Never ridden there but thinking about a few days there this year. Only walked a couple of times, up Skiddaw and quite like the idea of riding something like that. For those who know the area, what routes would you recommend? I like climbing as much as descending and happy with long days out.
I have family in Wigton so near there would be a bonus. He doesn't ride so doesn't really know any routes other than for walking.
Key question- do you have an aversion to carrying/pushing your bike? And what sort of riding do you like- techy/nadgery steep, fast and flowy/steady cruising?
Don't mind having to push or carry a little if the route is worth it.
Prefer tech over jumps. I'm more techy XC than enduro. My ideal route would be a lot of climbing with a mixture of tech, singletrack, open areas to take in views etc. I like red Welsh trails with the odd black section. Basically anything except big jumps or flat fire road.
Get 15% off with VP15 at vertebrate books for their excellent guides, GPX downloads included.
Wigton means north and west lakes are easiest access. For a classic XC with a bit of view and tech, you could ride in to skiddaw house on the bridleway from Peter House farm past Dash falls, onward to Latrigg then push up to skiddaw summit and rid off the front to Carlisle/Longside/Ullock Pike. Worth a nice day with a view from the summit. Another justifiably popular ride is the Borrowdale bash from Keswick, and if you like long days out can add the west side of langstrath up to the FB and across to climb stake pass, hack across the moor to angle tarn then Esk Hause-styhead- down to seathwaite. Make sure to include walla crag to ashness bridge at the start of the bash. There is a lot to go at!
I’d say the Borrowdalw Bash would fit the bill.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/routes/singletrack-classic-ride-borrowdale-bash
Skiddaw with the cheeky descent off Ullock Pike is deffo worth a look.
Borrowdale Bash is decent (the descent down into Rosthwaite is still one of my favourites anywhere in the UK). If you don't fancy the southern extension mentioned above, you can instead head north and tack on a loop along the railway track to include the Lonscale Fell traverse and a fun (if busy with walkers) descent off Latrigg.
If you like a steady climb, the loop from Braithwaite up past the mine to the back of Crag Hill and then over Sail and down Rigg Beck is fun too. Could be extended with a loop up the bridleway to Whinlatter and a lap of whatever you fancy up there (I prefer the South Red) before heading back down Seldom Seen.
I rate the vertebrate mountain bike guide books.
Better descriptions than other route guides.
The borrowdale bash is awesome.
rate the vertebrate mountain bike guide books.
I've got a small selection, I do like the Tom Hutton book. Off tomorrow myself for a week at Coniston 👍
The Bash with southern extension is a superb Lakes ride - all of the tech, scenery, climbing and the hike a bike drudgery is only like a 6 or a 7 / 10.
If you're planning something big then check route times on strava or ask on here. The miles to time ratio on some Lakes rides can be educational, like a 30 mile ride taking 8 hours.
Get 15% off with VP15 at vertebrate books for their excellent guides, GPX downloads included.
Nice one, ordered! Planning on plenty of Lakes visits this year.
rate the vertebrate mountain bike guide books.
Better descriptions than other route guides.
The borrowdale bash is awesome.
Ok but be careful as I'm pretty sure that VB book doesn't have the correct/ new starting section. ( Shout out to Rich for sorting that 🙂 https://mtbguides.uk/ )
You need to do the Walla Crag start, otherwise the route is ok rather than brilliant. (see link a few posts above)
One of the great things about BB is that you get good techie ( ish) descents but with almost all rideable ascents. Quite unusual in such a long legal natural lakes ride. The southern extension mentioned throws this in the bin. If you want an extension that keeps the mainly rideable ascents then the northern extension around Glenderatera beck is more in keeping.
Another key question that nobody has asked is whether you require bridleways or are happy on footpaths?
Thanks all. Quite like the idea of linking Skiddaw summit with Ullock pike and riding a couple of ridges.
I'll see if i can find a few routes on strava to follow.
Strava doesn't want to let me create much of a route for some reason. Even on manual mode it wont let me make a route so maybe theres no cycling from Skiddaw summit to Ullock pike?
That’ll be because Ullock pike is a footpath and Strava won’t plot cycle routes on footpaths. Change the activity to a walk and create the route that way.
However, I might suggest that if you’re relying on a gpx route to get you from Skiddaw to Ullock Pike, then Ullock Pike might not be the best place for you to start. It’s fairly full on in places with some high consequence sections, and plenty of exposure.
if you’re relying on a gpx route to get you from Skiddaw to Ullock Pike, then Ullock Pike might not be the best place for you to start.
