Hi chaps and chapesses,
Next month there's a group of us travelling to the Lakes for a weekend of riding. Friday and Saturday's routes are sorted (Whinlatter and Helvellyn since you asked) but due to a slight change in pland we're staying in Ambleside, so not knowing the area very well I was wondering if anyone knows a decent ride that we could do straight from town (We're staying in Ambleside Backpackers) on the Sunday.
I don't want a huge great big epic as we'll have done that the day before, but a nice scenic loop would be great, hopefully with a cafe in the middle, say around the 20k mark?
Any suggestions? Maps/GPS would be nice....
😀
You can go over to Garburn Pass from there.
Another vote for Garburn pass, Kentmere to drop in at Wilfs or Organico at Stavely... Alternatively there is a loop over Loughrigg that can be extended to Grasmere via Skelwith Bridge, over Claife Heights is also worth.
Inevitably you will end up in Biketreks, ask them as they have maps and loads of route advice, as well as loads of kit to rub yourself against....
[url= http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=4520 ]This[/url] is a great route if you take your time, with a couple of great descents and great views. Just try to avoid Loughrig Terrace at busy times of day. Make sure you do the Iron Keld loop by climbing the Byway and descending the bridleway otherwise you will climb on lovely singletrack and descend on wide tracks.
Go down loughrig terrace and Iron Keld and build a route round these
You could go up through Jenkin Crag, over Garburn to Kentmere, then turn around and do it the other way. Also Iron Keld/Hodge Close/Loughrigg Terrace are great.
As above, do Loughrigg Terrace - Elterwater - Little Langdale - Hodge Close - Iron Keld - Colwith Woods - Skelwith Bridge - Loughrigg
Pub = Brittania at Elterwater
Or Jenkins Crag - Troutbeck - Longmire or Dubbs road - back down Garburn to Troutbeck back over via jenkins crag.
Pubs = Queens Head or Mortal Man at Troutbeck
You basically want route guides 1 or 2 from either biketreks or Ghylside cycles, plenty of options to chop and change the routes a little.
Looks like I'm going to have to get the map out, I think!
Thaks for the advice chaps!
🙂
Peter - I'll post you my copy of the vertebrate book for the Lakes if you want to borrow it?
Rich
Drop me a mail if so..
rtedge (at) hotmail.com
Vdubber - Thanks for the offer but I reckon I'll be fine with the advice above. I'll get an OS map and spend an evening planning a route based around said advice!
🙂
Make it even easier for yourself, pop into Biketreks and spend £2 on a route map.
+1 on the route map from Biketreks. It's a good route
No worries - I recommend you include Jenkins Crag as a 'back into Ambleside' bit if you can.
Great riding all round Ambleside...
Can ping you a couple of .mmos if you want.
Fagus that could be useful thankyou. Email in profile.
😀
Another vote for the route maps from BikeTreks, there's WAY too many possible routes from there to list here, you could ride every day from the town centre for a week and do a different loop!
I'll mail you my fav route from Ambleside tonight if I remember - will be Tracklogs format. Loads of good riding, this is the full "winter version" - all good riding surfaces apart from a wee bit after High Tibberthwaite which might be a short push. You're never far from Ambleside so can shortcut at any point.
Basically start at Ambleside - Skelwith Fold - Drunken Duck - Knipe Fold on road, then Arnside - Hodge Close - High Tibberthwaire - Little Langdale - Elterwater - High Close - Loughrigg Terrace - Rydal Water - Ivy Crag - Skelwith Bridge - Ambleside.
One for the Ferrari two stop strategy - food at Britannia in Elterwater then cake at Chesters at Skelwith Bridge near the end. It's all good.