West side of Garburn has been done already.
Garburn Pass has been done on and off for decades, it invariably becomes another rutted rocky mess within 2 years.
Just for clarity, as I've never ridden it, is any of Jenkins Cragg worth riding (down) now?
Arse, that was a lovely climb or descent :(.
I'd worry now how long it will be before the same madness is extended to the bridleway on the south of Ullswater.
Anyone have contacts at the local council and NT to esquire about why this was done?
Erosion control?
Certain Lakes trails get overused and need to be protected. MTBers are not the only users, however, frustrating this may be.
Certain Lakes trails get overused and need to be protected. MTBers are not the only users, however, frustrating this may be.
Jenkin Crag was bedrock - it was essentially unchanged ever since I've been riding it which must be mid 90's. It was a stable surface albeit one that was not smooth. A challenging climb but doable, and as a descent it kept your speed in check automatically.
It was easily walkable in pretty much any sensible outdoors footwear.
It didn't need any sort of "protection".
Jenkin Crag was bedrock - it was essentially unchanged ever since I've been riding it which must be mid 90's. It was a stable surface albeit one that was not smooth. A challenging climb but doable, and as a descent it kept your speed in check automatically.It was easily walkable in pretty much any sensible outdoors footwear.
It didn't need any sort of "protection".
That.
It was easily walkable in pretty much any sensible outdoors footwear. It didn't need any sort of "protection".
And there was a wide fireroad type chicken run bypassing the most difficult section anyway?
Erosion control?Certain Lakes trails get overused and need to be protected. MTBers are not the only users, however, frustrating this may be.
The pic I posted was from 2005 and looks very similar to the one from last year
[quote=agent007 ]And there was a wide fireroad type chicken run bypassing the most difficult section anyway?And that might well be the reason why it's been resurfaced.
I hope all of you bemoaning the poor decision, lack of understanding of mountain biking and the lack of consultation are all active on your local access forums, campaigning groups etc?
Things will only improve for "us" if "we" engage with the people who are responsible for the decisions, and who have to take into account conflicting user demands.
Because otherwise whining after the event via keyboards is rather horse/bolted/stable door.
I hope all of you bemoaning the poor decision, lack of understanding of mountain biking and the lack of consultation are all active on your local access forums, campaigning groups etc?Things will only improve for "us" if "we" engage with the people who are responsible for the decisions, and who have to take into account conflicting user demands.
Because otherwise whining after the event via keyboards is rather horse/bolted/stable door.
Yes, because councils and NT always consult such forums before carrying out this type of work, don't they?.
Fine - mine was a question. I have never ridden that trail - mistakenly (it seems) felt it would be to grockelly!!
Access to multiple users?
There used to be a stat that something like 80% of visitors never venture more than 800m or so from their cars - so perhaps this is a positive thing. Folk are scaling the NW face of Wansfell!! 😉
I hope all of you bemoaning the poor decision, lack of understanding of mountain biking and the lack of consultation are all active on your local access forums, campaigning groups etc?
I'm not personally but our club is and work well alongside the FC.
Absolutely devastated; i spent my childhood riding that trail 🙁
What most of the NIMBYs posting on here have forgotten is the fact that 70% of visitors to national parks never venture more than 100 yards from their cars. Knowing this, it's policy to site the attractions around the peripheries of the parks (Grizedale Forest Centre for example) to filter out the 70% leaving the rest of the park for more adventurous outdoorsy types to enjoy in peace.
The answer seem to be: go further away from the town.
I would have thought that there is a relatively simple calculation that could be performed - the number of people that are helped by this conversion, and the number whose lives are made slightly worse.
How many people (per year) can walk that trail who were previously unable to do so? I'd wager <100, probably a lot less. Even if it's smooth, that trail is pretty damn steep which is going to limit lots of people (on bikes or on foot).
How many walkers / runners / mountain bikers / whatever else will have their experience worsened? Many thousands.
It doesn't make sense to me, particularly when it must have cost taxpayers many thousands to complete the work.
