We’re going over Styhead pass and back tomorrow. There are three recognised bridleways starting at Styhead and converging down the valley to Wasdale. They all look interesting, but we’re not going to push up and ride down three times, so we could do with knowing which one to take to get most bang for our buck!

I’d take the middle one or the top one (looking at the map). The bottom one crosses rivers too often and loses flow because of it

The northern one that traverses Great Gable is the main walker’s route up to Styhead so might not be the best to try and blast down on a Bank Holiday weekend. A long, long time since I’ve been on the others (talking thirty years) so no real comment on those.

The one nearest Great End (bottom one) for variety and rambler avoidance. Make a point of heading up to Esk Hause and back down to Styhead – much better than any of the Wasdale descents.

How would those who know rate the 3 descents for “trailraddness” TM. Endrurno, Enduro or Super Enduro? Asking the questions they want to know. 😉

No rad to be had.

Mmmmm, and and an army of stick waving cotton heads to avoid you say?

Hoofed it up the top one last weekend, not one I’d be looking to ride down. Deep loose shale, would be boring, and v busy with walkers.

Defo doing the sprinkling tarn to Styhead bit. We are going to climb up grains gill to start. Thought the bottom one looked a little like too much contouring and fords and not enough radness… Happy to avoid the ramblers though, so I guess it’s out of the bottom two. What’s the deal with the middle one? Bridleway line on OS shows a suggestion of switchbacks?

If you’re climbing up Grains Gill, why do you want to descend to Wasdale? Grains Gill is a brilliant, techy descent that’s wasted as a climb, and any bridleway to Wasdale is better as a climb. You’re going the wrong way!!!

You should all be ashamed of yourselves! The path to Wasdale head was epic. Lots of ‘rad to be had,’ it was busy with walkers, but we were polite and that helped to part them like the Red Sea, so no harm there! The deep shale was only 200yds out of a 1.5km+ descent of awesomeness, and the beer at the bottom made it perfect!

As for the middle path. We tried walking back up it and it was an unfollowable boulder field mixed with unrideable bog. Would not have been a good choice.

And now for the crazy suggestion of going down Grains Gill. Wow. Thy must have massive chain as if you’ve cleaned that. We struggled to walk up it, and 3/4s of it was impossible to even pick out a line. Not saying it would be impossible, but certainly above our measly pay grade.

All in all, we had a stunning day out, and the Styhead back to stockley bridge descent was the perfect end to an awesome ride!

No rad to be had… My arse.

Thy must have massive chain

Wha?

Glad you enjoyed it, no such thing as a bad day in the lakes. The descent down from sprinkling tarn all the way to Seathwaite must rank as one of my fave ever descents. Sublime.

Chain = cahunas (bloody auto correct!)

But yes, sprinkling tarn to Styhead and then to stockley bridge is bloody superb! My inner tubes didn’t think so though… Two punnys in 300yds. Time to try again with tubeless!

I feel like I have been beaten with a big stick. That was a big day out. I was not on form at all ( haven’t been for a long time). Great fun tough. Styhead to stockley bridge was amazing, but buy this point I was completely spent, and couldn’t ride it in one due to major cramps. One over the bars incident going down to wasdale head (smashed garmin!) dented my confidence getting over water bars early on, but I beat them in the end. I just did not have the stamina to attack all the way back to the car. Not beaten, not out, I will be back for more, more, more.