Whinlatter Route Advice

Million dollar question though - is there an exciting option back to the valley floor toward the end of the ride though rather than just bombing down the road you climb up?

Look for a segment called Whinlatter Garbanzo on strava if you use it, it was badly damaged in storm Arwen and was fenced off last time I was there but I've been told it's rideable again recently. Not sure if it's still fenced off but it drops down from the north loop of the trail centre back to Thornthwaite and is pretty steep

I rode what @pothead has suggested just after a down pour last year when we we're staying at Lanefoot, I can confirm that it was pretty steep and sketchy! Only crashed once I think 😆 

Sounds absolutely perfect - thanks both!

I've just looked and can't find the segment on strava but there is a faint blue line on the map, it should be easy enough to find the start if you watch the link above

Think I might have ridden past the point it crosses the fire road near the start of the video (is that a climb on the red?). Watched the video - looks right up my street! I'll check Strava.

Grisedale Pike from the top of the south loop and Footpath down Sleet How to Braithwaite would be my pick. Do all the south loop first then go up again and pop up the top and then climb to the Pike and back down or just hang a left out of the forest from where it pops out the forest. 

It crosses the long fireroad climb on the north loop

The Garbanzo descent is on trailforks as 3 separate trails, Enduro stage 2, Half dayz and Garbanzo lower, all black graded on there 

Yeh, found it on Strava. 

Done the Grisedale Pike loop and back into the forest via the path to the north before - great descent even though we did it in quite biblical conditions!