Evening STW,

Mate and I are heading to Keswick late April and would like to pick your brains to help make those 3 days amazing. Last went 2 years ago and used the forum to plan 2 amazing rides: day 1 was blen cathra and skiddaw then day 2 was grizle dale pike, whiteless pike and back up over scar craggs.

This time am thinking 2 days from the door/keswick and maybe driving somewhere for day 3.

Day 1 – will probably up grizledale pike and over to lad hows down to buttermere then back up gasgale craggs then head back to keswick along causey pike (or maybe back down grizledale pike).

Day 2 – maybe doing the bash and then heading up daleshead from hoinister then over high spy cairn. Or the other way and going down warnscales (which i know is excellent) and then take the road out of buttermere and turn off as newlands and over to robisons and down blea cragg

Day 3 – no idea where to go. don’t fancy the 4 passes again. Maybe fancy going over to see wast water. Looks like there is a bridleway from ennerdale to wast water? Or maybe Helvelyn with a bit of sticks pass?

Have used these thread to plan:

NW Lakes trails advice please

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/borrowdale-bash-advice-2/

Any advice ot thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

(i fully expect this to kill us both and am happy to sit at work at my desk **** for the rest of the week)

On the Bash day you could add langstrath/stake pass/angle tarn/esk hause then down either grains gill or to styhead tarn and down to Seathwaite.

Day 3- Helvellyn of some description would be great if you haven’t been up before. Could be snowy depending on conditions obvs.

Thanks TomB – did that bash variation once but missed the turning and went up greenup edge.

went up greenup edge

Oh dear, you won’t do that again!

No and neither will the other 6 guys i was with 🙁

Day 1 – will probably up grizledale pike and over to lad hows down to buttermere then back up gasgale craggs then head back to keswick along causey pike (or maybe back down grizledale pike).

Force Cragg, Lad Hows, Rannerdale Knotts, Sail Beck, Causey would be nicer.

Thanks. Will investigate that.

Ah right. I know sail beck. Did that last time. Yeah its a good option for getting back over to keswick. Gasgale seems to be quite a long hike based of a few threads/comments i have seen.

Like the idea of heading up force cragg too.

Thanks @parkedtiger

Greenup Edge looks ace on an OS map! never again on a bike never mind a loaded bike packing bike!

Yes:)

Sticks pass?

Is this best heading west down to ullswater or east?

East looks steep and nice.

I think if I was doing a big Helvellyn ride I’d push/carry up to Grisedale tarn from Dunmail, great descent from there to patterdale, then up keppel cove, summit Helvellyn and then either descend Birkside from nethermost pike or head back to sticks and descend west. Both have their merits. Alternatively, Sticks east is great, fast and flowing and not particularly technical.

Edit- east is towards Ullswater, West thirlmere.

Edit- east is towards Ullswater, West thirlmere.

yeah i an am idiot

That route does sonund good, thanks @TomB.

https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/4507724/Helvelyn-Birkside-anticlockwise-29k

Finally managed to do a weekend in the Lakes. Thanks for the advice was a stunning weekend.

What did you ride? Was a cracking weekend for it!

I’m going up in 2 weeks. Can’t wait.