Yes. I'm totally confused why you would need a GPX for this
Ullock is far beyond "red Welsh trails with the odd black section" in terms of difficulty. There's pitches that I'd say are harder than anything on any official trail in the UK. I'd say Three Passes (Garburn, Gatescarth, Nan Bield) fits OP requirements better.
As a paper map user I’m increasingly plotting routes by GPX as it enables a more accurate measurement of distances and also route profile and therefore whether that route is within my capabilities.
As for using footpaths to ride on - that’s a whole thread on it’s own!
"Ullock is far beyond "red Welsh trails with the odd black section" in terms of difficulty. There's pitches that I'd say are harder than anything on any official trail in the UK"
Even once you've sketched your way down the scree, yes there are a couple of proper 'crux' moments on the ridge!
Ah i see. I definitely want to stick to routes that I'm allowed to ride on.
Ride where you like and be considerate to other trail users. The only people who may tell you off, is the odd disgruntled walker. But on the whole, once you get up into the high fells, most people are stoked to see people on bikes - We did the Fairfield Horseshoe on Saturday and nearly everyone we met was pleased/happy to see us.
Whinlatter south loop then up Grizedale pike . Whiteless pike and Rigg Beck to finish .
Torvor and over Stephenson ground Up Walna and then down into Coniston . A round then of Parkamoor and Blawith and back to Torvor for a strong drink.
If you like climbing, consider tagging the climb up Honister, Warnscale descent then up back Honister to re-join the BB (apologies if that is the extension that has already been mentioned).
And has been mentioned, 12-15 Lakeland miles is more like 30 Calderdale miles and its steep round here..
We finally got round to Rigg Beck last year and it lived up to expectaions 🙂
Sadly, I think you'll find that without a bit of cheek up there, you will be really compromising your route choice. The only place we have ever had any grief was descending Loughrigg and that was fair enough, our youngest MEMBER had gone down it first, flat out, funnily enough, one or two people weren't too happy.
The higher you go, the friendlier people are, I think you've earned their respect for your efforts. The miseries hang around near lakes in thier brand new RAB jackets...
You need to do the Walla Crag start, otherwise the route is ok rather than brilliant. (see link a few posts above)
Can I just ask about this, and the relevance of the stressed starting point of Walla Crag. This looks to be on the route anyway, and most GPX files start in Keswick, so what has changed?
Thanks
Can I just ask about this, and the relevance of the stressed starting point of Walla Crag. This looks to be on the route anyway, and most GPX files start in Keswick, so what has changed?
It's exactly as I said above...
Someone posted these three pieces of text:
I rate the vertebrate mountain bike guide books.
Better descriptions than other route guides.
The borrowdale bash is awesome.
Whilst all three statements are individually true, if you took them all together and decided to buy the VB book and follow the Borrowdale Bash route described therein you would be sorely disappointed as it only contains the ( frankly shit) old version of the first 5 km or so. The new Rich mtbguides starting section of the BB is absolutely essential to elevate the route from OK to excellent.
If you follow the linked route from the link above you'll be fine.
Fair enough, it was Chester who replied to say he'd bought the VB guide, not you, but my point is still valid.
Bieber +1 .
I might suggest that if you’re relying on a gpx route to get you from Skiddaw to Ullock Pike, then Ullock Pike might not be the best place for you to start. It’s fairly full on in places with some high consequence sections, and plenty of exposure.
100% agree.
You are throwing yourself properly in at the deep end going straight after ullock pike. There's the (very high) technicality of track to think about, slipperyness of wet slate, highish mountain skills and high consequence of getting it wrong to think about.
Really, if this is you dipping your toe into lakes riding then walk before you try to run. The borrowdale bash is perfect for this because it's both a lovely xc/trail ride but also gives you excellent medium difficulty but excellent representative tasters of what lakes tech riding is really all about.
Ps. I've seen people air ambulanced off bits of the borrowdale bash so don't get the wrong idea it's an entirely tame option 🙂
I'd agree that the Bash is a proper decent ride, and a great intro to Lakes riding. It features some moderately techy bits to give you an idea what stuff is like (like the slabby descent after Watendlath and the wheel-mangling fun that is Castle Crag) but it's all quite short sections and you're not miles from anywhere up a mountain. The new start is banging too, and like other folk have said elevates it from a decent ride to a corker.
I've been eyeing up this route (featuring James Vincent) for my next trip up there...
Absolute belter of a route that. For an easier time of it, stick to the footpath on the right hand side of the Langstrath Valley as the bridleway is awkward and slow going. Your energy would be better saved for other fun bits
Does the path on the right take you to a bridge or do you cross the beck at some stage?
Aye they mentioned using the footpath in the video.
