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The rest is poor IMO.
There is a LOT of road on it if you start from Keswick and do the "official" route. I think the whole thing is about 17 miles and there's really only 6-7 miles of off-road in it.
There's the Walla Crag extension at the start or you can also duck along the footpath along the front of the lake (but that gets very crowded in tourist season) to cut out some of the road.
On the way back when you cross the pedestrian bridge at Portinscale, there's a footpath option across the fields into Keswick instead of the main road but again, that one requires a bit of care to ride as it gets busy with walkers.
I can now clean that rock section of Watendlath to Rosthwaite, but not quickly by any means - more picking my way through than floating over. The first time I rode it though I had absolutely no idea how to tackle it on my little BFE. Next time out on an Alpine 160 it didn't seem quite so tough...
Pfft! Did it on a 90’s crosser… 🙂
Pfft. My kid did it on an Islabike Beinn 20 small.
Ok. I'm lying. For some reason I thought the Soul bloke was referring to the Castle Crag bit, but he wasn't.
My kid has defo not done it on an IB Beinn
😁
Great ride - usually stay near Grange and use it as a quick 2 hr blast in the evening.
The climb mentioned by Johnas7 is also one of my favs. Starts off as a steep but easy land rover track then turns into a boulder fest after the second gate half way up and finishes with mega steep and slippy grass haul up to a gate in the wall at the top.
Finally managed to clean it (apart from the 3 gates) after several attempts earlier in the summer.
Did it for the first time this summer as second of two days lakes riding. Took our time and had a lunch by the lake. A good day out. Whilst I enjoyed the Castle Crag and especially the Rothswaite descents the rest in between was a bit lacking flow (I know it's a different thing to trail centres). I'm happy with a challenge but the after the initial descent to the river the cheeky path up to watenlath is a bit soul destroying unless your name is Chris Akrigg I'd suggest. Road for this section.
Just checked my Strava, did it on the Sunday ride after a big ride on the Saturday so on sore legs. It was driving rain and a group of 6, including Walla cragb took us 3hrs riding, 4.5 hours elapsed.
It was great, loved all of it. Want to ride it again.
I love the first half, walla, falcon, watendlath, pudding bank, even the climb up honister and the nice trail along to castle crag start, after that it does nothing for me.
I've tried a few options to finish 'better', next time I'm gonna do it later in the day and haul up onto high spy, and ride along to finish off Cat Bells.
@rascal thanks mate, that's definitely the nicest thing you've ever said about me, it's usually something that starts with a 'c' 😁
Up from Watendlath, or down to Rosthwaite?
I would be highly impressed seeing someone doing the former.
Definitely the down one. Still a long way off clearing that climb!
bit soul destroying unless your name is Chris Akrigg
I'm a bit surprised by how many here are saying its 'too difficult'
I know mtb has changed to include more smooth flow lines with massive jumps and berms on every corner but that kind of trail used to relished didn't it?
Maybe I'm getting old, but I know a few visitors from Somerset that can clear all of the obstacles bar the walk up to the style/gate in the middle.
Even me, a 47 year old slightly overweight family man can complete enough to make it worth riding, even if it leaves me a puffing sweaty mess.
Up from Watendlath,
Same with this. It's a bastard hard climb, that unless you're a trials rider is never going to be done in one on a regular bike because of the wattage it demands, but in sections we've managed to make it up in the dry.
Maybe I'm just turning into Surfmatt.
Havent ridden the Bash in maybe 15 years. Used to do it regularly when I lived up that way, never cleared the up at Watendlath nor the down I dont think. Doubt I'd be brave enough to push it these days, I didnt seem to mind crashing then. Bought one of these from KMB, awesome bike!! As said on last page went otb by castle crag and bent the seat stay, frame still has the scar!!
Alex – isn’t that Ullswater?
Indeed it is. I posted the wrong photo. Probably because I like it so much. Can't find any of Fatbike/Bash on my flickr now. I'm sure there was at least one...
Realised it's been 4 years since I've been to the lakes. Really need to sort that out. As long as I don't leave my hand wrapped round the A pillar while my mate slammed the van door 😉
I did for the first time a few weeks ago, perfect autumn weather, think I took around 3 1/2 , plenty photo opps and a puncture kept me off the saddle plenty. Great ride, hoping to do it again next month if this all ends on Dec 2.
