Hi all

Off to the Lakes next week, was planning on doing Walna Scar (Coniston, Torver, Stephenson Ground, Seathwaite, up and over walna scar road back to Coniston) and i was wondering the best way down back into coniston is – seems to be a couple of options, bringing you out either back in Torver, at a place on the OS map marked Spoon Hall (just south of Coniston) or directly back into Coniston, although this one appears to be partly on road.

Which one should I take?

cheers

Keep off road down to Torver and the back along the lake shore through the campsites. The descent through the slate quarries below where you turn off for Coniston is amazingly good fun and adds a good length of excellent riding onto the end of an already fantastic descent.

What he said

What they said.

Yup. Them said well

What they all said, drop into the back of torver
I’ve only ridden the bridleway into the back of torver and the road into the back of coniston, and not the bridleway in between the two

I’d say to try to start/finish in Torver though and cut out Coniston altogether

See what Lowey says too. He’s got a good gpx for Walna Scar on his flickr, do a search for his posts on Walna Scar this time just over a year ago.

No point starting and finishing in Coniston if you ask me, it’s much better to park in Torver and do the loop from there. Oh, and there is a footpath that sort of crosses the Spoon Hall bridleway that is fantastic, in a slippy, rocky, out of control type way.

Thanks for all the replies – I’m actually staying in Elterwater, so was going to cycle straight from there via Little Langdale/High Tilberthwaite, hence “starting” at Coniston.

Back into Torver it is then! Just to check, is it over Torver bridge, then bear right to rejoin another bridleway just north of what’s marked on the OS map as Tranearth? Or don’t cross the bridge at all?

The BW behing Spoon Hall is superb though. Best not to ride up to Crowberry disuded quarries and down the tech FP S of the beck either.

pretty sure that descent down to Spoon Hall will be an absolute bog-fest!

The rocky one what goes through the stream n wotnot? We go down to the tarmac carpark, R along wall then L through gate.

Sorry lads but have to disagree. The BW to Torver through Banished quarry is boring. Spoon Hall is the one you want. Slippy, rocky rooty technical blast!

This is the one!

DSC01562 by lowey.com, on Flickr

DSCF0022 by lowey.com, on Flickr

We are doing the very same ride on Friday next week!

Normally come out at torver but last time we did the route described above(car park,along the wall and through the gate to spoon hall) very entertaining ,certainly gets my vote.

That’s great, thanks everyone – will play it by ear a little with regards to fatigue and weather on the day (I hear the climb up from Seathwaite is a bit of a killer!), but looks like the BW down to Spoon Hall is a good shout