For an easier time of it, stick to the footpath on the right hand side of the Langstrath Valley as the bridleway is awkward and slow going
Or, if you arent keen on riding footpaths, just take the older version of the Landranger 1:25000 map with you as it has both sides marked as bridleways 🙂
Does the path on the right take you to a bridge or do you cross the beck at some stage?
That'll be this bridge?
Absolute belter of a route that
I'm not convinced... Yep the Esk Hause to Stockley descent is mainly excellent, but the Stake Pass descent is meh at best and doesn't remotely justify the slog up Rosset.
If you want to do the EH to SB descent, and you should, do what various posters above suggest and slog up Grains Ghyll or traverse across from the top of Stake to Angle Tarn..
(IMHO)
I quite like the stake pass descent though, and don’t mind the carry up Rossett. It’s one for a glorious summers day when there’s nothing else to do but disappear into the hills for as much daylight as you’ve got available.
Aye I'd considered the Bash and extending it as above, but that makes it into a significantly bigger ride for a bunch of middle-aged plodders (some of whom would either be on ebikes or used to ebikes).
@Thegeneralist - Thanks for the footbridge picture! Will explore that next time I'm up there!
Not done an awful lot of riding in the Lakes but the Borrowdale Bash (with the Walla Crag start) is a great ride. Someone has mentioned it above but don't let distances deceive in the Lakes. Looking on a map the Borrowdale Bash looks like a pootle around the lake - its definitely not!
I took most of a day to do the Bash once. It was glorious though, so there was a LOT of stopping to chat and look at views.
I quite like the stake pass descent though
You do have much more techie skill than me so fair point.
I love a bit of gnadgery tech, but found Stake to have an inordinate amount of mech mangling boulders situated at the inner corner of the bends on a deep rutted ditch path with nowhere else to go.
You can extend the Bash by slogging (push/carry) your way up through the old mine workings to near Dalehead Tarn, then ride along High Spy and Maiden Moor before dropping into Newlands before Catbells. The slog is horrendous but the ridge traverse and descent is an absolute belter!
I've walked up that hill (in the pissing rain) before, can confirm it would be a horrendous slog!
Is that the bridleway down to Newlands you mean?
Could I just check with a knowledgeable local please... The "new" start to the Borrowdale Bash: Riding from Keswick, should I be heading out on the A591, turning right on to the little Castlerigg road towards Rakefoot, then getting on the bridleway?
Last time I ended up going up past the mast and it was a horrible, boggy slog in places.
Anyone care to share a gpx of their best version of the 'Bash?
Thanks
Could I just check with a knowledgeable local please... The "new" start to the Borrowdale Bash: Riding from Keswick, should I be heading out on the A591, turning right on to the little Castlerigg road towards Rakefoot, then getting on the bridleway?
Last time I ended up going up past the mast and it was a horrible, boggy slog in places.
Anyone care to share a gpx of their best version of the 'Bash?
Thanks
Think we took Ambleside Rd/Manor Brow from the town centre up to the junction with the 591, take a right and then right again to Castlerigg. The BW starts at the farm at the end of the road (seem to remember theres a bridge over the beck of a ford) and takes you up, across and down to Ashness Bridge - its a great bit of trail, especially once you start to descend at the end.
BB start:
There is also a route through Springs Wood which is more interesting if you like slightly techie uphills. But it is a footpath for the most part.
The BW starts at the farm at the end of the road ..... and takes you up, across and
That is one of the many beautiful climbing challenges on the Bash ...
If you can get to the gate then that's a good start
If you can clean past the rocky mess just past the gate then you're doing well.
If you can clean the boggy section ( on a real bike) then good going.
Then there's the final rocky section to the top which is doable in isolation, but damn hard to link with the three preceding sections
( Though the last section has been compromised, as ever, by eebs taking a short cut through the heather)
Think I took the Springs Wood route, it was pretty dry when I did it though. And I still pushed quite a bit.
questions on the Rigg Beck route.
How/where do you join the trail from the top of the Whinlatter south loop-presumably up Sleet How?
Route options from Grisedale to Whitelees Pike-is it obvious, as it looks like there’s a couple of ways.
Which is the Rigg Beck descent? There doesn’t look much in the way of paths off Whitelees apart from south down to Buttermere.
Ta!
Sounds like we good do with a few guides in the magazine? Probably more relevant to more of us than Whistler or Morzine!
Sounds like we good do with a few guides in the magazine?
The problem is that whilst it is fine for you and me to cycle on footpaths until told not to, and it would be a civil matter if anyone wanted to make something of it....
For an identifiable body to encourage us to do so is a far more serious offence I think it is a criminal offence but could be wrong.
I thought it was known as aggravated trespass but a quick Google suggests I am talking bollocks.