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Off to the lakes this weekend with an option to ride either of the 2 on Saturday. First choice would be Nan Bield pass but not sure what it will be like. Supposed to be sunny in Staveley on Saturday but will it be a complete wasout with the rain that has been there this week?
2nd choice is Griezdale as it's 10 mins from where we're stopping. If anyone has a decent off piste GPX or strava route would be greatly appreciated!!
Cheers!!
The weather may decide it for you, you don't really wanna go high if its pants. If its good Nan Bield is definately one to tick off. Personally my favorite section is actually Gatesgarth down to Haweswater.
[img][url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3846/15186199832_9ea51dacbd_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3846/15186199832_9ea51dacbd_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/p8Xf8A ]5010214134_ba34f1974f_o[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinddd/ ]martinddd[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Check out Slugwash's album of our trip in 2010 (!!!) for inspiration: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/albums/72157624999618908
will it be a complete wasout with the rain that has been there this week?
The lower, flatter bit of the Nan Bield descent to Kentmere will be boggy, I'm sure.
So I'd probably go for Grizedale.
Too boggy that it would be unrideable?
Nan Bield is our first choice... But don't want to ruin it with going when the weather is no good
Rideable still, just a slog rather than a blast.
absolute no brainer. nan bield dude
although its not the top of my rides in the lakes imo its drastically overated but beats the dross of grizedale ,unless your know the off piste,s area stuff to make it a decent trip
I don't think the op is meaning the 'dross' of the trail centre....
I thought Nan Bield was just about the worst ride I've done in ten years.
flatter bit of the Nan Bield descent to Kentmere will be boggy, I'm sure.So I'd [s]probably [/s]still rather ride it than go for Grizedale.
THe BW of grizedale are very good though and you can male an excellent loop there to be fair.
I thought Nan Bield was just about the worst ride I've done in ten years.
To qualify that statement, you'll need to tell us where you e been riding in the last 10 years.
Tbh, I was a tad underwhelmed the first time I rode it (on my tod) then I rode it a few times with mates, basically you need to get the power down to get the most out of it after the switchbacks. Ace bit of singletrack.
Grizedale parkamoor, the fox, breasty haw, cheeky enduro from the top of Lawson park.
Probably the best riding in the whole LD and weather proof... I'll be there on Sat...
Ace riding, but....
Probably the best riding in the whole LD
Steady on, that's just daft. 
@Gkeeffe. Do you have a route of that as I'm up in Coniston in the next week and missed doing a ride round there last time I was up and plumped for Skiddaw instead
Nan bield is ok but at the moment the lower run down Kentmere is just a bogfest as others have posted.. To slow
My whelm is generally undered by Nan Bield to be honest. Switchbacks are great but the run from the bottom back to Kentmere is a bit meh (and boggy). Lets the ride as a whole down.
Carry up Mardale Ill Bell then descend the Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke Ridge to meet up with the Garburn back to Kentmere is a much better option.
Grizedale is ace. You could spend 3 days in there riding different first class trails.
Nobeer.... you know what I mean.. for a one day sample a bit of everything you can't beat it.
Stevedoc I'll get a route for you.
Aye, it is very good, if you know where to go, but...
It's not the Lake District for me, I ride in forests all the time, riding in the lakes for me is all about big days on open hillsides, riding atop ridges like helvellyn or NW fells, and the one Lowey suggests, from Yoke all the way to thornthwaite.
It's all good though.
What about tour of Coniston? Start in Grizedale, Parkamoor, round to Torver, Stephenson ground, Seathwaite, Walna scar back down to Torver, round top of Coniston back to Grizedale.
That's a good days biking, descent into seathwaite is lovely.
its definitely amongst the best low height routes there but best in the lakes*.... it is not even close.Probably the best riding in the whole LD
* done it a few times mainly due to weather.
Nan Bield has by far the better scenery. More up there with what you'd expect on a good Lakes fell walk.
Grizedale may be better riding but don't expect much scenery wise apart from the odd decent view at the upper parts of the forest... apart from that for the majority of the ride I can get better scenery on south pennines routes that are only ~30 minute drive away instead of ~120 minutes.
What about tour of Coniston? Start in Grizedale, Parkamoor, round to Torver, Stephenson ground, Seathwaite, Walna scar back down to Torver, round top of Coniston back to Grizedale.
Thats what I'd go for if I was staying near Grizedale. Some good scenery there as well.
I've done Nan Bield Pass twice -Once via High Street and once via Haweswater.
I enjoyed it both times.