About 3.5 hours including Walla crag, but why stop there. Forget Castle cragg its not worth it to be fair and the trail under Cat Bell is like Blackpool sea front most days. Just nut up and shut the legs up and climb Honister , over Fleetwith and Hit Warnscale bottom then return via Rigg Beck. Make it a 6-7 hour day and for the love of god take money for a pint in Buttermere take pictures and brag to mates what an epic day you have had.
I love the bash. Usually the Friday afternoon opening ride for the lakes riding weekend we go up to do annually.
It's a great ride for getting your eye in. Nice Xc bits, bit of road to spin the legs up, but also some very testing bits that are all rideable and set you up for the remainder of the weekend composed mainly of terror tech.
Missed the bash this year for the first year in a very long time.
Also rosthwaite descent is one of my favourites also. Not the longest, not the techest, but flow aplenty and different discrete sections all different and all brilliant. Right down through Frith wood for the win! Last I looked I had 7th on Strava down there.
Oh yeah, and Walla crag every time.
The flip side of that means starting the BB with a 25% road climb out of Seatoller which is the opposite of fun!
You don't have to do the road climb from Seatoller. Just after the last building on the right, there's a gate giving access to a permissible BW which joins the route again at the 'footpath' gate before the good section to Castle Crag. It's still steep in parts, but engaging loose rocks instead of tarmac.
This thread has made me want to go and do the Borrowdale Bash again now!
It's made me want to go swimming in Black Moss Pot. Not necessarily right now, but still...
I've never heard of black moss pot but I want to swim in it now! 😆
I did the Bash in 2016, twice, on two consecutive days. 2nd time I definitely wasn't feeling as lively. Was following a breadcrumb trail on my Garmin, using as many unofficial parts of the route as I could to limit the road sections. Made an unwatchable video of shakey handlebar mount footage combined with German acid techno LOL. It was a lovely sunny day in the 2nd week of April and a bit boggy in places. Would do again. Like to think I'd handle some of the techy rock sections slightly better now, but probably wouldn't.
For those who haven’t ridden it or would like some visual memories of the bash, 2 local fellas do a bit of YouTube stuff which might be of interest. One is YouTube user MTBGuides uk, who I ride with on a regular Sunday night jaunt, the other is District Mountain Biker, the son of another of our Sunday group.
From Seatoller instead of going up the road, there's a gate on your right, but to be honest we usually go straight on and take the path on the road corner. It's a 10min hike a bike to get you to the castle crag path. It's much easier than either pedal (we are accustomed to hike a bikes so that might help)
You can hike-a-bike up into Maiden Moor before the Castle Crag descent. That does add quite a bit of time on though.
This is the reason why i looked for the Bash in the first place enjoy
Its a great run out and a good introduction to Lakes riding for those who have never ridden there.
Lovely part of the world and the options to extend / go high are limitless.
Shameless video plug. This is the first time I rode the bash. I don't know any of the place names anyone has mentioned. Can anyone identify them from my video? This was back in 2016.
Apologies for the old school GoPro shake, this was an old Hero 4!
Aye, that's starting off at castlerigg along past lady's rake and walla to ashness, then the puddingstone bank and frith wood descent into rosthwaite.
Line choice on the bed rock section at the top of puddingstone (where you got off and did it again) is tricky first time, tempting to go to the natural fall line at left hand side, but much better to stay high and keep right IMO.
Thanks all - this has totally confirmed my need to do it!
The vids are are great watch!
Enjoy, Lowey is spot on, it's a great introduction to Lakes riding.
bit soul destroying unless your name is Chris Akrigg
Really?! I cant clear it but it's good practice. Guess mountain biking and what people are looking for has changed. Seems to be all about willy waving your fastest time and looking for some mystical flow. That section probably takes 20 mins max and gets you off tarmac. You can have a coffee at the end and prepare to genuinely have your sole destroyed on the climb out of Watendlath.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the bridleway along the side of Catbells, a really great section on a sunny evening with views of Derwent Water and Skiddaw. It's not all road on the way back. I might be wrong, but that possibly has flow.... 😉