I have 2 days in the Lakes as of tomorrow and want to do Helvellyn and Skiddaw but have seen numerous loops mentioned. So what are the best routes for the 2 or anything else that is a must. Also any good van spots for the overnight. Cheers

I wouldn't do Helvellyn and Skiddaw on consecutive days (not that I could probably manage anyway!)

You will spend more time on your bike on something a bit lower – the loop round Coniston is a winner, or Coniston-Torver-Seathwaite-Walna Scar, or Grizedale/Claife bridleways.

I did think it might be a bit of an epic but I just have a couple of days and wanted to get a couple of big ticks in. Not too much bothered about body abuse but more time on the bike is preferable. I take it Skiddaw and Helvellyn are both substantial hike-a-bike affairs?

Unless you are nails, have a suit of armour, and 9 foot of travel don't descend Helvellyn via Dollywaggon unless you're big on pain or 'mega-rad'.

You can get up Helvellyn with a fair bit of riding if you go over the Dodds etc – it's good for the experience of being up a mountain on your bike but there is much better stuff purely in terms of riding imo. Depends how fit you are I suppose but i ended up pushing quite a bit. Lower Man is a carry but it's not that long.

Dollywagon is pretty severe as descents go – the drainage ditches are a bit of a killer.

Have to admit I've not done Skiddaw but looking at the steepness I suspect I wouldn't be riding that much on the way up. If I was gonna do it Ullock Pike looks like an amazing (but cheeky) option for descending.

Only knee pads and elbow pads for armour and only 5" of travel but game for most things. I saw some Ullock cheeky pics which looked pretty cool. I picked up the Lakes book so maybe I'll bash something out from that and do one or t'other of the big peaks.

I've ridden up and around Skiddaw but didn't bother with the out and back to the summit which did look like a push (the weather was naff so the views wouldn't have been great). It's a bit of a ride of two halves (or 3 thirds!). There is some great singletrack on it and some fun fast sections too, but the middle (northern) third is a bit of a dull slog to be honest and not very lakeland in character.

…worth doing tho'

My 3 favourite descents in the lakes are Garburn Pass, from Kentmere all the way down to Troutbeck; Carron Crag down to Satterthwaite: Parkamoor down to Nibthwaite.

My favourite ascents are from Hawkshead up to Carron Crag and from Coniston up to Lawson Park. My least favourite ascent is from Kentmere up to Garburn.

You win some you lose some. The Bogtrotters website will fill in the blanks. And the man behind the Bogtrotters website will tell you I'm wrong. And he'll be right.

And I've just had more than Tony Blair had.

And the man behind the Bogtrotters website will tell you I'm wrong. And he'll be right.

ha ha 🙂 It's all down to opinion, there are few definitive answers!

from Kentmere all the way down to Troutbeck;

not bad, but I much prefer the other way!

My least favourite ascent is from Kentmere up to Garburn.

agreed it's horrible 🙁 I had vowed never to do it again, but did it in March, only to be greeted by this at the top:

, which I might have missed had I been going the other way 🙂

There's far too many to choose from!

Immediately springing to mind are:

Helvellyn (yet to decide on a favourite route as I've not ridden them all)
Skiddaw / ullock pike
Walna scar
Borrowdale Bash
Nan Bield

If the weather is still fine I would take the opportunity to bag some peaks though

Well, I'd like to go from Troutbeck all the way down to Garburn too. 😆

The other week we went from Grizedale, half way round the National Front Trail to Parkamoor, down to Nibthwaite, round to Torver, up to Walna Scar, down to Coniston, up to Lawson Park and then you've got the choice of finishing the NF trail or climbing to Carron Crag and going down to Satterthwaite and back from there. A lovely day out.

Thats not THE Mr Barnes formerly of beta/e9 is it?

There's a loop from Ulswater up onto highstreet and back down into ulswater again via some nice stuff. The Route I took, however, was nothing short of nightmarish. Indeed I still have nightmares about the last section. Exhausted, out of water and food, hauling a Marin Wolf Ridge up a cliff in failing light… 🙁 not my finest hour.

Skiddaw figure of 8 – up Latrigg,to Skiddaw House ,down to Mungrisedale,
Up & over Caldbeck Common , round past Overwater , up Dash Falls ,Back to Skiddaw House ,down to Blencathra centre/Threlkeld and a gentle warm down on the railway line. lovely.