If the weather is good, I would recommend Nan Bield. You can ride forests in many places.
Caveat:
One one of the Nan Bield rides I rode with 2 other people who really enjoyed it.
On the other ride I rode with two people who really, really disliked it.
It depends how much you enjoy/cope with carrying your bike on your back up steep tracks/rocks and riding down 'technical' terrain.
-I enjoy both. I like mountains/mountaineering and I like bikes.
@Centralscrutinizer... Any chance you have a GPX file for that ride? Have got a couple of off piste rides around Griezdale GPX files already, particuarly this one from Flattyres-mtb
http://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/lake-district-mtb-routes/grizedale-parkamoor/
http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/tour-de-coniston
Not quite how I've done it. On the os map, at Stephenson ground, go "straight on" so you follow the bridleway that drops you into Seathwaite. Then in the descent of Walna, bear right on the bridleway which drops you back in Torver. Or follow it all the way to the road and turn right for the cheeky option.
There's loads of other routes on pedal North site
If you do Nan Bield avoid the descent from Gatesgarth and instead take the footpath so it's direct up to Harter Fell. There is a lot less of the "much dreaded" hike a bike that way
...but the descent to Haweswater is great,the ride & hike-a-bike back up sorts the men from the boys 😉
Unless there's one I don't know about, I didn't find it that great. Loses your height very quickly and is just about hanging on through gravel. Would be perfectly fine if it wasn't for the effort either side of it....but the descent to Haweswater is great
Loved Nan Bield descent though - quick but long. Bit of everything.
@Centralscrutinizer... Any chance you have a GPX file for that ride? Have got a couple of off piste rides around Griezdale GPX files already, particuarly this one from Flattyres-mtb
Sorry about the late reply, [url= http://www.bike-treks.co.uk/content/route-guide-003-mtb-circuit-of-coniston-quality-descents-best-kept-secret-out.aspx ]here's a link.[/url]
Plumped for the Griezdale/Parkamoor route from flattyres.
What a brilliant day! Seemed to fit in loads of quality descents, interesting/challenging riding topped off with no rain and big puddles!!
Great day out!
Nan Bield FTW
Thinking of doing Nan Bield this Saturday. Is it easy to find/follow or would I need a map or GPS device or something?
You would be best with a map IMHO but its not a hard route to navigate but you could miss the turn
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=348150&y=505065&z=120&sv=348150,505065&st=4&ar=y&mapp=idld.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=661&ax=348150&ay=505065&lm=0
USe stiles to get to this IMHO
and remember to turn left [ not descent to the lake - across to Nan Bield - this is FP BTW but never been challenged
Also need to be careful on the last part of the descent as there is a bit where the BW goes past a house - into its garden and a gate that is hard to see and its not obvious where it is as signing is poor
That said if you get it wrong you end up on the road earlier so its not going to lead to being lost
Its pretty straight fwd IMHO
Is it easy to find/follow or would I need a map or GPS device or something?
Your heading into the high fells. Map, compass and the ability to use them are a pre-requisite I would suggest.
Even on this route, if the clag comes down you can be lost in a matter of minutes.
https://lakesmtb.co.uk/routes/nan-bield-pass/ this is the route I was thinking of doing. I'm confused now as someone says it's easy and someone else says hard.
It can be both.
If you get consistent good weather, you'll probably be able to see most of the route as you go round it and navigation will be a piece of cake.
If its bad you might not be able to see the next 50m. What then?
If the cloud suddenly comes down (which trust me, it does all too often), you may go from knowing exactly where you are to not having a clue in under 5 mins.
Hence this:-
Your heading into the high fells. Map, compass and the ability to use them are a pre-requisite I would suggest
Always.
I was up there (NW Lakes though) last weekend. 6 hr ride, of which maybe 2 hrs I could see where I was in relation to other peaks & trails, the rest of it was either heavy rain or up in the clouds and I was checking the map repeatedly to make sure I didn't make false turns on featureless and unknown ground - its very easy to make a minor mistake and end up dropping very quickly into the wrong valley on a bike, which can then take a long time to get back up to the top and correct.
I was a bit surprised at the people who are saying they were underwhelmed by Nan Bield, but then realised that the descent to the south is the one that gets ridden more. That is good, an enjoyable ride, but if technical riding is your bag then doing it as an out and back to Haweswater is excellent, and the descent from Nan Bield to Haweswater is pretty weatherproof as it's all rock. It's not 100% rideable, but not far off and is a really tough technical challenge.
The descent of Gatescarth is a real waste of time.