Off to the lakes next weekend and will be riding up Keppel Cove and down Sticks.

This won’t take all day so the question is what to do afterwards?

The obvious answer is over Boredale and back along Ullswater lakeshore but I suspect it’ll be heaving with walkers at that time, plus the climb up Boredale almost killed my riding buddy last time!

What else is good around those parts, preferably without a significant climb being involved? Can jump back in the car if we have to but would prefer not to.

Pedal along the road to Hartsop, then up past hayeswater reservoir and join the cheeky yet awesome trail along to satura crags, angle tarn and boredale hause. Cracking descent back down to Patterdale.

Or… Coach road round to St. Johns in the Vale, up and over Sticks to Greenside, Up Kepple Cove, Helvellyn, Dollywagon and Back via Grisedale.

We did nobeers suggestion first then sticks after, my mates first big ride of the year and was cramping at the YHA (@ bottom of sticks) on the way up. Kudos to the lad tho, he made it round.

You set on sticks? I thought it was alright but it didn’t set my world alight. You could go up helvellyn, down the otherside to wythburn, along the road and push up dunmail raise to grisedale tarn then down to glenridding.

Not a fan of Sticks? It has everything. It just felt like the gift that kept giving to me.

Agreed, sticks is a quality bit of trail.

the other descent he mentions is largely unrideable unless you are very good/enjoy going down very steep steps. with switchback. I dont so wont be repeating that or Dollywaggon anytime soon..i can ride them i just cannot steer when i do this and get round any corner
The push up is a steep and long carry not push but it is worth it just for the descent.

Not done all of sticks so cannot comment but it cannot be as bad [ unrideable by me] as the other options

Wythburn is definitely worth it IMO.

Sticks for the win every time, Wythburn is over very quickly, for the full experience go to the summit, Low man is a must do.

Sticks is better with the cheeky Seldom Seen option. Great descent IMO.

what is white side like [ seem to be two BW] or either of the cheeky from lower man going past Brown cove crags?

EDIT: did not rate seldom seen tbh Cannot remember it in any details though which says it all really

Not a fan of Sticks?

I enjoyed it, it’s a good descent, just like I said, it didn’t make me go all weak at the knees.

echo JYs question about whiteside and how bad is the push back up sticks? – or is it better to go down sticks to wythburn and then back up whiteside?

Tagging

The Swirl path has taken man made to a whole new level, imagine you have died and gone to mtb hell, a stone pitched staircase that goes on for an eternity, some folks think steps are the pique of technical prowess, so might possibly enjoy, i beg to differ.

I haven’t got the map here so hope I get the names right.

You could head up Boredale Hause but instead of going over the top head left along the hillside and down the Rookin descent. It’s a corker.

Or just be a brave little soldier and turn straight back up Keppel Cove again and over Helvellyn for Dollywagon and the Grisedale Tarn descent.

Seldom Seen is a gem, Birk Side will blow your mind (and your arms and legs as well) however it does leave you with some serious climbing to get back over to Glenridding.

The Swirl path

presume that’s the footpath from lower man to thirlmere?

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Seldom Seen is a gem, Birk Side will blow your mind

Disagree with the former agree with the latter, see wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we all had the same tastes.

It would be much easier to arrange rides though 😛

PS No to swirl path…looks for the two fingers emoticon

RicB – Member
Off to the lakes next weekend …so the question is what to do afterwards?

What else is good around those parts, preferably without a significant climb being involved?

The first question was easy to answer until you asked for no significant climbing. After doing Sticks you are at the bottom of a steep sided valley with the third highest peak in England!

Lake shore isn’t always too busy and it just depends, sometimes you get lucky. Its not like you ever get up massive speed. The climb up to Boredale Hause is a wee bit testy but no pain no gain.

bikes in the car and go and do all 3 trails at whinlatter or park in keswick and either up n down the front of skiddaw or the lonscale fell route.

D0NK – Member
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Seldom Seen is a gem, Birk Side will blow your mind
Disagree with the former agree with the latter, see wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we all had the same tastes.

Too true, we did Birk Side first and I set off last from the top and managed to pass my mates on the way to the bottom, even though I had to stop for a rest half way down to re-collect my thoughts and get over the shaking from the pure fear of the descent, kept telling myself all the way down, ‘Don’t crash, this will hurt! Don’t Crash this will hurt!’ 🙂 Then got told off at the bottom by my mates for being some sort of psycho lunatic for riding so fast, but I did point out my little wheels needed extra speed to get over all them rocks!

Seldom Seen was just so much fun, just threw caution to the wind and pinged off all the rocks, berms and roots with wanton abandon! It was so good we went and did it again on day two before crossing the valley floor up Boredale Hause and back around for the Lakeshore path, great weekend out in the Lakes. We’re back up Hartsop / Boredale Hause again Wednesday night, should be good!

Up the zig zags past Keppel Cove, hit the summit, descend via Birk Side, and when you hit the road turn right and come back up Sticks Pass from the Thirlmere side. Descend Sticks Pass then head off to do Seldom Seen, and you’re back in Glenridding. That would be a cracking day out

just threw caution to the wind and pinged off all the rocks, berms and roots with wanton abandon!

Were we riding a different trail? Na just clocked you guys are talking about the bottom bit, that’s not bad, I sorta liked that, unfortunately it was damp and slippy as hell when we did it, given a dry run I would probably have loved it. But there’s no getting away from the preceding deep rutted track with likely to be fatal exposure to the left, somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile of it!
Hate ruts, hate exposure, so I guess I’m never going to dig bleabank side.

Sorry OP we all seem to be suggesting routes that have lots more climbing.

Wow – just checked the thread. Thanks for all the suggestions 🙂

I admit the ‘minimal climbing’ bit was a bit ambitious but thought I’d ask! Some really good suggestions though; I’ll work my way through them with an OS map tonight

Whinlatter was indeed the obvious choice but does mean getting back in the car and fighting through traffic. Plus it’s a real tragedy to go to the lakes on a beautiful day and ride a trail centre.

But there’s no getting away from the preceding deep rutted track with likely to be fatal exposure to the left, somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile of it!

I guess that would be difficult in the wet, we just got lucky with dusty trails! 🙂

Just do the lakeshore first in the morning before the walkers gather, then your Keppel/Sticks plan?

Boxelder’s plan is a good un’ – and also warms you up for the big pedal/push uphill.

As others have said, either extend the Sticks ride in some way like this (although that example does it in reverse) or go along the Lakeshore path. It’s always busy but it doesn’t really detract cos it’s reasonably slow, techy and walkers hear you clattering before you get anywhere near them!
Stay high if the weather’s good 😉