Looks like I'll be taking my bro-in-law around the Altura Trail tomorrow.
As we'll both be taking other halves, and a litrtle person each, it means having to go in 2 cars, for the sake of one extra person (assuming we stick to legal child-seat requirements)
If we park one car (with the kids) in the visitor centre, is there somewhere we can park at the bottom of the hill, to ride up and save £6?
Yeh, go past the visitors centre and park jsut off the road on the right hand side at the end of the North Loop descent.
If both families are going to enjoy the forest, trails etc, why not just pay the extra £6?
It all helps fund ongoing maintenance and trail creation plus it gives a true picture of the use of the facilities so that places like Whinlatter can attract future funding.
**** that, just spend £6 in the cafe instead, and get a nice slice of cake for your money.
Word on the street is the highways/police and whinlatter are currently discussing ways to stop the roadside parking due to the safety issues. Enjoy it while you can.
However, following the first meeting, discussions have taken place between the Forestry Commission and the LDNPA. It appears that the LDNPA might be prepared to contemplate granting permission for an overflow car park provided that it is part of a package that also includes measures to eliminate parking on the roadside. As a result, the Forestry Commission will submit a planning application early in August for an overflow car park in the vicinity of the Visitor Centre. Various possible schemes are being considered to eliminate the roadside parking. , They include “dragon’s teeth” on the verges, an earth bank adjacent to the tarmac and double yellow lines.
safety issues, they have to go and make something up lol, its all down to health and saftey these days if they cant think of anything else to put in its place! i gree with dave, just go cafe and use ya 6 quid on a brew and a toastie!
It all helps fund ongoing maintenance and trail creation
Does it?
I certainly know that of the £7 that the FC charge to get into Dalby, not one penny is spent on trail maintenance
My personal feeling is that the parking at Grizedale and Whinlatter is now too much. I just pay what I think is reasonable - ie generally £3-4. As I understand it they can't clamp/fine you on FC land anyway.
With whinlatter though it's worth parking at the bottom of the hill anyway - so you can ride the lovely Thornthwaite singletrack BW.
Wherever the money actually goes, I don't think mountain bikers refusing to pay is going to encourage future trail development is it.
My thoughts is that if we had a 6-seater car, we;d go in one to save the fuel. Its not as if the 6ixth person is going to do anything at the forest, she's only 11 months old, so why pay the additional charge?
Can you park at Thornthwaite? Or even on the road just up from Braithwaite?
the lovely Thornthwaite singletrack BW
I vaguley remember that as an interesting diversion off the C2C years ago. Nice.
It would make a cracking addition to the place to put their over-flow carpark at the bottom of the hill and run a singletrack climb up to the red trail and a black descent back down again, would make a proper climb of it then!
I like to park in the car park on the left just after the blue has crossed the main road. Then you can ride up the blue on the way to the top. We did this even when staying in Braithwaite in May.
Some of the parking at the top on the road was daft last time I was there. You can wail H+S all you like but it was just silly and the people deserved a ticket, which incidentally would cost rather more than £7
paul4stones, is that [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=321400&Y=524475&A=Y&Z=115&ax=321400&ay=524475 ]here?[/url]
That's it. Usually have the place to yourself although perhaps not at a weekend (now I've told everyone on here). You can ride up the blue and there's even an option to cut out the bottom loop - much more pleasant than the road. Of course just ride down the blue to get back to your car.
I really enjoyed riding the Altura trail and think its worth £6 IMHO at the end of the day its not the FC fault you need two cars. If you want to ride for free I've heard the Lakes might have some natural trails but not sure.
Parking in Thornthwaite or Braithwaite gives you those extra ups and downs (and lots of cheeky alternatives if you know where to look) - but if the kids are hoping to play on the new adventure playground in the woods rather than cycle, it's worth noting there's a fair sized (but interesting) walk for them there and back.
I've heard the Lakes might have some natural trails but not sure
Genius idea 😉
Some of the parking at the top on the road was daft last time I was there. You can wail H+S all you like but it was just silly and the people deserved a ticket, which incidentally would cost rather more than £7
Agreed - it's one thing parking on that small area on the right after the entrance, but parking on the road itself is pretty inconsiderate.
