[Closed] Lakes - Riding Ullswater and surrounding area

any unmissable riding within an hours drive or so of ullswater

Why on earth would you want to drive an hour away?

Path along the southshore of Ullswater is truly classic tech fest. Good for low-level bad weather days, but it can get busy with walkers.
Over Boredale Hause to Martindale is great.
High Street is a "classic" but to be honest isn't that exciting except for being high up, and isn't much fun unless its properly dry or frozen.
Helvellyn has numerous options, but avoid the bridleway over the Dodds to the north as that will also be a bog-fest.

Doh! Double post!

Path along the southshore of Ullswater is truly classic tech fest. Good for low-level bad weather days, but it can get busy with walkers.

+1 and all my mates too, great trail.

Path along the southshore of Ullswater is truly classic tech fest. Good for low-level bad weather days, but it can get busy with walkers.

Will give this a go for sure.

Boredale Hause to Martindale is great

Not sure where you mean? How can I find it? Sorry, bit of a numpty with maps.

[url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=341360&Y=515495&A=Y&Z=120 ]here[/url]

Looks like this, down to Dale Head:
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5031/6919703918_a8df38da6e.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5031/6919703918_a8df38da6e.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/6919703918/ ]P4060007[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

Makes a nice circuit, with the Ullswater trail.

Thanks jr_bandito, that's cleared it up nicely. I'll be sure to give it a go.

I know this'll cause a stir, but I think I'll also check out Whinlatter whilst I'm up there 🙂

I'll also check out Whinlatter

<sucks teeth>
If Iknew you were that way inclined, I'd have not been so helpful...

But seriously, if you're out with non-biking people, Whinlatter can serve both parties well.

Actually the guy I'll be riding with most the time is very much a map person so I'm sure the majority of our riding will not be sign posted, a refreshing change for me as I don't normally ride anywhere unless a black or red arrow tells me to do so.

I love the footpath that goes from above Hayeswater via Angle Tarn down to Boredale Hause. It's cheeky but a great section of trail. You can then head down to ride the techy shore of Ullswater.

I've never tried extending Boredale Hause up and over Place Fell and the Knight. Has anyone done this?

Also, has anyone ridden the footpath round Hallin Fell by the shore?

As for Whinlatter, there's some grand cheeky stuff that can be accessed off it 😉

Cheers

Sanny

I've walked the Hallin Fell path a couple of times. Equally good, but even busier with walkers as its within reach of the boat. One for night-time use I think

Hmmm...

[url= http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/04/86/048645_f3b496e2.jp g" target="_blank">http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/04/86/048645_f3b496e2.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Place fell - hart crag & the lower scalehow beck trail is pretty nice, a lot more relaxed trail than a lot of the Lakes...

..or so I'm told...

ooh, Hart Crag does look good

[img] [/img]

.....sooooooooooo, this has me wondering what the best cheeky trails in the Lakes are? Ullock Pike and Whiteless Pike are a perenial favourite for me. Old Man of Coniston is one I've considered but have still to do. Many years ago I rode the Cat Bells Horseshoe - it was a great ride followed by a circuit of the Lake and stopping at the Loose Box Pizzeria for pizza and medals after.

All the best trails are cheeky 😉

swingbing - Member
Path along the southshore of Ullswater is truly classic tech fest. Good for low-level bad weather days, but it can get busy with walkers.
Will give this a go for sure.

Track logged it as part of a high street route to make a proper ride. Sent it over to your email address. Was very draggy up the top a few weeks ago but it should have cleared by now. In fact even if it hasn't it's still worth doing.

Ta very much Wozza, Just took a look at it. Did you ride it clockwise or anti?

Sanny, [url= https://davidreubenmartin.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/look-at-the-trail-on-that/ ]this[/url] is one of my favourites, better than Ullock imo

Anti I think, I'd prefer to have a slog uphill at the start and a long downhill for the rest of the day!

DavidM

Where is that, you route tempter you?

Looks pretty nice to me!

Cheers

Sanny

Swingbing. I will also be there from the Fri-Mon. Might be allowed out on Sunday 😀
Where are you staying.?

Here's a potentially quieter one for you. Pooley Bridge up to Roehead, and then up onto Askham Moor. Ride past the Cock Pit, and then head towards Howtown - lovely, not too techy singletrack decent to Howtown. Then you could ride over to Sandwick and do the techy (and surprisingly not flat) lakeside bridleway, or have a beer at the Howtown hotel and then potter back to Pooley Bridge.

If you're on Askham Moor, a trip up to Heughscar Hill is worthwhile, it's a great place to get a view right down Ullswater.

Do High Street.

It's a classic must do (once) ride.

Big push up, nice run down especially if it's dry, ride around Ulswater is great too.

Take plenty of water. A post up here a while back regarding running out of water, High Street featured a few times.

Take a camera too, some views are nice.

[img] [/img]

Talking of Ulswater can anyone tell/show (map?) the route from Boredale Hause to Martindale? I was there only two weeks ago trying to follow the rout in the Vertebrate guide book series and ended up turning back, getting as far as the plateux. Even with os map I was absolutley stuck!Shame on me I know. I could not find the said bridleway up to some ridge. Couldnt even see a ridge... Any helps great. Ta

@scruzer

I understand your problem, and I've had that one too. From the plateau (Boredale Hause, grid ref 407157ish), you DO NOT want the nice, smooth green path that heads off northeastish (?) - this will take you down Boredale, you'll know if you've gone that way because soon enough there's an unrideable (by me anyhow) precipitous drop. Turn back to the plateau if this happens.

So from the plateau, assuming you've climbed up from Patterdale or Hartsop, you've got the green smooth path straight in front of you that you don't want, and you'll see a footpath going off to the right, that heads for Angle Tarn (southish). The route you want is between the two, and in truth, I've never actually found the start of it from the plateau. What I do is start up the footpath to Angle Tarn, and soon enough you should see tyre tracks heading off to the left where other riders have realised the mistake - you'll soon pick up the path you want which heads up to Bedafell Knott, crosses the ridge in a bit of a "notch" iirc (grid ref 418159ish). Then follow down Martindale, little bit of road and then Ullswater lakeside fun back round to Patterdale.

I'm not sure if you can see the ridge from the plateau - the path form there to the top of the ridge is a bit wigglier than you might think from a glance at the map, but once you find the path, it's easy to follow and you can;t go wrong, just a bit of a 'mare to find in the first place.

Good luck, one of my favourite Lake District rides, that.

EDIT: As others have mentioned, the lakeside path, unsurprisingly, is popular with walkists, but if you go off stupidly early in the morning, you'll have the whole thing to yourself with luck, and the lake just after dawn is spectacularly beautiful.

DavidM

Where is that, you route tempter you?

Looks pretty nice to me!

Cheers

Sanny

Looks like Grisdale Pike, down via Sleet How. Great descent.

I really wouldn't bother with High Street personally. The views on a nice day are great but even after a period of decent weather half of the top is a quagmire, and we haven't had a period of decent weather.

Morning all! Thanks very much to everyone who's chimed in with a suggestion.

Take plenty of water

even after a period of decent weather half of the top is a quagmire

Trekster - Member
Swingbing. I will also be there from the Fri-Mon. Might be allowed out on Sunday
Where are you staying.?

Beginning to get excited 🙂

Drop me an email though if you want to discuss plans

edlong - thanks loads for the route advice. You make sense and has given me insentive to try again. I did indeed begin to follow the track to Boredale but knew it wasn't the right one, hence turning back!Cheers