Conditions in the Lakes?

Specifically the Garburn pass?

We rode up Loadpot towards highstreet last night and had to stop 3/4 of the way up as the snow was past our forks. Great fun coming down though 🙂

Looked like this 2 weeks ago – I imagine it will be snowier now.

Garburn is only 400m. We were in Grizedale (250m) last night and there was some snow and ice, enough to be fun but not impassable

Looked like this 2 weeks ago

we’ve had a thaw in between!

Bit of a diference between 250m & 400m though.

Bit of a diference between 250m & 400m though.

enough to make it “interesting” (but fun!)

Anyway, I’m jealous – I sliced my knee open on Parkamoor last night, requiring stitches – so I may not be able to ride this weekend 🙁

Did you fall off because of some “interesting” (but fun) snow and ice? 😛

I was also in Grizedale last night, there was some snow and ice around, and i would imagine there to be more the higher you go…………

Parkamoor in snow & ice. Thats sounds dangerous.

Did you fall off because of some “interesting” (but fun) snow and ice?

of course 🙂 I had a nasty crash on ice on Sunday too, but that was just a flesh wound 🙂 I love riding on ice, and usually you can get away with just the odd impact – I’ve been unlucky this week 🙁

Parkamoor in snow & ice. Thats sounds dangerous.

and your point is ? If there weren’t danger it would be less fun – part of the challenge is to face it, accepting the risks, and do as well as you can 🙂 Out of 13 riders, I had a cut knee and another rider fell in a freezing puddle and got his arse soaked

You needed stitches in THAT. Hardly worth it….

You needed stitches in THAT. Hardly worth it….

Funnily, that’s what they said in A&E till they cleaned it out and saw how deep it was, and being on the joint it opened up as I moved. Otherwise I’d have shrugged it off too!

Well I rode Grizedale in the snow and ice before xmas, after nearly getting stuck in the car park and two bikers turning back and telling me it was ‘unrideable’.

There was a section with not much snow and I got some speed up, hit an icy patch and came off and landed on my shoulder – managed to get back to the car ok but I couldn’t lift my arm unassisted for a few days and it still isn’t right now.

It’s not all fun and games you know!

My point is exactly that, nothing more or less. I dont particularly care if you want to ride off a cliff, i was just pointing out that riding Parkamoor in snow & ice sounds dangerous. I enjoy riding it at all times, but again i would have the opinion when approaching it that it would probably be dangerous compared to hen i have ridden it when not covered in snow and ice.

Have i made my point a bit clearer 😉

Whats Hardknott like?

It’s not all fun and games you know!

but you can fall and hurt yourself in the middle of summer in the dry just as easily.

I dont particularly care if you want to ride off a cliff, i was just pointing out that riding Parkamoor in snow & ice sounds dangerous.

If it’s icy, you know it is, and you take that into account. I had no qualms riding Parkamoor down to Nibthwaite, even shaken after crashing, and it was great fun. The surface is so rough that there was plenty of grip despite the frequent glints of ice. More dangerous than playing on the Wii, but still quite doable. I’m no macho thrill jockey, just a committed rider, and I have a reasonable idea of acceptable risk.

Whats Hardknott like?

thronged with bloody cars and scary drops – given the altitude that might be more risk than I’d happily take – I’d take the bridleway beside Harter Fell instead.

Dunno about just as easily.

I came off on the ride in the pic above and landed on the same shoulder again pretty heavily. I don’t come off that often when its not snowy. Was trying to take it reasonably easy but braking often causes you to slide and on steep stuff like Garburn you can pick up more speed than you really want to.

Maybe I am just bad at riding in the snow.

thronged with bloody cars and scary drops – given the altitude that might be more risk than I’d happily take – I’d take the bridleway beside Harter Fell instead.

should have elaborated, will be in the car going over to eskdale.

should have elaborated, will be in the car going over to eskdale.

More than likely closed at the moment.

Maybe I am just bad at riding in the snow

different conditions, different techniques 🙂 I’m sorry your experience put you off – I cherish those few opportunities for frozen rides each year, and even the odd crash doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm! I suppose in part, it’s the concentration of danger that makes it fun – the hazards become close packed, and even an innocuous section suddenly demands all your attention and skill – like turning up the volume control!

will be in the car going over to eskdale.

I’d be very wary in a car, there are several very tight switchbacks with a nasty drop into the void if you slide off the road

Oh it hasn’t put me off! I just would prefer not to have a dodgy shoulder basically but I admit it could have happened in summer.

I love snowy/frozen rides too (up to a point), but I def tend to fall off more.

but I def tend to fall off more

I think everyone does, but usually relatively harmlessly…

Helvellyn monday.
prob been snowing on top each night since.
?go and do something else instead of cycle?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarisandy/sets/72157613253547963/

Yup think I will get the axes and crampons out this weekend instead of biking. Might even try and go snowboarding.

Helvellyn/striding is best i’ve seen it for years. Even got some banked out neve at the top of easy gully.

Cant remember if posted these, this is corridor route on saturday just gone

some vids
http://www.youtube.com/user/polarisandy

Corridor route? Are you sure? Looks more like Esk Hause. Isn’t that Great End on the left, with Gable & Kirk Fell dead ahead?

Why not go up and then decide for yourself when you’re there? There are plenty of alternatives to Garburn if going that high is too much for the conditions. When the weather is like this you need to be a bit flexible with your route. It’s not the best route to do in sheet ice but you’ll probably live, so long as you’re careful. Maybe.

Can’t be accused of willy-waving as its not me, but my mate (on the left in the pic above) did the descent down to Kentmere with no helmet on, and not clipped in to his spds as his shoes were all iced up! He survived unscathed (more unscathed than me).

How are the roads up there at the moment?

Coming up tomorrow and will have to drive across northern Lakes via Keswick to west coast, then to Ambleside on Sat – and was thinking of stopping at Whinlatter en route.

Not sure about the roads but part of whinlatter is shut at the mo

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-79yfhn

Weather forecast sounds like I might not even get out of my road tomorrow.

🙁

The main roads are fine and Friday / Saturday’s forecasts are good. Snow is forecast for Sunday at the moment.

Mountain rescue have also found the body of that missing guy on Bowfell..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7871787.stm

..which might be an indication of what it’s like on the tops.

Just back from a ride up Kentmere way, Garburn is fine. Most trails round here rideable and really good fun, Some icy patches but nothing serious really. Much less difficult than you would expect and the snow is compacting and settling. There hasn’t been any new snow since tuesday night when I was last out.

In short get out and enjoy.

Cheers

Roads fine, photo taken from a corrie just above corridor rt, ahead is gable, left is lingmel

but you can fall and hurt yourself in the middle of summer in the dry just as easily.

I dunno about that. I went out on Monday night in 3″ of snow on trails I know backwards, and because I couldn’t see the many many loose rocks on one bit, I had a low speed off. Also, if it’s proper snowy and cold, there could well be ice slicks under the snow. Even if you ride slowly all you can do is limit the injuries caused when you inevitably hit the deck in that situation.

Last time I rode in summer I could see all the rocks and there were no invisible sections of near zero traction.

If I lived in the mountains, I’d invest in some studs. Oh wait, I already did 🙂

going to hebden bridge saturday, not the lakes i know. Any body know what its like up there weather wise. Doing flattyresmbtroutes single track

We are supposed to be coming accross to do Borrowdale Bash on Sunday.Anyone been around it this week?