Another option is to go a bit further on, park in the car park on the left, and then take the forest road (the signed C2C route) back to where it meets the south red loop.
My in laws live in Loweswater so we pass over Whinlatter regularly. The cars parking on the road are a PITA, they don't just park on the right the road becomes singletrack for 100 yards. There are usually nobbers walking between cars pushing bikes and looking at you as if you are crazy driving on a road and they don't seem to care that the verges have become a mudbath.
Rant over but seriously either park one car with other halfs in and bike from Keswick it isn't far or pay to park two cars.
I might just ride up there from where I'll be staying. Take in the Old Coach Road and Lonscale Fell on the way.
Can't ever remember a problem with parking beofre the trails, go ape etc where put in. NArks me when folk won;t pay a few quid to park to ride there several hundred or thousand pound bikes around the place. Buy a years pass for £40 and park there as often as you like, its only 7 visits to cover the cost. or park for free in Keswick, ride the natural trails and use Keswick park instead thats pretty good as well.
I'm beginning to regret asking.
Can I have my worms back please? My can is empty...
I'm not even going to start about how I normally ride natural trails, hate trail centres etc etc, but how the circumstances expressed in the above posts mean that Whinlatter is a perfect family (and weather) compromise this weekend. In fact, I'll stop right now.
/THREAD CLOSED
I live in Keswick and im up there a lot.....With the Family on B.H Monday and i had to park on a grass verge (in the carpark) cos it was chocka......and paid for an hour as we wernt that long.
I won`t park out on the road even thought the car park is quite expensive...and on that day there were cars everywhere out on the road. There was a solid que from Revlin Moss on the left going up to the entrance of the south red and a solid que from the carpark entrance on the right heading down towards the wall (bottom of north red.
DON`T PARK ON THE ROAD COS IT CAUSES A ROAD BLOCK 😡
PAY THE MONEY AND USE THE CAR PARK......and keep the centre going 😛
Yeh, go past the visitors centre and park jsut off the road on the right hand side at the end of the North Loop descent
Do not do this (Local Perspective here)
The Verge is getting Knackered
It's dangerous - I have nearly taken out far too many half knackered bikers/stupid kids/idiot families up there who step out into the road
The money is what helps the whole thing going and not get the forests privatised
Meet in Braithwaite/Keswick and go up in 1 car
Ride from Keswick
Ride From Cockermouth
buy a years pass??
£50 including Grizedale so only 10 visits
mikewsmith - MemberYeh, go past the visitors centre and park jsut off the road on the right hand side at the end of the North Loop descent
Do not do this (Local Perspective here)
The Verge is getting Knackered
It's dangerous - I have nearly taken out far too many half knackered bikers/stupid kids/idiot families up there who step out into the road
The money is what helps the whole thing going and not get the forests privatised
Meet in Braithwaite/Keswick and go up in 1 carRide from Keswick
Ride From Cockermouthbuy a years pass??
£50 including Grizedale so only 10 visits
by all means park on the right after the visitors centre, there is actually a parking spot at the end of the north loop for about 6 cars to pull off the road and park.
I was up there earlier in the week and the FC are starting to ticket cars with advisory no parking notices.
I'm not sure wether it's entirely the mess that's being made of the verges, the traffic chaos or all the six quids ebbing away that is bothering them the most!
I would've happily paid the £6 to park legally but there wasn't any space so had to drive a good 200m down the road to squeeze into an off the road space.
It isn't always a case of people being too tight to pay.
If there is additional parking that is off the road and is only a short bike ride away, they should make a bigger deal of it to encourage more responsible parking.
FC parking is getting rediculous...as is the cost of a brew and a snack in any of the cafes...you surely will not get a brew and a toastie at Whinlatter for £6!!
I parked at Delamere today, meeting my wife for lunch, she on bike me in car skiving off work. £3 minimum parking, £2 each for a coffee and £4 for my beans on toast...£11 and I was only there half an hour!! Still, enjoyed the time with mrsvelocipede so worth paying for....
Anyway, I then went home and gave my £4k Lynskey a polish before I went out for a blast....passing my £3k car on the way out (yes I did spend a lot more on my bike)
It's a world of contradictions isn't it...spend your money on the things you feel happiest about and enjoy yourself....Whinlatter is a great spot and I'm sure all the family will enjoy it (park in the Osprey car park lower down the road...it's free, it's provided by the FC, so they must be happy for you to use it!)