The best we can hope for is loads of erosion. Which is depressing.
What most of the NIMBYs posting on here have forgotten is the fact that 70% of visitors to national parks never venture more than 100 yards from their cars.
In that case they could build a lovely path somewhere that would suit these people, check the pics at the top of the page I posted and the pics from last year. Nothing has changed at all on that route it's a fundamental change to the route that changes something away from what it was. There are km's of paths that are accessible to anyone out there within meters of the roads/carparks
From LDMTB FB group...
UPDATE ON JENKINS CRAG
We've spoken LDNP and have been informed that......
"During Storm Desmond, about two tonnes of gravel was washed down to the pool at the mouth of the culvert bridge over Stencher Beck. There was concern that if another significant flood event this winter could cause this bridge to block completely and potentially badly damage it. Therefore the two tonnes of gravel has been dug out by digger. But to get the digger up to this site it was necessary to rebuild a portion of the track below the bridge so that the digger could gain access to the work site. In addition to our work, the National Trust have recently cleared out the drains on this bridleway to help drain-water away and therefore reduce further erosion."
LDMBA were not advised of this work in advance on this occasion, but, given the situation, it appears more than reasonable that this work had to be carried out.
It's worth noting that storm repair work
will be continuing over the next couple of years and we hope to be advised of any work affecting mtb routes in advance in future.
Surely some local paper coverage might help?
This
Is there any kind of local MTB advocacy group? Post- RushupEdgeGate in the Peaks, PDMTB (and Ride Sheffield) did a lot of screaming and shouting, making other user groups and affected parties aware (including the NT who weren't aware the work had been done - I think), plus getting media coverage, both nationally through bike websites and through the local papers. In similar fashion - DCC had dumped a reported £70k into defacing RE whilst libraries were being closed and proper roads with landslip issues were being ignored.
In large part, the issue with work like this, is not that its been done, but that it's been done without consultation of user groups and in a fashion not suiting the environment.
Jenkin Crag is a done deal now. The trick is to use it as a springboard for MTB advocacy in the area, which eventually will get us listened too and our views taken onboard, plus to raise Joe Punter's awareness of how the cash is being spent.
(oops - had to deal with a phone call while I was typing this - so crosspost with the above^^)
What sort of digger can't get over a few rocks?
if we get a bad winter again it'll all be in Ambleside by January. Time to brush up your broady skills
What sort of digger can't get over a few rocks?
At a guess the one that was sat in the contractor's yard.
The proper tool would have been something like this
[img] 
[/img]
which would be straight up there.
It would be interesting to compare the cost of subhiring the above -v- the cost of using a normal JCB and relaying several 100m of trail...
I'd also make the point that 2 tonnes of gravel is sweet f... all. Maybe 10 of us moved 50 tonnes over 2 days at Bolehills BMX track, including a 50m wheelbarrow journey each trip. How many tonnes of surfacing did they end up laying to move that 2 tonnes?
It would be interesting to compare the cost of subhiring the above -v- the cost of using a normal JCB and relaying several 100m of trail...I'd also make the point that 2 tonnes of gravel is sweet f... all. Maybe 10 of us moved 50 tonnes over 2 days at Bolehills BMX track, including a 50m wheelbarrow journey each trip. How many tonnes of surfacing did they end up laying to move that 2 tonnes?
Yup 2 tonnes in nothing, couple of small trailer full's. Could have been moved by a couple of guys with quad bike trailers, barrows etc within a day I'd have thought.
It would probably have been cheaper to lower in a small digger via helicopter than build that access trail, seriously!
I nearly cleared the climb last time as well, just one wee dab at the bottom.
Other paths are available and as others have said some heavy rain will soon wash it away.
Fine - mine was a question. I have never ridden that trail - mistakenly (it seems) felt it would be to grockelly!!
It's about 2 mins ride / 10 min walk from Ambleside, so a high use bimbling trail.
I can see why they did it, lots of elderly people walking it and then having a sit on the benches as the top and then walking down again.
Plenty of less accessible trails left...
