Best done E to W or W to E? I’ll be riding a loop from Lowick/Spark Bridge area.
Cheers

W-E gets you the 100 climbs ticks and has the benefit 🙄 of the prevailing wind direction. Also you get either Corney Fell or Ulpha Fell as a warm-up.

for full value and the true “Hardknott experience” go W to E, usually has a tail wind too. Good both ways though, Wrynose is almost equally monstrous if you climb it from the East.

W-E definitely. There’s nothing like looking up at Hardknott from the approach at the bottom and seeing the road snaking up the mountain right at the top. For the full masochistic experience ride the Fred Whitton route which gets you to the bottom of Hardknott at about the 98 mile mark with about 2500m of climbing already in the legs 🙂

definately from west to east. When you get to the bridge on Wrynose it gets a bit hard, if you struggle with that then Hardknott will be hell

+1 W-E

hardest climb of Hardknott and the best descent of Wrynose.

[Wrynose E-W is a toughie though]

W->E

Hardknot from the west is the best of the 4 ascents. The drop down into the basin can be a bit sketchy with the road surface though, so do take care on the twisty bits. Wrynose from the west isn’t too bad. The long descent off Wrynose into Langdale is the best descent.

Harknott selfie. It’s a doddle.

Hi Birky, i dont know if youve got a route sorted, but this is a good loop to have look at. If planning on riding w to e you can add on hardknott by turning off at ulpha and riding birker moor, up eskdale valley then hardknott. After wrynose you can turn left and do a loop of langdale, the views are unbelievable. If you want to beast yourself, do the big ride the other way round !

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/broughton-wheelers-lakes-loop

Either or really. If you’re going from Spark or Lowick, get the backlanes done through Subberthwaite, Woodland, Broughton Mills, Stickle Pike/Kiln Bank, then Birker Fell (or the otherway round if you’re coming back that way). Loads of climbing!

dazh – Member
W-E definitely. There’s nothing like looking up at Hardknott from the approach at the bottom and seeing the road snaking up the mountain right at the top. For the full masochistic experience ride the Fred Whitton route which gets you to the bottom of Hardknott at about the 98 mile mark with about 2500m of climbing already in the legs

I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks 😐

I’d do both ways

Thanks all. Did them today w to e, bit of a head wind but glorious blue sky day 😀 Christ they’re steep 😯 Went via Ulpha/Birker fell as suggested.

For a variation on the Whitton, the Tour of the High Passes in July takes them E-W and throws in a few lesser ridden extras:
Map/GPS

there is also Wrynose Or Bust on the 17th May

http://wrynose.org/wrynose-or-bust/

I’m staying in Eskdale for a short break in a few weeks. Taking the mountain bike and the roadie. Going to do W-E, great Langdale and then back E-W.

Should be fun!

boxelder – Member
For a variation on the Whitton, the Tour of the High Passes in July takes them E-W and throws in a few lesser ridden extras:
Map/GPS

+1 brilliant route. In fact having done both last year I’d say the tour of the high passes is harder, but good if you know what I mean 😉

birky – Member
Thanks all. Did them today w to e, bit of a head wind but glorious blue sky day Christ they’re steep Went via Ulpha/Birker fell as suggested.

Yeh, it was a cracker, not too windy either. Think there was some pretty quick times set on the Torver SPOCO by the sounds of it.

I did Wrynose from Langdale side, seemed easier than usual so I guess I must have had a tail wind. Tail wind all the way down the Ulpha valley aswell. Did you get the Subberthwaite/Woodland bits done?