Going down next week, plan is to park at high cross near coniston, then make our way through grizedale to take in the descent off of parkamoor down and round the south of the lake, then over blawith fell-torver-stephensons-seathwaite-walna-torver-coniston.
Is it easy enough to pick up the NF route and use that to get over to parkamoor? I know that there is lots of fine riding in the forest, but it'll be a reasonably big day, so just looking to get through really. Is there plenty of parking at high cross?.
Thanks, Greg.
the red through grizedale joins the fire road that leads to Parkamoor so easy enough as long as you dont miss the turning - its just a path off to the left iirc. I don think it is signed but not certain
the green route joins the red as well so if you just want a fire road climb you can just do that - iirc it is slightly longer but easier [ dont hold me to that]
both are easy as can be to ride
the route is easy basically go left or right as you enter the forest or both routes and the end up at the same point
The fireroad/path has a sign to Parkamoor. If you head south on the fireroad that runs along the ridge, it makes a sharp left turn to head back in to the forest, the junction is here. http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=331825&Y=494322&A=Y&Z=120
I don't know how the marked routes in the forest relate to this.
Picking up the NF route near High Cross will take you a less direct way to Parkamoor - ie you'll descend all the way to the visitor centre before you start climbing up towards the Parkamoor turn.
A better way would be to head south without losing all that height, or to go south and descend on a section of trail called The Riverbed before climbing back up the NF to rejoin.
The fire-roads can be confusing though. Basically if you have a compass you keep taking the most 'southerly' option at every fire road junction. You'll eventually see NF trail marker posts but you'll be going in the opposite direction. It's about four miles to the fingerpost that points off south to Parkamoor.
I can download a GPX from Strava of a ride that starts at High Cross and heads that way, if that's any use to you.
IMHO the climb on the NF trail immediately after the visitor centre is one of the few good bits at Grizedale - Def the best way to parkamoor. Once you've done the climb you can follow the next (two?) sections of singletrack which lead you to a crossroad where the NF trail turns right. Go straight on until you reach a turning on the right alongside a wood - it's all downhill from there!:) The climb up from Torver is also fun:)
If you look at this map, you can see the white dashed line leading to Parkamoor leaving the NF trail a couple of junctions after no.5 marker post. Should help get you over from High Cross.
You can see 'The Riverbed' descent too - another white dashed line breaking off the orange 'Silurian' trail near to the no.33 sculpture marker, rejoining near the no.29 . Down that, then up via NF climb is a nice way to start any ride.