[Closed] The Lakes - Climb every mountain..2.0

Anyone ridden Robson? wondering if the descent to butermere is worth a look.

Robinson to Buttermere is OK but not fantastic. (HIndcarth and Scope End is way better)

If you were thinking of climbing to Robinson from Littledale/Scope Beck....Don't. It's a horrible bog-fest.

Thinking about doing Helvellyn from Keswick for my next adventure... Just been poring over maps this morning.

bitter sweet the lakes sometimes when you spend an hour two ascending with the hope of a fantastic awesome technical but rideable descent... only to find it's too tough and you end up walking down most of it as well, or picking your way down so carefully and slowly that all the fun is drained out of it... looking at you Warnscale Bottom.

Just daydreaming at work... there's a bridleway connecting Was****er to the top end of Ennerdale alongside NetherBeck and over Tewit How, this is a beautifully remote part of the lakes and it's likely you will see very few people out that way. Anyone ridden it? You could consider a big loop from Ennerdale carpark and coming back over Black Sail.

@jekkyl I've walked that BW to get to a crag that a mate and I did a load of new routes on. Don't think the Wasdale side is much of a goer TBH. There may be shots on geograph.org.uk

My wife and a friend did a loop using a BW further west to get to Ennerdale then back over Black Sail. It was possibly in one of the mags during the late 1990s or early 2000s. A hard day by all accounts.

Thanks to Postierich for the inspiring pics of Fairfield posted at the weekend, this is now firmly back on the radar, after dismissing it a few years ago after doing the Horseshoe, via Great tongue looks fantastic, with a classic ridge line blast to finish.

PS. Ecky Thump cheers, is Hindscarth, Scope end mainly rideable, a little scramble at the end?

looking at you Warnscale Bottom

Rode that a few times now, there's a few hard sections but on a good day it's rideable mostly and always a challenge

And I rode it with him, it's one of my all time favourites.

However I'm not doing the descent off dale head through the quarry again.

Red Screes is worth a blast climbing up from Sweden Bridge fully rideable all the way down

I thought this was going to be about someone planning a long distance ride to do every rideable peak in the Lakes.  Why isn't it?  Can someone come up with a route?  Or at least a list of the ones that are rideable.

Thanks for the Red Screes tip off, great local knowledge for a quick blast, another one i would not have considered.

This is a thread about the Lakes, feel free to wax lyrical about climbs, to earn the descent one must first climb, the Fells  are in general to steep for pedaling untill you get to a top or pass, so hike a bike is the norm, when the slopes are this steep. There are a few exceptions of course, Kepple Cove zig zags for starters, my days of even contemplating a climb like this clean are long gone.

"However I’m not doing the descent off dale head through the quarry again."

With the exception of the staircase which terrified me (but you rode I think, sure I remember seeing a pic of you going down it), I thought that was a cracker.

The staircase was just do-able, I probably couldn't ride much more than half of the rest of it though.

Way too steep, tight, awkward and stop-starty for my liking. Others may disagree of course, but that was kind of my point. S'all relative.

🙂

Red Screes; are you talking about the long descent back to Ambleside or the steep one down to kirkstone pass?

Delayed response to:

is Hindscarth, Scope end mainly rideable, a little scramble at the end?

Yes, a couple of very short sections that you won't ride (at least one that's a scramble) but otherwise a very nice descent. A bit of everything in it.

I thought this was going to be about someone planning a long distance ride to do every rideable peak in the Lakes. Why isn’t it? Can someone come up with a route? Or at least a list of the ones that are rideable.

Thought the same.

There's a google doc on one of the facebook groups that's tracking all the Munros, and whether they're rideable (via which ascent/descent), or not worth the effort with a bike.

Similar thing for the Wainwrights might be interesting.

Easiest one to bag on a bike (or a pushchair, wheelchair, etc.): Latrigg.

All summits in one ride would be epic.

Ok here goes a starter for ten.

Whiteless Pike and finish down Rannerdale Knots. Yum! Proper middle tech section I have never cleaned dab free. Rannerdale is just lovely. You can then head up Gasgale Gill (I think that is the name) and finish with Grizedale Pike.

