The wife’s treating me to a night away in Coniston next weekend for my 40th Birthday and has agreed I can take my bike to have ride of on the sunday morning. I was intending to do the walna scar route from the Vertabrate book, which looks pretty easy to follow but if anyone wants to guide me and for some company on the ride I’d love to have you along. Would likely be rolling out of Coniston about 9-9.30ish after a cooked breakfast. Email in profile if you fancy it.

I would only do the Walna route if it involves the descent into seathwaite and the hike back up from there, if it’s the one that goes from Stephensons ground up to the top of the WS scar road, don’t bother, the descent ain’t worth it any more.

Far better riding to be had on the bridleways in Grizedale mate.

As above; Walna Scar has been ruined by the insistence on sanitizing the trails by the Parks Authority, one of many unfortunately. Like the person above has said there are far more entertaining trails to be had from Coniston. I would have been happy to guide but I’m working, sorry 🙁

11th Day of Christmas – Free Route Guide

🙂

My options for this ride would have been either grizedale or walna scar but wanted to get some height, big hills around me and epic scenery plus I want to be able to do a shorter ride from the door of the B&B (in coniston) not faffing around driving somewhere and then ride, considering my wife will have to wait for me somewhere.

Is the drop from Stephensons ground to seathwaite good then or do you mean the drop from walna scar to seathwaite?
Cheers for the help.

Top of Walna scar down to Coniston is wide and long and as its nice and smooth you can take your time & look at the view.

on the STW map add on a bit- go N along the E edge of Broughton up to Natty Bridge (very picturesque) and then down the BW on opposite side of valley- very nice decent.

If anyone would like to guide me round some tech and views and be back to Coniston within 3hrs I’ll do any route you suggest.

The top/middle bit of Walna Scar isn’t as bad as some have painted – the pics on the STW route link above give an idea. There are some nice switchbacks and some drop-offs/rocks at about half height. From where the BW from Torver joins to the car park is smooth as a baby’s bum.

It’s not entirely devoid of good riding, anyhow, and coupled with the drop into Seathwaite from Stephenson Ground makes a good day out.

Walk/push up most of WS from the West is a bit of a ball-ache, though. Unless you’re a riding god, obviously.

Is the drop from Stephensons ground to seathwaite good then or do you mean the drop from walna scar to seathwaite?

The descent from stephensons (well, a wee bit further on from there) to seathwaite would be the best descent of the day. When you get down off walna, turn right down the bridleway to torver, it’s slightly better, and has a nice pub in torver. Then cut down through the NT campsite, and lake path back to coniston.

I think the western (Dunnerdale) side of WS is smoother than the eastern. The eastern is smooth from the top for about 200 metres then it’s increasingly rough though not overly so through the zig-zags then it’s smooth again until you get to the two rock gates, then it’s rubbly for a couple of hundred metres. Below the Dow Crag/Goats Water path junction (just above the rock gates) your biggest problem will be avoiding the walkers.

Not done the lower part of WS on the Duddon side but rode up from where the Stephenson’s Ground path joins just above the fell gate. This upper half is greening over so is unlikely to wash away now.

Where abouts in Coniston are you? There’s some nice off road out on the fell around and inbetween Torver/Woodland/Subberthwaite/Blawith/Beacon Tarn. Bit of a road ride out of Coniston, although you’d be able to take the path along the old train line to get to Torver.

Or try Tilberthwaite/Hodge Close/Tarn Howes etc out the other side of Coniston.

