[Closed] Top 3 Au Naturale downhills

shortbread_fanylion: Dont know if Walna Scar has changed much recently, but i did it 2 weeks ago now for the first time, and I would say that in parts it was definitley more than a "rough fireroad" 🙂

Carn ban mor does not require hiking thru a bog - just a mindnumbing soul destroying climb. Not great value for money - I think it took us well over 2 hrs to do the climb and about 40 mins to do the descent

TandemJeremy - Member
Carn ban mor does not require hiking thru a bog - just a mindnumbing soul destroying climb. Not great value for money - I think it took us well over 2 hrs to do the climb and about 40 mins to do the descent

To be fair, the descent would have taken half the time if Juan hadn't elected to have 3 punctures.

shortbread_fanylion

didnt you post some pics of the buttermere singletrack a while back, can't seem to find the thread though?

druidh - he wasn't the only one to keep on pinch flatting - although I didn't - did you? Slow and steady wins again 🙂

Not the "best" descent in the lakes but I've been riding the Longsleddale-Kentmere route quite a bit lately and that's mint. Fast and twisty with a seasoning of rocks followed by a fast grass run-in to a very rocky, steepish finish...

Descending from The Black Mountain to Dan yr Ogof always makes me smile like a big grinning idiot.

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more photoskis - mt keen north side

The top track of Glen Einich descending towards rothiemurchus with a heavy tail wind on a warm summers eve with the sun out.it might not be technical but it sticks in my mind because of the wild wind.without it i wouldnt mention it,but its worth going up if you can judge the wind right.does this sound chit?! its just the scenery etc that alll went with it, you had to be there! big ring and the 11t and hardly having to pedal and also doing the ghru singletrack to picadilly to finish off. http://martin-james.fotopic.net/p7420057.html

Coulags,over the hill,then back round into the valley towards achnashellach. http://martin-james.fotopic.net/p16053749.html

sunrise descent from black cuillin towards sligichan. http://martin-james.fotopic.net/p14273481.html

This is the cuillin sunrise pic http://martin-james.fotopic.net/p34084871.html

freeridenick, this one:

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although the one into the visitor centre in Grizedale is a cracker, we call it the riverbed, but i'm not sure what it's actual name is.

Silurian Way I think, if its the one down from the Fox.

shortbread_fanylion - Member

freeridenick, this one:

Shortbread - that's Rigg Beck down to Buttermere. Next time you're nearby, try coming off the back of Causey Pike then descending the other side, so you're heading away from Buttermere....so much more fun 🙂

From the point of view in your first pic, there are also great descents off Ard Crags (to your left) and Crag Hill or Whiteless Pike (both above on your right).

Grisedale Pike off Hobcarton End is fantastic, especially as since thy put the trail centre into Whinlatter Forest you can pedal a bit higher and avoid the near vertical slog onto the Grisedale Ridge that I ahd to contend with as a kid. From the top of the South Loop, yes you are going up there (!) but it really isn't that bad! Total ride of 60-90 mins. Not sure if it's the 'best' descent, but I challenge you to find better value from such a short ride?

Only got an hour? Barrow Summit, down the ridge towards Braithwaite - Fast grass, steep, grin.

Hardest descent I've done - Causey Pike summit (well actually, lower yourself down the cliff before you get on the bike is probably wise) East towards Newlands. All the others I can ride on a bad day, Causey I'll if I'm not riding well I can't even get on the bike to get started!

Helvellyn? North off the Summit onto Raise, then hang a left on at Sticks Pass. This is epic! First time I did this I was parked at the bottom before we set off and we couldn't reconcile the map with the terrain; "We can't be riding down THAT??" We were.

Coledale Hause into Coledale is pretty good, especially now that there is an actual path with switch backs and everything where there was once just foot-long grass. Don't try it the other way, a world of pain awaits and it's a time-consuming affair. Lesson learned.

