Plan on doing Hellvellyn on Sunday and the route i have in mind is

Start in Martindale
Around Ullswater Bridleway
Patterdale – Glenridding
Up old mine track to Keppel Cove
Dollywagon to Grisedale Tarn
Down Grisedale to Patterdale
And then there seems to be two options with a bale out option of returning via Ullswater bridleway
Option 1 – Upto Boredale Haus and down to Dale Head
Option 2 – Upto Boredale Hause and down to Boredale Head

Which is the best final descent? And any other suggestions? Did look at Sticks Pass descent but grisedale and dollywagon looks better

The Dollywagon part is a bit awkward but the descent from Grisedale Tarn is sublime.

I’d start in Martindale, climb up to bordale hause, then descend to patterdale. Up Helvellyn as you describe, down Dollywagon to Grisedale and down grisedale beck. Then return via ullswater singletrack (south shore of Ullswater).

Sticks pass is ace, but if you’re doing Helvellyn you may as well do Dollywagon.

So you suggest the Ullswater Bridleway south to north as oppose to north to south?

N to S seems to be the done way and i just found a vid of the Boredale to Dale Head route and that looks lovely to finish on (when tired)

Dollywagon up is a serious carry.

Dollywagon down is only for Hans Rey 🙂

Yup, Ullswater south to north is the way we always ride it. The Boredale Hause descent to patterdale is ace – make sure you head north west at the top of boredale hause. The descent heading southwest towards Kirkstone is boring.

Yup, Ullswater south to north is the way we always ride it. The Boredale Hause descent to patterdale is ace – make sure you head north west at the top of boredale hause. The descent heading southwest towards Kirkstone is boring.

Ullswater path is bloody good fun in either direction, and very much what he ^ said about the descent from Boredale Hause, turn right (NW)for fun, left (SW)for a very dull track.

As has been said, Dollywagon is a challenging descecnt, but from Grisedale is good.
Sticks Pass is ace, if you don’t mind the there-and-back factor after going up Keppel Cove.

As for Bordale Hause, climbing from Bridgend (south) is a better surface, mostly rideable, easily pushable. For the same reason that the descnet north to Patterdale is better! As for the other side, over Beda Fell to Dalehead has got to be the winner, bit more climbing, so a bigger descent.

My bro-in-law on Beda Fell to Dale Head:

I feel better about my riding every time people big up Dolly waggon 🙂

Dollywagon up

Climb up dollywaggon pike by Stufive, on Flickr

Dollywagon 2

Dollywaggon pike by Stufive, on Flickr

looking at dollywagon from far side of grizedal tarn

Untitled by Stufive, on Flickr

Happy days
😀