Fairfield Horseshoe finishing in Rydal - just wonderful.

st Sunday Crag - I got blown a full 180 degrees around the last time I was up there. An excellent descent all the way down to Ullswater.

Angle tarn off of High Street - you'll thank me for that little gem.

Cat bells full ridge as an evening ride - really rather lovely.

Sanny

These are well trodden routes but I did a garburn pass loop from stavely a few weeks ago which took in the bridleway descent from stavely head fell from Birk rigg to wads Howe and was buzzin my tits off. Steep and fast.

Also did the garburn pass anti clockwise and much preferred it

Also did the garburn pass anti clockwise and much preferred it

Used to enjoy it both ways but is it not a bit smooth on the western side now?

I didn't really notice any trail sanitisation apart from the very start after the summit. I was too busy enjoying the descent to notice further down and had a very loose crank arm that focused the mind (on that note there is a lost crank arm nut somewhere on the trail up from kentmere)

Whiteless Pike and finish down Rannerdale Knotts

Thanks for that tip Sanny, We've always gone straight off Whiteless to Buttermere. Will try the Rannerdale Knotts add-on next time.

Gasgale Gill was once a reasonable descent too but got pretty much destroyed in the floods a couple of years ago.

I didn’t really notice any trail sanitisation apart from the very start after the summit.

It was mostly re-surfaced a few years ago after a massive chasm formed in the middle of the trail. Loved it beforehand but only used it as a climb since.

I used to like riding out and back from Staveley, turning round at the gate where the main climb starts.

I'd stay well clear of Rannerdale until the Bluebells have all gone (assuming they will be out soon). One of the biggest tourist / red socks draw when they are out and us lot riding through them wont go down too well.

I think I'm gonna try and do Ullock Pike via Carl Side when I'm up there in May (staying just outside of Keswick). Is it doable on an evening? Roughly how long would you allow?

Rannerdale until the Bluebells have all gone

Cheers for that word of caution Lowey.

Ullock Pike via Carl Side ... doable on an evening?

Easily so, just be aware that the hike up Carlside is truly soul destroying. Goes on forever with loads of false summits. Prefer the main track up Skiddaw personally, then down the scree slope to Ullock ridge

Ullock pike seems very popular as an evening ride, have only done it once would guess 2.30/3hrs max.

Sanny the ultimate Whiteless pike loop is the edge followed by a climb up to Sail pass,  down passed Outerside, descent off Barrow.

Mint. 3hrs should be grand, I can handle a soul destroying slog as long there's a descent to match on the other side (plus I'll likely not do it if the weather is poop).

I'll probably do an out and back to Skiddaw House one evening too.

"I’ll probably do an out and back to Skiddaw House one evening too."

**Cough** Blencathra **Cough**

I really enjoyed Coniston Old Man going up via the quarry then branching west onto the Old Man from the saddle of Walna Scar. Headed over and down wet side edge via the bomber crash site.

I hear Wetherlam is good too.

Oh and seconds on Blencathra. That is a really fun up and down. The summit ridge is a lovely spin.

Well I can't really ignore a recommendation like that... Any route suggestions? It'll probably be another 2-3 hr evening jaunt from Keswick.

If your staying in Keswick, then you could do much worse than meeting the Tuesday night nutters and joining them for a ride out. Parkedtiger, Stoney, Gavgas and Clareymorris from here are regulars.

However... up Blease fell from the old Sanatorium, onto the ridge then either down to Scales Fell into mousethwaite, or on another level of tech... down Doddick.

4 passes or Tour of Great Gable is a great day out.

Red Screws is up High Sweden Bridge and down the rolling ridge to the Struggle, not the freefall to the Kirkstone Pass Inn.

Walna Scar is no tech fest but it is a very rideable big mountain pass. Pub on both sides is a bonus.

Angle Tarn from Hartsop, via Boredale Hause, top path to Silver Bay, Ullswater shore,  Boredale Head and Boredale Hause steps again down to Patterdale is a great wee ride.

'If your staying in Keswick, then you could do much worse than meeting the Tuesday night nutters and joining them for a ride out. Parkedtiger, Stoney, Gavgas and Clareymorris from here are regulars.'

I'd love to, but I'll only be there for a couple of nights (Friday to Sunday) and timings may be rather, erm, fluid depending what else we get up to and when we arrive.