Skiddaw - The lost descent, still gutted they put that motorway up there a decade ago. Going to do the Ullock Pike descent soon, and there *looks* like there's a good descent off Carl Side in the Keswick direction too that is on the list.

Scarth Gap - Nuts at the top, but gets tamer as you get down and full of walkers, so not sure it's great value for money. Haystacks into Scarth Gap is a death-trap, ask my mate about the scars..... I've always fancied the run off High Cragg down Gamlin End, very steep, very loose, almost certain death. (ANYONE DONE THIS?)

Wandope onto Whiteless Pike and down to Buttermere - very technical in places, Wandope is probably the best bit, but if it's windy you *will* get blown off your bike and it will hurt. A lot.

Hindscarth down Scope End I remember being good in places, but a little underwhelming, but that was a long time ago and it might be a load better now I'm a better rider with a more capable bike.

Watendlath into Borrowdale - Very good, a little short, but good value for money.

Honister into Grange - Very very good, shame you have to pedal up Honister Pass first though!

Blencathra - Ge to the top and you can't go too far wrong, so long as you avoid Halls Fell Ridge

Garburn Pass - Good, but not on the same level as some of those listed above. I suppose it has the benefit of being a bridleway, if you're into that kind of thing.

Looking to broaden my horizons a bit this year in terms of the Lakes, so if anyone has any suggestions along the lines above, add them below:

Parkedtiger, you seem to be on the same wavelength as me. I'm riding in the Lakes Easter Sunday and possibly Monday, weather dependent obviously, no one to ride with at the moment, if you fancy something long and extreme and starting at early o'clock and lasting until the last summit has been conquered and some, let me know?

Paul, an ocean of cheek!!

I like it.

Doing a few of them myself this year.

Cheers paulrockliffe - would love to. However, at the moment I'm heading south for a family Easter weekend in Manc. If it falls through, I'll give you a shout 🙂

Carl Side descent is a good one by the way - doesn't last as long as Ullock unfortunatley. Begins with a long path with some nasty slate sided drainage gulleys, then you arrive at Whitestones...some mad technical bits, then a steep grassy final descent with some big bomb holes to tip you over the bars. It's a bit slippy in the wet too - last time I came down there, Stoney (off-of the forum here) overtook me and he was descending on his arse 😯

Golf links, Rhayader.

I suppose it has the benefit of being a bridleway, if you're into that kind of thing.

Shortbread

That's also an ace climb which you can combine in a big loop for a peach of a descent from the high tops to the west of the valley. Whiteless Pike is the name if memeory serves! Rode it for the first time in December.

In the UK, Ullock Pike from Skiddaw is definitely up there. Always enjoy Carn Ban Mhor but reckon Braeriach down onto the Lairig Ghru has epic written all over it.

Abroad, Emmerson Dam down to Martigny or the descent from Piere Avoir through the open meadows into the fun that is Jackass in Verbier. Marvellous!

Glad to see Ullock Pike and the Lakes in general get the nod for best descents.

Cheers

Sanny

Paul - one other possible suggestion to add to your list - Dale Head down to the tarn, Rigghead quarry, Castle Crag down to Grange:

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The best way onto Dale head is the question - Newlands / Robinson, or via Honister perhaps - Little Town and up the valley maybe.

Nice one, I ran down there in a barely conscious state once and forgot to make my usual MTB notes. Yes, that would work.

I'm not sure 'best' is a sufficiently negative work, but the 'least pain' option must be the road up to Honister than the push up Dalehead; gets the hard bit out of the way quickest I think.

Climb out from Loch Muick, and drop into Glen Clova.... I dont know what its called but its one hell of a trail

I think it took us well over 2 hrs to do the climb and about 40 mins to do the descent

Funnily enough I find that the descents often take less time than the climbs.

