After a rather grotty "summer" a perfect day:
click pic for more

… and yes, we should have done Garburn, but we were too knackered!

Some ace photos Simon. Did you ride much of the descent of Harter Fell?

Did you ride much of the descent of Harter Fell?

a few short level bits only :o) Basically I pushed from just below the cobbles on Gatescarth to Mardale Ill Bell (about 6km), apart from a bit approaching the summit of Harter Fell

I thought you vowed never to ride/climb Nan Bield every again

I thought you vowed never to ride/climb Nan Bield every again

He didn't. They cheated. 🙂

Great pics btw

I thought you vowed never to ride/climb Nan Bield every again

I did. My vow was not to take my bike from Haweswater to Nan Bield via Small Water. We descended to Nan Bield from Harter Fell. I probably won't bother taking my bike over Harter Fell again either – it was a nuisance, better just to walk it.

Yeah, just checked the piccies.

Excellent ride though

Simon- Any routes in your archive for the loweswater area?

Cheers

P

Any routes in your archive for the loweswater area?

sorry no, I've only been there once on a tour of The Lakes in 1997. Obviously you can take the bridleway past Floutern Tarn into Ennerdale, but then you face Scarth Gap to get back – which is often crammed with walkers.

I thought you said you wouldn't ever do Nan bield?

No totty. Marked down to B-.

8)

I thought you said you wouldn't ever do Nan bield?

see reply above :o)

No totty. Marked down to B-.

tell me about it! I tried to lure the fair Julia but she was having none of it 🙁 Still, I spent so much time gawping/snapping/pushing I didn't actually see the others much anyway 🙂

Great shots and nice to see a different route to the Kentmere descent (although it looks from a biking point of view better than the one you took)

although it looks from a biking point of view better than the one you took

I prefer The Rake into Troutbeck to Hallow Bank 🙂
I had intended to go over Ill Bell but chickened out 🙁

Great British engineering:

(ancient British bike parked outside Wilf's)

great pics again.

a couple of things; did one of your team really ride all the way up gatescarth from longsleddle?

and;

what state was the descent on the other side to haweswater in? last time i was up there a couple of months back it was in the process of being destroyed (read: turned into an unridable sand pit type bridleway).

did one of your team really ride all the way up gatescarth from longsleddle?

yes, Andy is mega fit 🙂

what state was the descent on the other side to haweswater in?

hard to say, we didn't go that way

yeah he must be superhuman or something – that's a tough climb. distance + steepness + cobbles = 😯

ah, a shame you didn't get a proper look at it. would be good to know if it's usable again

what's the loaf shaped mountain on the horizon just R of centre ?

The bike was Italian – Ducati single cylinder either 250,350 or 450cc

I think the hill is Great Gable

If you're talking about the one on the skyline in the far distance that is indeed Great Gable.

We did Gatescarth Pass down to Haweswater the other week and it has been sanitised, although not as horrendously as other have been. Worst thing is tha they have built drainage run-off channels just before each corner so you lose your speed going into them.
It's still fun, but not as much as it used to be.

So, when's the previous day's photos up Simon? I want to see my beautiful pastey face splashed all over the internet 8)

😉

So, when's the previous day's photos up Simon?

sorry Kit, as you may imagine Sunday got precedence, and there were so many shots it took me 2 evenings to sort them out! I hope to get them done Thursday evening…

The bike was Italian

Really ? OK, but the aftermarket random bolt collection was authentically British, surely ?

Were you going to do Ill Bell, then Yoke down tonto Garburn?

It's worth it!

Simon

Well I feel better now for two reasons

a) I didn't miss out on riding with totty
b) Seems like quite a few of you pushed the bits I pushed. Respect to anyone that even does say 25% of that climb!

Fab photos but I really can't help thinking there is a decent route going the other way round, or would I be wrong, not having ridden that bit of High Street?

Were you going to do Ill Bell, then Yoke down tonto Garburn?

yes. I shall do it another day when not so knackered 🙂

Fab photos but I really can't help thinking there is a decent route going the other way round, or would I be wrong, not having ridden that bit of High Street?

Well, climbing up from Troutbeck is not much fun – a carry – but can be done – and the climb onto Harter Fell is a carry too – but you could ride the rest, although some of the descent to Nan Bield off Mardale Ill Bell is very technical…

Awesome photos and a great ride, makes me want to go for a ride now….

Cant believe you missed the ridge down after all that.

Put it on your too do list Simon as I am, er, told, that its a great ride. (you didnt hear it from me OK ?)

Cant believe you missed the ridge down after all that

well, I was knackered, and the others were going the other way…