Wouldn't you love to live in Keswick but house prices are ridiculous, even bungalows are like 400k! Plus there is no industry besides tourism, so you either have to own a guest house, be independently wealthy (retired) or have lived there for a long time. I am, sadly none of these 🙁
Would be ace though, my 2hr evening rides would be Lonscale fell instead of Cannock!

I would bloody love to live in the Lakes, but let's be honest pretty much anything is better than an evening ride on the East Yorkshire Wolds 😉

@Lowey

Often looked at some of the Southerly ridges off Blencathra but always taken the Scales Tarn descent.

Have walked down Halls Fell ridge in Winter and wasn't inspired to come back on a bike. Is Doddick a better option for the bike then?

Ian.

Yeah probably not Doddick for me. If I'm doing Ullock one night I reckon something a bit more open might be fun the other.

<div class="bbp-reply-author">

<div class="bbp-reply-author">
<div class="bbp-reply-author">flyingmonkeycorps
<div class="bbp-author-role">
<div class="">Member</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="bbp-reply-content">

I would bloody love to live in the Lakes, but let’s be honest pretty much anything is better than an evening ride on the East Yorkshire Wolds

</div>
</div>

<div class="bbp-reply-author">
<div class="bbp-reply-content">

</div>
</div>
</div>
I live Blackpool......

I can see the lakes from the window when I'm at work, Just to rub salt in

I did a preview of that and it worked fine!

I follow some of the Keswick lot on Strava. The rides from the door they do just have me on my knees with jealousy.

Should we all chip in a couple of grand and see if we can buy a shed in the area for community use 😆

If I was going to do two of the blencathra descents and go up the third which are the best descents?

So for instance, up from Blease Fell, down Doddick then back up either the Scales fell or the one past Scales tarn then down whichever one I didn't go up. Which out of the last two is the better descent? Scales Tarn one looks steeper at the top.

I wasn't that impressed with the further descent North of Scales Tarn. It's a few years since I've done it mind you. Memory is poor though. It's an age thing.

and whilst we're in the best bit of the Lakes.... Has anybody done Hope Gill from Hope Gill Head ?

"and whilst we’re in the best bit of the Lakes…. Has anybody done Hope Gill from Hope Gill Head ?"

I've carried up it and it looks good. Last time I was up there I carried on along Gasgale crags to Whiteside (techy ridgeline) and then dropped right along some nice singletrack to Dodd, then into Hope Gill. The singletrack from the Sheepfold in Hope Gill to the road at Hope Beck, whilst not techy, is just sublime.

[url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/32820695654_ca709dab91_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/32820695654_ca709dab91_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/S1fDn1 ]20170326_135536[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-lowe/ ]Dave Lowe[/url], on Flickr

Every picture you post I want to ride.

I just need to live closer than 3.5 hours from the Lakes then I could start ticking stuff off! As it is it's a weekend job which limits things a bit.

Cheers Lowey, I feel a route coming together....

From Crummock; up Whiteside/Gasgale crags; Hopegill Head; Down Hope Gill; Up Ladyside Pike; Coledale Hause; Grasmore; down Lad Hows (1600m/17.5km at this point).

Then if still time left, up Rannerdale/Squat Beck; down Low Bank/Rannerdale Knotts (extra 300m/5km)

A good descent off blencathra is north past sharp edge and foule crag, then back along the northeast side of the glenderamackin beck, cross the beck and climb up to the top of mousethwaite Combe and down the main path to scales. Lots of grin, not too much possibility of death. Easily done in a 3 hour evening from Keswick with the climb up via blease fell.

"Grasmore; down Lad Hows "

Never done it. Let me know how you get on, but thats proper "Mr Steep".

Lad Hows is fine Lowey - it's very similar to Whiteless; a bit easier.

*Furtively making 'to ride' lists*

Can someone come up with a route?  Or at least a list of the ones that are rideable.

http://lakelandlugger150.blogspot.co.uk - an old page of Richpips, with GPX on the right hand side somewhere.

Though a couple of the tops around Ennerdale are best avoided (and the BW's don't reach the summits anyway). Black Combe in the south west adds a fair distance, but has some great riding.

"Lad Hows is fine Lowey"

**adds to the list**