Dales route advice – Kettlewell, Starbotton, Buckden, Litton, Arncliffe

I've been looking at a route for an upcoming trip to the dales. It looks fun on paper, but I'm not sure what it's like on the ground / which way round to do some of the climbs / descents for the most fun.

As it stands, the plan is to start in Kettlewell & climb to Cam Head, then descend to Starbotton, up the road to Buckden, over Firth Fell to Litton, along the road to Arncliffe, over Old Cote Moor to either a) drop through the woods to Starbotton & back along the road to Kettlewell, or b) descend directly to Kettlewell.

Has anyone ridden any of this? What's it like? Do you have any pics of the trails?

Hi have not done it on a bike,but have walked it a few times and would be a good ride as plenty of climbs and nice decents .
Would be best done mid week if possible as gets busy with walkers during summer months .

Hope you enjoy climbing – that is one tough route. Nearly all those trails cut the contour lines at right angles – ouch.

See if you can get a copy of the VG Graphics book 'Yorshire Dales – The South Dales' – it has some good routes in the area and lots of pictures

I reckon you are missing the best downs and imho would suggest
out of Kettlewell over to old Cotes then up the road
to Halton gill and over Horsehead for a nice techy decent

then up to the pub at cray for lunch then bridleway to buckden road to starbotton then over cam head for a rocky finish to the ride to kettlewell

thats about 18 miles and 3700 ft acending

A few pics of the route.

Kettlewell to Cam End

It's all downhill to Starbottom – very fast lane.

Keep going to ridgeline and Firth Fell

Looking back you can just make out the track from Cam End (on right)

Big drop into Littondale & big haul out to Old Cote Moor

Up this to Old Cote Moor

Very rubbly track down to Kettlewell

Or techie stuff through woods to Starbottom

I do variations on this fairly regularly – inlaws live in Kettlewell 😀

Trout: Renovated from Horse Head towards Yockenthwaite. Bottom half is still good nipping down the gulleys.

Bugger that was an ace decent how long ago

About a year ago. Personally, I don't mind because it was kinda grim during wet periods. Especially coming up from Yockenthwaite.

Thanks for the pic's Pennine, looks like some great riding. Which way round would give the best descents on Old Cote Moor / Firth Fell?

longer easier up from kettlewell side , shorter steeper the other so if returning a longer dh back to kettlewell

Both side used to be good

As Trout says. I think I prefer Buckden to Firth Fell because for me there's less pushing. Both lines out of Littondale tend to go straight up!

I did a nice little route round there today.

Head out of Kettlewell on the Leyburn/Coverdale/Middleham road all the way to the top(just before the Richmondshire sign). This includes some of the steepest road climbing in the area, but it's worth it to get the height out of the way quickly.

At the parking area turn left and head SW following the line of the wall along some really nice singletrack bridleway for about 1.5k. Carry on until you get to a junction with the left track going back towards Kettlewell and the right going to Walden Road. Take the right hand track instead until you get to a gate with the track heading up the hill on the right (2nd gate after the junction I think). Head right up the hill till you get to a wall and head left. Follow the bridleway to the junction with Walden road and then enjoy the fantasic downhill to Starbotton (recommend dismounting/taking it easy when you reach the concrete bit of the track coming into Starbotton because it's covered with loose stones and can be pretty dodgy). Then head back to kettlewell on the tarmac.

Ride takes approx 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Has a few small boggy bits so be prepared to get your fancy cycling shoes covered in smelly red gunge. Make sure your brakes are working before the big descent.

Thanks guys, looking forward to riding it!

Rode this yesterday, it was a great ride. The climbs are as tough as they look on the map but all 3 descents were well worth the effort.

Its been an embarassingly long time since i have ridden up mastilles area and to say its my favourite local ride to! 😳
Those photos are great, think i might just enter the Chain reaction ride this weekend now.
Hope it stay sunny.

Glad you enjoyed the ride Chrispy