Do we think it will indeed be frozen solid in the Lakes this weekend?
And, if so, what mellowish routes do you suggest to make the most of it?
(This would only be the missus' second ride after a hideous accident in summer, so need to keep it sensible )
We did Loadpot Hill from the east last weekend and that was great. Generally frozen, and all rideable up and down.
The obvious option is full High Street, which we've done before frozen...
Or Helvellyn north ridge is brilliant when frozen. IIRC it is also almost all really rideable up and relatively mellow apart from one short section.but might be too far at 1200hm and 20km there and back. Too long in the cold.
We could miss out Helvellyn summit itself and escape down another route... Don't fancy going down Keppel, Sticks East is great ( as is SS) but might be a bit techie at present
Not done sticks west.... I presume it is just a grassy slope to descend. But perhaps covered in frost. Any opinions?
Looked at Watendlath/ Blea Tarn posts on here ... Consensus is that it's awful is it still awful frozen solid?
What we're after is that lovely rideable hard frozen peat/ turf/ soil surface with loads of friction.
Nothing too rocky and nothing with too much water ice.
What you got?
I thought you were talking about riding ON a frozen lake and remember 2009 or 2010 when there was a bike race on the forth and clyde canal.
Yep soz was slightly too slow trying to edit " lakes" to "Lakes"
It’s dry and free of snow, so just need to watch out for ice at all levels but most things should be ok. How about the push up keppel cove zig zags to access helvellyn ridge then along northwards to the coach road? Descending via road from matterdale back to glenridding.
I bet the views from black combe will be pretty spectacular this weekend. From what I remember it's not a tech ride, but it was a blooming long time ago when I did it.
How about the push up keppel cove zig zags to access helvellyn ridge then along northwards to the coach road? Descending via road from matterdale back to glenridding.
Well, that's sort of the opposite direction to what I was thinking. I was assuming up the north ridge would be good as so much of it is rideable. Whereas Keppel isn't so much.
Also HaB tends to be very hard work and I don't fancy working up a sweat in minus ten... I'd rather ride if possible.
Agree that the N end of Helvellyn ridges & Dodds are very fine after a hard freeze. But not sure how cold it's really gonna get (the wind is likely to help but it needs a real solid freeze). RE sticks west, the top end has some significant soft areas that are best with a drought or hard frost, the lower section is mostly fairly direct, steep and close cropped grass. It's actually an underrated route up if frozen or dry as rideable other than the steepest lower section (and hikeabike is steep pushy rather than clambery carry). Could be worth incorporating into a loop?
Might be worth exploring the Caldbeck fells.
Good call. What's the best descent ( ie reasonably interesting. Not one of the LR tracks)
Sunday I did a loop from Elterwater over the langdales and Weatherlam, coppermines and back over past Loughrigg , was very hard under foot with snipery perma frost on the rocks .. I dare say anything Coniston way will be frozen .
frozen solid in the Lakes this weekend?
we're in the LD next week, from Monday for a week, so watching with interest 🙂
I'd definitely fit the ice spike tyres, just in case, gone very wintery in last day or two nationally and it's expected to be around for well past this coming weekend.
Just recalled that the M6 is closed this weekend so north lakes is out. Need to think of something grassy in the south lakes.
the views from black combe will be pretty spectacular this weekend.
Will check this out.
definitely fit the ice spike tyres
She's not got any
Just been looking at weekend forecast for the Lakes or Dales and it’s looking like gale force winds with wind chill of -17 on uplands. Might not be the best conditions to go riding.
Much as I loathe any quantifying of windchill, I think you're right . It looks heinously blowy.