is closed. However… and you can thank me for this after you have ridden it… take a right at the closure and ascend the fire road to This BW. IMO Its better than the closed section. An absolute hoot!

Don’t bother heading to Grizedale. There are much better riding and bivi options elsewhere from Keswick – Buttermere, Ennerdale, Wasdale, Loweswater. Much quieter and better pubs too. Email in profile if you want ideas. The NF trail really isn’t worth travelling to.

First climb of the NF is nice if you like climbing, then the final descent is fun.

The middle bit is a bit tedious but I’ve still done it a few times,

Yep.. that last section of Breasty Haw is closed. However… and you can thank me for this after you have ridden it… take a right at the closure and ascend the fire road to This BW. IMO Its better than the closed section. An absolute hoot!

Did this last time, still think BH is better, but certainly looks like the best option for the foreseeable future.

Bit confused though – I’ve climbed up that one a few times before, and remember a deer gate at half height. Have they removed it or did I descend something else?

Boxelder has a good point. As I touched on above, NF trail is pretty shoddy and definitely not worth a DESTINATION trip over difficult terrain. Think personally I’d still do your route over to langdale/Ambleside way and do a ride (just cos I live there and like it), however as Boxelder said there are some great, and probably better choices for a one night bike packing trip elsewhere from Keswick.

Something – St Johns, old coach road, helvelyn, sticks pass, glenridding, bivi at ullswater. Ride ullswater singletrack and then back via matterdale road and coach road the following day?