JonEdwards, read the post directly
Above yours referencing the LDMBA!
it was necessary to rebuild a portion of the track below the bridge so that the digger could gain access to the work site
This explanation just doesn't ring very true. Surely any digger that's going to be able to work off road shouldn't have had any problem with the track the way it was (and would potentially do far more damage to a gravel trail as is now than to the previous bedrock).
Having lived in Ambleside for a couple of years this was my evening spin!
Just to clarify though have they just resurfaced this iconic section of trail (the solid bedrock) or does the sanitisation go all the way to the Farm at the top of Jenkins Crag?
None the less, this is again another lovely trail of the Lakes loosing its natural flavour, I believe it is part of The LDNPA scheme to connect all the South Lakes Villages with a traffic free family cycle routes?
Sadly it appears that turning technical paths into motorways is high on the LDNPA agenda!
It won't take long for there to be an accident (more than likely a beginner) caused by the trail being made very fast. Featureless gravel paths encourage higher speeds.
I believe it is part of The LDNPA scheme to connect all the South Lakes Villages with a traffic free family cycle routes
Even as a smooth trail this will be a tough old climb from Ambleside to the gate at the top of the woods. It's never going to be a family route.
Yeah the same can be said of the Permissive Bridleway from Tarn Hows down to Monk Coniston, but that has also been gravelled and sanitised, and I was told last year that this was part of a family cycle route to connect the Coniston and Hawkshead. Some how I think they are being very misguided. Its defiantly not family friendly.
That's just wrong, I've lost plenty of skin on there over the years, great trail.does anybody know if there are any other trails to be ruined like this soon? Maybe just to go and have that one last blast...
I believe it is part of The LDNPA scheme to connect all the South Lakes Villages with a traffic free family cycle routes
The plaque says 'footpath improvements' rather than anything BW or cycle related, so I'm not convinced it's one of those. The presence of the self-congratulatory plaque itself is not something I'd expect to see if they're just trying to get a digger up there for vital works.
I guess we'll find out if they start levelling the remaining bedrock sections further up past Stencher Gill.
Am I missing some thing here. The OP has called it a ‘trail’. To my understanding this is a Bridleway.
Thoroughly depressing, that was a great descent (though a pig of climb). I also think it will lead to conflicts between MTBs and walkers - MTBs will go faster, and have to brake on gravel. And that plaque is bizarre and a bit sickening.
As a NT member I am very interested to hear what they have to say about it. Thing is that it is quite a wide track in most places - could they not leave one side of it "interesting" ?
Soon be a Strava KOM at 30mph average down it, accident waiting to happen 🙁
The plaque is a fair distance away from the scene of crime and probably relates to work on the FP that spits you out on to the main road near the houses !
Nooooo it was awesome the way it was ! i remember trying to follow clive forth and roblee down that descent many moons ago on SMBLA couse . it was awesome flat out .i got to the bottom and i had five big blisters in the side wall of my tyre ! it was scary as hell but awesome fun .such a shame !
One biker fall, sue and hey presto.
One walker twisted ankle and hey presto sue.
Sadly the council etc need to risk assess and especially with volume of users.
Look on the 'bright' side. It'll wash out/be rutted/disintegrate at some point.
What's warna scar like now? 6yrs since I last rode it
as in DCC speak.. its about access innit.. folks in wheelchairs, folks with walking frames, families with buggies can all now experience the lakeland fells.. as PDNPA recently referenced.. the national parks are recreational parks.. there ll be swings and a slide next week
One biker fall, sue and hey presto.One walker twisted ankle and hey presto sue.
The HA only has a duty to surface it for one of the two...
I've never ridden the trail, although it was on the bucket list, but have walked it several times and it certainly didn't need improving. Seems much like the the work done on many upland footpaths in the name of erosion protection, horrible to walk on so most people walk beside them and make the erosion worse. I wonder if rock climbs will be next, all improved by chipping nice big hand holds so everyone can have a go!
Just makes it easier to get to the cheeky stuff 🙂