Hi all, I'm planning a few routes for an upcoming trip to the lakes and was wondering if (coming from Buttermere) climbing to Newlands Hause on the road and then over Knott Rigg to Ard Crags and then dropping down the (possibly imaginary) track to cross over to Rigg Beck was a realistic option as an alternative to the climb up Sail Beck?
I've done the Sail Beck option quite a few times before and the Ard Crags route looks like it would offer some additional views on the route back but I'm not sure if the track from Ard Crags to Rigg Beck exists on the ground (very indistinct on the satellite view) or if it's a boggy nightmare as you cross the valley.
Short and easy link to find from Ard to Rigg. I’ll dig out some pics. Check out https://singletrackworld.com/forum/postid/10807480/
There is a track, and it was a bit of a vague sheep track last time I rode it, but there’s definitely something there. And it doesn’t get too boggy as you cross the bottom of the valley either, at least no less wetter than Rigg Beck is normally 😬
The descent off Ard Crags seemed relatively easy to find. About a couple of hundred metres up the final ascent to the highest section of Ard Crags is a little slabby section of rock and just at the top of that (where my bike is on the pic) is the path off to the left. It's not super obvious but it definitely looks like a path - it traverses around the hill side a short way and then flicks its way down to the Sail/Rigg saddle.
Brilliant, thanks guys, I'll give that a try then.
