Planning to do that classic Howgills ride - I think it's called Bowderdale, with a slog up to a high summit and a 7km descent - while it's dry. Anyone know roughly how long it takes for reasonably fit riders not in a rush? We'll be pausing plenty for snacks and views, not rushing round to satisfy Strava. Are we talking a few hours or several. Ta.
Definitely more than a few. Hope you enjoy it more than I did...
Did it recently. Took around 6 hours including the obligatory pint stop halfway and a few mechanicals. It was also bloody hot.
We're definitely not expecting the best ride ever, but it's somewhere new and easy to get to. Done loads in the Lakes over last 20+ years and fancy a change - always just driven past the Howgills. We've been told that you need a good spell of dry weather to really get the best from this ride, so August seems good. Is it really as underwhelming as people say? Scenery looks good and 7km singletrack sounds pretty special for the UK, even if it's not exactly alpine standard single track. Don't want to waste a precious day off though...and the Lakes always delivers.
Up and down on bowderdale? Not the loop? 2hrs up the an hour back
Loop
Did it a few years ago: Checked Strava - 4hrs moving time, 6hrs overall.
I enjoyed it, classic MTB rather than trail centre gnarr and all the better for it. The hardest bits are where the side streams cross and there's a tight zig-zag in and out of the re-entrant. There's a bit near the bottom that's probably always wet but it's firm underneath - you are just riding through a puddle rather than sinking into mire.
Now would be an excellent time to do it. The bracken on the return leg might be a bit high - this is a shot from about a month ago
Did it in June, 5 of us after a couple of tough Lakes rides the previous days. Took us 6.20hrs.
fathomer - any good? Cheers.
fathomer
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<div class="bbp-reply-content">Did it in June, 5 of us after a couple of tough Lakes rides the previous days. Took us 6.20hrs.
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I was on that ride too (it was my route for a bit of a 'wind down' on the way home from the Lakes).
I like the route a lot, but there are a few of things to be aware of.
I would say 80-90% of the fun riding and amazing views happen on the outward leg. The climb up the Calf is brutally exposed and gets very steep at the very end. The views are stupendous, however. The Bowderdale descent IS the route, if I'm honest.
The 'across the top' bit before coming back south towards Sedbergh will take longer than you expect. It is flat, grassy, overgrown, a lot of gates and difficult to navigate.
The return leg has a couple of fun bits but is nowhere near as good as the outward leg. It is far easier, though, if you're tired. The ride does peter out a bit towards the end.
There is a good pub at the 'top' end of the loop - but if you forget exactly where it is, your riding buddies may become irate.......
Put alongside the Lakes stuff we rode, the latter half of the loop is a bit of a let-down. But remember we were coming off of a massive ride on the Saturday.
It is quite a unique ride in my experience - a bit set-piece hill and valley at the 'start', then hacking back to Sedbergh.
Enjoy!
danny - cheers for this. Really helpful. I'm a Lakes addict (well, as often as poss) - can I ask what the big day you did there was? I'm still toying with Lakes over Howgills - depends a bit on my riding buddies and whether we have 1 or 2 days to play with.
Roughly 4.5 hours including a quick stop in Ravenstonedale to neck a pint of coke. I use the road between the end of Bowderdale and there which saves a little
Did it the other week in just over 4 hours. Crazy hot. And to be honest I didn't enjoy it. But I was on a xc 29er. I just find the single track really frustrating. I did it solo so would be a better day if with mates.
Did it with mates with a pub stop, it took ages, but Strava clocked 3 hrs 25 moving time - So thats how long it would have taken if I went Solo and didn't wait around for mates.
42km loop - doesn't sound that much on an MTB until you realise what your up against
Navigation out of Sedbergh - wrong turns everywhere
Once you do get off road, yor instantly faced with a Difficult, pain in the arse farm with a complexity of gate work
A super steep climb from 100m to 675m in a very short distance. Granny gear grind most of the way up.
Now the good part - 10km of uninterrupted singletrack!
Depending on which way you go now - Quiet easy lanes or harder sloggy bridleways with lots of gates to Ravenstonehead.
Steep long road climb
The last 15km or so - Bridleways, singletrack, undulations, some good parts but there is about 30-40 Gates a real pain in the arse they are.
Also a fallen down tree that you'll have to lift the bike over! It's been there for months.
The scenery is insane, it rivals anything in the UK.
What a great ride this is, its an East Lakes Classic, but there is some serious climbing and gate work to do to get the rewards.
Only ever done it with mates, (3 times now) would like to do it solo for the faster sustained pace but the thought of dealing with all those gates alone puts me off.
The first half doesn't have too many gates - Its mainly the return leg that gets them in elephantine qualities.
If you had done this ride ten years ago ..I could almost guarantee that it would feature in your top 5 UK rides list ..time & increased usage has eroded the track ( down Bowderdale ) into a bit of a mess ..it's probably been 3 years since I last rode it and was disappointed at what it had become ..
I'm struggling to remember too many gates on the return leg ..but for me this was the enjoyable part of the ride last time out ..
Give it a go ..Im still sure you won't regret it ..
Gates? Welcome to the real world! Halve the above number and you are closer to the actual figure on the return route. As for the farm at the start, a gate either side of the yard isn't complicated (neither for that matter is getting out of town - Sedbergh has less than 3000 people so is hardly a metropolis).
There's an alternative BW http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=364151&Y=492967&A=Y&Z=115 up on to Winder. It's still steep though.
Once on top the only bit I pushed was here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366956&Y=495882&A=Y&Z=115 - it's a steep loose track, a case of ride until you spin out. It's only a hundred metres or so of pushing the bike until you can ride again.
We did it four years ago and didn't notice any undue erosion but I've nothing to compare it against - I'd crossed the track a couple of times when doing training runs but can't remember it.
Ah Bowderdale, the most over hyped ride I've ever had the misfortune of riding, the only redeeming quality was some half decent views.......... drive 30 mins further and go to the lakes. All IMHO of course 🙂
IMO I've yet to do a Lakes ride which beats the Howgills. Maybe Nan Bield would if you forget about the climb up Gatesgarth.
Lakes rides I've done:
High Street
Ullswater
Borrowdale Bash followed by some bridleway which went round the side of Skiddaw
Grizdale - North Face, Parkamoor, BW's and Off Piste
Low level lakes stuff all over the South Lakes
Garburn Pass