A few of us are beginning to plan out Spring MTB weekend away. Last year it was KT and Ae so this year we are thinking about the Altura Whinlatter trail. Is it worth the trip, we are travelling from Scotland. For info we are well used to Glentress and Inners as these are our local trails.

Looking at the guide Whinlatter is only 19k but if it is great singletrack then it would be worth the trip. And then perhaps something natural the next day or call in on Dalbeattie or Mabie on the way home.

Any opinions would be great, especially on the quality of cakes in the cafe 😉 ta

Dont use the word natural 😉

As in don't use "beast", "burly" and "big rig" 😈

Altura trail is quite good, and the new blue trail is apparently good fun. Worth the trip if you incorporate a lakes ride for your second day of riding.

Would be a good weekned i reackon!
Lake's is awesomeness..

Whinlatter is good fun – would make a nice weekend if you do a BW ride like Borrowdale Bash or something around Blencathra/Skiddaw the other day.

The blue is indeed good fun.

Its an alright way to spend an hour or 2 but if its the main focus of your trip then I can't help thinking you might be disappointed compared to your home trails. Its much less technical and not as varied.

Pick out a nice natural route for your main blast and then knock out Altura in the morning before you drive home would be my advice

It's good but inferior to GT and Innerleithen. I'd opt for two 'natural' rides instead. The Lakes are brilliant for MTB, you can make a ride as tough or as technical as you want. If the weather is gash you'll always have Whinlatter as an option instead.

It is quite technical in parts but is very twisty as well. Lots of tight turns to keep you on your toes 😉

The Blue flows quite well though 😛

However, it is no comparrison to Kirroughtree etc…

its good, you can do it quite quickly. possibly do that in the morn and something else in the afternoon??

I covered both Red loops in 1hr 11 mins…I could`nt have done anything in the afternoon 😐

I covered both Red loops in 1hr 11 mins…I could`nt have done anything in the afternoon as well 😐

I did ride up form Keswick and back though on my SS 😯

OOOOPS 😳

shortbread_fanylion – Member
I'd opt for two 'natural' rides instead. The Lakes are brilliant for MTB, you can make a ride as tough or as technical as you want. If the weather is gash you'll always have Whinlatter as an option instead.

Yep!If you're gonna go to the Lakes then got there for good stuff.

I love Whinlatter! The blue run, as per other posts, flows really really well. Theres some interesting little more "technical" sections on the blue as well (on some of the ascents) which liven it up!
Both red loops are also excellent (in my eyes)with some breathtaking views (on a clear day) from the tops.
In fact, I think I might head over at the weekend!!

I usually ride at GT and Innerliethen – today for example – and I really enjoyed Whinlatter. I was there the day the rains came that flooded half of Cumbria in the autumn there, so got a wee bit wet. Didn't spoil our enjoyment – th drive home was hairy though.

Well worth a visit.

Go to Stavely, park at Wilfs cafe, have a big day out and get back before closing. Whinlatter isn't worth a special visit, all they've done is attempt to take the best bits of the 7stanes and make a route out of them and it just doesn't work anything like as well. I did a much better ride out of Great Langdale, I got a copy of the route from the NT campsite shop. The VP essential trails book has some good routes in it too.

I rode Whinlatter for the first time a week ago.

It's a pretty good trail centre, but as others have said, it seems a bit redundant to build a trail centre in the midst of (probably) the best natural riding in the UK.

It was great for a Friday afternoon warm up with limited time though – but the riding we did on Saturday (including an insanely technical descent off Cat Bells) and Sunday (Grizedale bridelways) was far more rewarding.

Might be worth getting the Vetebrae Graphics guidebook to the Lakes and trying a couple of the routes from that? I haven't read it myself but the Dales one is quite good.

For a weekend do the borrowdale bash in the morning and whinlatter in the afternoon one day then as stevenmenmuir says head to wilfs cafe the 2nd day and do a biggie round kentmere taking in Gatesgarth, Garburn and nanbield passes. I've got the routes if you want, can give you them in GPX or as pdf. Think they'll be on the bogtrotters site too.

Anybody else think Nanbield is over rated, maybe it was because we had been out all day and were knackered but I was disappointed. Mind you I've been disappointed by most bits of singletrack after going to Torridon.

Might be worth getting the Vetebrae Graphics guidebook to the Lakes and trying a couple of the routes from that? I haven't read it myself but the Dales one is quite good.

Yeah the VG guide to the Lakes is excellent imo.

younggeoff – Can I take you up on your offer of the routes please?
both formats would be brilliant!
rich656 AT hotmail DOT COM

Many thanks!!!