Why not TRY to pay the money, just once. I bet your families will appreciate the lack of hassle. The Mrs may may make it worth your while with a little peck on the cheek.
Are you really that hard up? It gets ploughed back into the trails and puts us MTB'ers in a good light.
Funny how parking costs are generally loathed.
FFS, which bit of THREAD CLOSED did you not understand.
Anyway, we went to Whinlatter. Me and bro-in-law parked in the free and legal car-park mentioned by Paul4stones above. The other halves and kids paid the £6 to park in the car-park.
We rode half the blue, and half the red, then all met up for lunch in the cafe. Happily bought [b]5 meals[/b], had a spin with my little-un on his Scoot, then he went off on the adventure playground thing and we did the red south loop.
As a family day out, it was great fun. Everyone was happy. I got a bit of spin (although not a "proper" ride) and I got to play with my lad.
What you have to bare in mind in my situation is that we needed the extra car, to cope with the extra car set for my 11-month old niece. If she hadn't been around, we'd have come up in one car and paid the same amount. As it was, we paid the same amount for parking, and the same amount in the cafe, and she had no effect on the forest, so its not as if income was lost.
If the facilities hadn't been there, there would have been no money off us, so what's the problem?
AND, I noticed the plebs parking along the verge. That was plain daft in a lot of cases, especially when there're perfectly good car-parks further down the road.
FFS, which bit of THREAD CLOSED did you not understand.
so why return to it????
Passive aggressive or what!
I was merely amazed how many people continued to add posts when my question had been answered and I was somewhat wound up that I was being criticised.
But, I'd forgotten this is STW, where people like to express opinions, rather than provide information.
opinions are like a***holes, everyones got one 😀
i don;t think the comments were aimed at the op,
sounds like you had a good day and used one of the free car parks that are available. 😀
What you have to bare in mind in my situation is that we needed the extra car, to cope with the extra car set for my 11-month old niece. If she hadn't been around, we'd have come up in one car and paid the same amount. As it was, we paid the same amount for parking, and the same amount in the cafe, and she had no effect on the forest, so its not as if income was lost.
STW member in being [i]special[/i] shocker 😆
Not "special" as such, just different for me to 90% of the time when i do go riding.
And it'll change as the lad gets older.
I'll have him on the blue route as soon as we've replaced the Scoot with a proper bike.
uplink - Member
It all helps fund ongoing maintenance and trail creation
Does it?I certainly know that of the £7 that the FC charge to get into Dalby, not one penny is spent on trail
The £7 at Dalby is for the toll road (which existed waaaay before there were purpose built trails there).
As a comparison, if you're an angler (like I used to be, now an excuse to sit in the sun by a pond occasionally on holiday with a beer or five), most places are day ticket waters ranging from a quid or so up to £10, £20+. And thats coarse fishing so not keeping what you catch.
Having to pay to ride purpose built trails. Shocking. Yes, obviously FC are going to charge, they not going to build trail centres and not try and make money out of it are they, hence the stupid prices for food and drink at these places.
hence the stupid prices for food and drink at these places.
No stupid prices at Glentress or Laggan.
The £7 at Dalby is for the toll road (which existed waaaay before there were purpose built trails there).
Having been to Dalby once I will certainly not grudge paying the parking fee at Whinlatter. The cafe/facilities and what pretends to be a map at Dalby is nowhere near the standard of Whinlatter and the weekend warriors leave the GT ones looking like amatuers 😉
Yes, obviously FC are going to charge, they not going to build trail centres and not try and make money out of it are they, hence the stupid prices for food and drink at these places.
I doubt FC "make" any money. The facilities are leased to the people running cafes/bike shops who themselves have to make a living from their business 365 days a year, pay staff etc and maybe even afford a bling weekend warrior bike and the odd holiday.
Why do people begrudge them a decent cut of the cake? For a lot of these people it is their "dream" to start up a business related to their interest and try to make a living out of it 💡
Given the recent and possible future winters it will be interesting to see how many "independents" survive ❓ Some sensible business being done by FC Scot by having established business take over these centres where they "might" be cushioned by the parent company to the vagaries of our winter weather conditions.