Did Lake District 3 passes today Nan Bield, Gatescarth, Garburn (pics)

Epic ride, loved it.

Was worried about doing it on my own though

Start of gatescarth pass

gatescarth continues

Down the other side

Nan Bield starts !!

NICE

What did you think of gatescarth? did that route the other weekend and thought Garburn was the best, gatescarth was just to loose but Nan bield was excellent except for the really steep corners at the top. Bloody excellent route though but the longest time wise for a long time

Sweet ride. Did it in between xmas and new year a couple of years back (dawn til dusk) but not solo. Azure skies and icy but still probably my favourite day on a bike. Did it Garburn, Gatescarth, Nan Bield.

Just after New Year.

Gatescarth was very loose, nan bield was a little bit of a let down. Perhaps I was just tired , but it didn't reaLly flow. The best bit was probably garburn.

A great day out though (6 hours)

Its one of those routes "that just needs to be done"

Wouldn't like to do that in the snow and ice though !

Nan bield was excellent except for the really steep corners at the top

Have action man facial scar, broke ribs and was concussed when showing how not to ride those…apparently the blood let you know the wrong line.
I had just finished beratting Ton for walking when it happened 😳
Despite this still not the slowest down

yeah the corners at the stop are just so tight, just kept finding myself running very wide and teetering on the edge going "don't look down, don't look down" other than that a excellent section definately wouldn't like to ride down towards haweswater- think the level of carrying required would make it a disappointment

Aye, I was too tired for Nan Bield to really flow when I did it this time last year 🙂 Great day out.

yeah man! we did that started in troutbeck, did garburn then your route then back awa garburn epic day! such a god descent down nan bield! i shall have my dh rig over in the summer to thrash some of those tracks!

Been wanting to do this for ages – still a long way off being able to at the moment but hopefully one day.

I walked up a bit of the climb from Haweswater towards Nan Bield recently for the first time (without bike) – looked like coming down that way would be interesting! Reminded me of bits of the Mega.

Gatescarth is best of the three imo by a long way, love the looseness, epic descent that flows better than Nan Bield too I think

Those look ace, you've not got a route have you?

Samuri – Here you go mate[/url]

Nice. Gatescarth is my fav too.

I love Nan Bield, great descent. 🙂
Done it once on my own and once when we wrote/photo'd that route guide (samuri – it's in Issue 44 if you want the full read).

I must try and get up there again soon, make the most of the good weather.

Yeti guy, glad to hear you got back ok. Youcame upto me at staveley and asked what we were doing. Kept an eye out for you at the end of nan bield but I was showing a group of new riders over the green quarter.

V. Jealous…

Personally I'd do that 'Very hard route' the other way round and remove the high borrans/Applethwaite commons section completely. The on your return leg from Nan Bield you can just roll down the road back or…..climb (short sharp) upto green Quarter then (sweet singletrack) descend down the side of the woods. 😀

Aah right, thanks guys. Yeti's pictures want to make me ride it more. 😉

Grum said

I walked up a bit of the climb from Haweswater towards Nan Bield recently for the first time (without bike) – looked like coming down that way would be interesting! Reminded me of bits of the Mega.

This interesting?? – http://blip.tv/play/rQSB3IccAg

Personally I'd do that 'Very hard route' the other way round

ride up NB from Kentmere and down to Mardale? Can't see the drop to mardale being much good tbh. Can't see the drop to mardale being very rideable specially the first bit to small water.

Did NB and gatesgarth last year then all three a few weeks later, brilliant riding. Did garburn last and thought that was the weakest of the 3 but could be tiredness. NB best I reckon. GGs good but too steep to let the brakes off properly.

ride up NB from Kentmere and down to Mardale

No cut right from Kentmere- up then up the long climb to Gatescarth.

I think each of them are fantastic, but it seems like if you are doing all three, then the last one you do is less enjoyable purely because you are knackered.

Doing each of them fresh would be amazing.

Helicopter anyone?

Lovely pics…

(note to self – must arrange to do more riding in the lakes).

This interesting?? – http://blip.tv/play/rQSB3IccAg

Yeah that looks pretty cool – not sure how much of it I'd be riding but I'd like to give it a go.

Did a similar route in 07, more HERE