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I have done quite a bit of riding in the Lakes and I am looking to go up with a few mates for my birthday, however its the easter weekend and all the camping barns are booked (probably by you lot!) I am thinking of staying over near Shap as it will be a bit quiter.
I dont know any routes however, I have ridden the Gatesgarth/Nan Bield loop but can anyone tell me if any of those bridleways marked between Gatesgarth/Haweswater/Shap are any good? should i expect lakeland style rocky riding or muddy ****ers? Or is there anything decent the other way from Shap?
Few issues ago there was a trail article with rides starting from Tebay Services and heading in to (the other) Borrowdale - plenty around that part of the NP/Cumbria, bit gentler in the main though unless you push towards Nan Bield and that. Other option is to head over the other side of the M6 and hit the much quieter, but no less fun, Howgills...
I did exactly that ride a few years ago. Had the thought that instead of driving into the Lakes, we should park at the edge and ride in.
Bits were good, like the [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=348404&Y=511940&A=Y&Z=120 ]Old Corpse Road[/url] to Haweswater
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3511/3923441771_b0a507e133_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/3923441771/ ]P9130053[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
Bits were boggy at the top of Mosedale, up near Gatesgarth
And bits were as bleak as a bleak thing around Mosedale Cottage:
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3474/3923453735_0d5b211d25_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/3923453735/ ]P9130080[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
You do get to ride past Withnail's [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=354007&Y=511395&A=Y&Z=120 ] Uncle Monty's cottage [/url] though 🙂
Trail from Mosedale back to Swindale Head looks good though:
[url= http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/74/50/1745061_db2e2e65.jp g" target="_blank">
Bandito - where is your last photo taken from? if you look on the map it looks like the bridleway follows the countours along the left hand side of the valley but your photo suggests it follows the right hand side?
The third photo? Its not mine, its from Geograph.
Click the pic to show you the location. Its looking south up towards Nabs Moor.
My second photo is taken [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=351144&Y=510090&A=Y&Z=120 ]around here[/url], looking south east, back up Mosedale towards Gatesgarth. You can just make out the track in the bottom right corner of the pic, coming up from the beck.
I'd hoped the Mosedale track would be a fast running, firm dry landy track downhill all the way back to Shap. Maybe after a long hot dry summer it might be...
Swindale
The most godforsaken place on earth! I once did a ride taking in High Street and Swindale. It was quite a hard day and took us much longer than expected, about 9 hours I think! The bit along Swindale beck was just boggy enough that it wasn't worthwhile trying to ride it. The rain was coming at us sideways, all we could do was look at each other and laugh. If we hadn't of, we would have been crying!
In the dry it could possibly be a whole different experience, it looks like one of those places that might never dry up though.
I've done a ride that takes in the 'Withnail and I' cottage too, most of the riding was on open moorland. I won't bother doing it again with such good riding nearby.
You can bike over towards Ullswater way.
Borrowdale up near Tebay is a cracking area to ride, especially Breasthigh Road and you canalways go over the other side of the Motorway to the Howgills for a very different experience.