Carn Ban Mor is great, but not as good as either the descent to Achnashellach or the descent to Annat on the Torridon loop. Also better than Carn Ban Mor (but not as long) is the descent from Lochnagar down the Glas Alt as far as the bridge

Paul - some interesting cheeky routes there. I think I've asked you and parkedtiger about the BWs from Was****er over to Ennerdale before. I could well be in Carlisle at the in-law's over the Easter weekend and keen to get out. I've generally stuck to the BW routes in the past - 4 Passes, Red Pike-Buttermere, Nan Bield, Helvellyn-Sticks Pass, that kind of thing. Quite fancy trying some different stuff and that means cheeky. More than happy to hike-a-bike if the descent is worth it. I'll PM you next week once I know what's happening.

Matt

Hello diplomatt, yes that rings a bell, I probably told you that I've only done Ennerdale to Was****er and that I didn't think it was that good, but it was a long time agao and rider + bike are very different now, so might be ok.

Yeah, PM me when you know what you're doing.

Cheers

Sanny. The Emmosson Dam is indeed awesome BUT the Chandolin one tops that I reckon.

+1 with the Captain. Torridon

shortbread_fanylion, thats the one thanks 8)

Jackass in Verbier is indeed very good! so is the Holy Trail in Chamonix.

There's some cracking stuff in this thread, +2 for Torridon, some of the best riding I've done in the UK.
Might have to mark up a map with some of these Lakes cheeky ones.
Did Dollywagon in the wet last year, the steps at the top are pretty sketchy, walked a couple of sections but the natural stuff below the tarn towards Patterdale was glorious.

I haven't done Dollywagon myself, but it seems to get mixed reviews since it was slabbed over. I can't help thinking that if you're going to all the trouble of getting to the top of Helvellyn you'd want to head North from the summit rather than South and fill your boots with Sticks Pass. Those runs into Patterdale from Grisedale Tarn, Fairfield and Hart Crag etc are on my list of things to do though.

Dollywagon Defeated me to be honest, but I was on my own.

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If you're marking up the map, mark the descents then see how you can loop them together into rides, but I'd recommend checking with STW before embarking on a blind adventure; it's very easy to spend a lot of time between descents if you underestimate some of the climbs.

Eg; heading up from Newlands between Barrow and Causey Pike is NOT the best way of getting to ride Wandope and Whiteless Pike and Gasgale Gill is NOT a great climb to get back again. There isn't any alternatives, but while this looks like a good ride on the map, it's rubbish value for money when you try it!

Stonycove Pike down Raven Edge to Kirkstone Pass? Anyone tried that?

I haven't done Dollywagon myself, but it seems to get mixed reviews since it was slabbed over.

It's only the top part that's been slabbed over (unless more has been done since I did it). The slabbed bit isn't great but the whole section from the tarn onwards is superb.

The descent off Morrone, SW of Braemar is a cracker.

Awesomes... there's enough info on here to book my weekends up till october... my g/friend will not be happy 😀

thinking of doin some of the grizedale/parkamoor ones or head up borrowdale way on Saturday

Seeing as we're including slabbed up trails then the walker's path down Ben Rinnes is fandabbydozy if you can hit it when there are no walkers about. It's a ball ache climb too. Got to do me Torridon this year.

Can I just say - what a great thread! I am itching to ride my bike now.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Ben wyvis is rather fun,wot with the new path an all.Top can be scary fast with a following wind and the odd hidden rock in the heather.Descent down An Caber is ultra steep.2.5hrs walking with 25 min descent.Pick a good day tho!!!

druidh - he wasn't the only one to keep on pinch flatting - although I didn't - did you? Slow and steady wins again

This thread merely confirms how bloody ace the UK is for biking if you're prepared to suffer and push and carry a bit on the climbs 🙂

Trail-rat your photos are making my mouth water!! We are heading up to Dunkeld and are planning on doing the Loch Muick route at easter. We are also hoping to do Mount Keen and the Fungle road too........weather not looking to hot at the moment though for easter weekend!!

Clarey - might want to bring your skis as well!

LOL @ Juan

You did look a bit cold at the top.