Loads of excellent riding round Coniston, too much to ever list & no need to drive anywhere.
One route with easy navigation would be to head up the road at the side of the Black Bull, near the top of the road there’s a bridleway on your right going into the woods, follow this as it runs parallel with then eventually joins the A593.
As it finishes at the road turn left onto another road to High Tilbertwaite. At the end of this road dismount then go through the farmyard & take the right hand gate (could also take the LH one for a longer route). You’ll follow a dry stone wall then drop down to a convergence of paths, take one of the 2 heading east. Keep heading east on this bridleway (doing a bit of a dog leg through another small farm) to High Oxen Fell, onto & straight across the A593. Keep on this same bridleway until you come onto another road at Kipe Fold. Road up to High Cross, through the car park & onto the fire road into Grizedale Forest. Stay on this fire road to the start of Lawsons Park descent on the right. Head back to Coniston by the road & path that follow the road. Simples 😀
If you’re intent on heading up Walna, i’d head over to Torver & climb up through the mines to join it about 1/3 of the way up. The decsent from the top of Walna down to Seathwaite is good, but there’s no avoiding a meaty climb/push back up at some point.

Grizedale natural?

As martinhutch Walna’s still pretty good and you’ll get that ‘big mountain’ feel to your ride. the bottoms crap but top an middle are still pretty good, to get a last gnarr fix do the spoon hall bridleway it’s a cheeky little number in a couple of places. CHeck the weather and fell reports first though as trudge on icy slush would be a ba day out. also three hours would be a fairly handy time for right round the STW loop. The Natty bridge add on is a MUST.

Would love to show you round and have a day pass in the bank but would have to consult the fun police before making any commitments. If the weather’s a no go there’s bundle of (proabably better froma pure trails POV but if it was me I’d do Walna Just for the doing of it.) stuff in the vicinity, Iron Keld, Grizedale, Tarn Hows, Blawith COmmon, Dunnerdales. Oh and I know cos I live a tthe bottom of the valley! 😉

At the car park at the bottom of Walna, take the left cart track up towards Crowberry Haws and then this track track back to Coniston. Its an absolute hoot and miles better than the greasy rock fest of Spoon Hall.

Plus one for the descent to the Newfield Inn at Seathwaite. Its a belting little descent.

Can you get straight onto the permissive BW alongside the 593 towards Tilberthwaite from that, lowey? Looks like you can.

Just bumping this coz it’s this weekend.

I am going to do the short route, so out to torver from coniston, through the woods to Stephensons ground and straight over to walna scar and down to coniston without dropping down to seathwaite. My wife will be waiting for me back at the hotel crocheting and she’s been really nice agreeing for me to take a trip out so I don’t want to push it, 3hrs max.

Some of the guides mention there’s a easy to miss turning into some singletrack in the woods so if anyone fancies guiding me it along I would be very grateful would very likely shorten my time out, thanks.

edit: and the current forecast is sunny intervals, winner!

The easy to miss singletrack basically cuts out a couple of switchbacks of the fire road. Drop in to the woods and down the fire road, when it crosses the beck and starts to rise the first section is on your left. It comes back out on to the fire road at the top of the rise and goes straight across and downhill. The second bit is easier to spot. If you miss the second part then the fire road starts to descend (it’s heading N at this point) after about 100 metres there’s a track that cuts back to your left, if you are going too fast you might miss it. The short cut drops on to this track and you follow it over the next beck and up to a larger fire road. The main bit of singletrack turns off right a short way along this.

thanks Dunmail, so if i do miss any singletrack I can still get to where I need to just by heading up the fireroad? so the singletrack is just a bit of fun i.e. not essential to the route.

The first two bits are short maybe 200 metres for the first and 100 metres for the second. Here’s a map http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=325103&Y=492967&A=Y&Z=115

Memory slightly wrong – the first section begins as soon as you cross the first beck.

If you are pushed for time then you can also continue up the fire road to Natty Bridge rather than crossing over to Stephenson Ground and following the west side of the Lickle valley (yes it’s really called that!). You do miss out on some great singletrack though.

The section across Yaud Mire heading towards the Walna Scar track will be pretty boggy now, you will get wet feet! Once past there though, it’s easy riding with great views ahead.

I you can, you might be better starting at Torver then cutting down the bridleway through the quarries – take the second one which meets the Walna Scar track at roughly the same point as the Goats Water path does. This would avoid riding along the main road which is a bit of a pain.