You can change the start/finish around – depends on the time of day coming down Latrigg.

sorry for any spelling mistakes.
J.

I did Skiddaw & Helvellyn on the same day. I have a MMO somewhere.

We did Helvellyn back in June and used the route out of the July 2009 issue of MBR magazine. It takes you up past the youth hostel/mine at Glenridding and then up the zig zags/whiteside, across the top to the summit before descending down sticks pass. The climb was super steep and then coming down sticks was really technical. I probably pushed as much as I rode so not sure if I'd do it again but like you, wanted to tick it off the list. Give me a shout if your keen and I'll email you over a copy of the route. Looks like your going to get some great weather up there!

from Kentmere all the way down to Troutbeck;

not bad, but I much prefer the other way!

I was up last week and did it both ways, riding from Staveley and turning back at the first gate after the descent.

Very satisfying half-day ride and the great singletrack bridleway back to Staveley (Ullthwaite Bridge?) was an unexpected bonus.

Also did Parkamoor to High Nibthwaite for the first time and that was great fun too, (though we pushed back up a path to do Parkamoor to Satterthwaite afterwards and I still prefer that).

(though we pushed back up a path to do Parkamoor to Satterthwaite afterwards and I still prefer that).

they've spoiled that by flattening the lower section, which used to be very rocky. Now a better option is to turn R at the 2nd fire road and take the singletrack FP to Rusland. A couple of wet winters should wash away the crap that's been dumped on the trail 🙂

SFB – Cheers, I'll check that out. The bottom section seemed as rocky as ever the other day, though I've only been riding it for a couple of years.

I thought maybe the middle section was easier than usual, before the fire road crossing followed by a dip and short climb. Is that where you mean?

Most of the tracks I usually ride seemed rougher than usual in fact, particularly the chute that goes down from the fireroad by the bottom of TNF climb to the back of the visitor centre. I was hanging on for dear life!

Was up there a couple of weeks back.

Did Helvellyn up the mines/Whiteside/Lower man. Its not a technical climb (until Lower Man!), but its bloody steep most of the way. I reckon a properly fit XC rider could do it, although it would *hurt*. Came down Dollywagon/Grizedale – the former is a cast-iron bastard, although just about rideable, the latter just awesome. I'm told coming back down Lower Man/Sticks Pass/down the hairpins to the mines is good too.

If you want a proper hard-as-nails day out, then Honister, Scarth Gap, Blacksail, Styhead fits the bill. Grindingly hard climbs (a LOT of carrying), great descents (bridleway down from the mines into Buttermere is awesome, as is Blacksail into Wasdale, and Styhead is nice too), plus some fantastic views.

Or there's always High Street if you want something less technical – do it on a nice day though – the views are the reason to do the ride!

I thought maybe the middle section was easier than usual, before the fire road crossing followed by a dip and short climb. Is that where you mean?

no I mean from there down to the Satterthwaite road. There are several large rocky outcrops which have been covered over with gravel.

Most of the tracks I usually ride seemed rougher than usual in fact, particularly the chute that goes down from the fireroad by the bottom of TNF climb to the back of the visitor centre. I was hanging on for dear life!

my favourite, well scary!

Not ridden up Skiddaw, but ran up there earlier in the year and walked up it several times. It's more of a trophy hill than anything else, perhaps worth it for a tick maybe. And because you can (bridleway and all that). As a hill it's not that interesting, falling firmly into the 'big lump' camp. Plenty of other options.

If the weather is good then Skiddaw is probably worth doing if only for the views. It's very steep at the bottom and a bit of a push. After that, it's climbable but a slow slog and you need to be fit. Amazing views at the top but then the descent it's that exciting. It's ok and I enjoy doing it but it's certainly worth riding round the back of Skidaw as well as that's more fun. If you are in that area then the Borrowdale bash is much more fun and you can then add in Skiddaw or round Skiddaw if you feel like it.

Locals go up Skiddaw to go off the front and down Ullock Pike, now thats quite good ….but also cheeky and best avoided at busy times.

I did Skiddaw & Helvellyn on the same day. Up the Kepple Cove zig-zags, rideable for the most part, out & back to summit, go north to Great Dodd descend to coach road, out & back to Skiddaw back over coach road, back lanes to Pooley Bridge & back along east shore BW.