Lake District route recommendations

I’m having a long weekend in Lake District at end of October. We’ll hit Whinlatter on first day but looking for some classic Lake District loops for the other two days. Big days, maybe 30m, but nothing too epic! Any recommendations?

Also, suggestions for places to stay much appreciated, thanks!

Back O Skiddaw

At the end of October, you’re probably best off playing it by ear, seeing how the weather is and adjusting accordingly.

How keen are you for some hike a bike and where are you staying?

Borrowdale bash is a great ride and has everything you could want in one route. There was a great write up recently in the magazine.

Thread hijack

I’m staying in Ambleside mid October.

Last time there I rode over to Grizedale, did some of the mostly closed red, and rode back. It was pants.

Any recommendations for good routes out of Ambleside? I’ll be on the ebike, looking for something like the Borrowdale Bash as mentioned above. Don’t really want to drive anywhere if it’s avoidable.

If the weather’s pants linking together a load of stoney descents from Ambleside is great although most of them are cheeky.

If the weather’s good how about a big hill like Fairfield.

Last time there I rode over to Grizedale, did some of the mostly closed red, and rode back. It was pants.

Mmm yes. Key mistake was doing any of TNF. Do the same thing, but search out the great bridleway round TNF.

Or head east from Ambleside and do a loop of Jenkins Crag, Garburn and stuff round there. If you want cheeky gnarr then head north from Garburn along Yoke and Ill Bell to descend down Nan Beild ( but be aware that NB is the easiest bit of it)

Fairfield is awesome, but needs a hard freeze and/ or drought to make it good. ( Always anticlockwise)

Skiddaw /Ullock pike is worth doing, although Ullock Pike is a footpath. Personally I thought the Borrowdale Bash was one of the worst/most boring rides I’d done in years but many people disagree, each to their own I suppose

Im a fan of a bit of Whinlatter North then up Grisdale pike, from there the world is your oyster .. Whiteless pike / Rigg beck  .. or  Sail and Rigg beck . or just off to top of Grisedale back into the trail centre.

30 miles in Lakes = epic

Any recommendations for good routes out of Ambleside? I’ll be on the ebike, looking for something like the Borrowdale Bash as mentioned above. Don’t really want to drive anywhere if it’s avoidable.

On an eeb you can head over to Kentmere for Garburn and Nan Bield, I’ve done it on a neeb. Maybe do the Ill Bell ridge.

Or ride up to Grasmere and up Tongue Ghyl to Grisedale Tarn and over to Patterdale (one of the best descents in the Lakes), Fairfield also accessible from the Tarn. And I dunno about battery life, but you could do Helvellyn while there too.

Personally I thought the Borrowdale Bash was one of the worst/most boring rides I’d done in years

Which route did you take from Keswick to Ashness Bridge?

I ve walked segments of the borrowdale bash, you only see anyone near car parks.  Weather turns pretty quickly but views down the valley are amazing.

I d prebook a day visit to lodore falls spa, 60 quid, as a treat.

Good luck, keep an eye on mountain rescue stats, they are always out, saw them yesterday.

Which route did you take from Keswick to Ashness Bridge?

I think its called Walla Crag but not sure as I was following a mate who’d done it before, its the off road bit that was reclassified as a bridleway. I’m not saying don’t do it but its not for me although lots of people seem to like the loop. I thought the descent to Rosthwaite (the rocky footpath to the right of the bridleway) was ok but I found the rest of it boring

keep an eye on mountain rescue stats

So are we looking to ride where they have the most call outs?

Must be where the good stuff is, eh?

Tour de coniston taking in Walna scar, 30.5 miles

https://strava.app.link/lHgkQUjw9Mb

think its called Walla Crag but not sure as I was following a mate who’d done it before, its the off road bit that was reclassified as a bridleway

Fair play then. Wasn’t sure if you had done it without that bit. Imho the old route that didn’t include that section is indeed pants, with only the descent to Rosthwaite as standout.

With Falcon/Walla I think it is pretty good, but that’s partly due to the excellent climbs !!

It’s still a route of contrasting halves, the southerly leg is excellent, but the northerly one isn’t anything like as good since they sanitised various stream crossings and if you don’t cheeky the final bit through the woods.

Perhaps it suffers a bit from having such a high reputation, so people expect too much.

Cheers

I am planning on doing the bash in the next few weeks will be peeling off and going up honister slate mine and down Warnscales instead of doing the west side of Derwent.

Will head back over newlands/riggbeck.

Next day will do whinlatter and grizledale as suggested above.

Agree 30m = epic = ace.

Mrchrist’s route sounds ace.  You could even add Barrow to the end of it for ultimate awesomeness

sticks pass and angle tarn. 38km (though quite a few are on road and we didn’t park in the best place) 1400m.

best ride ive done in the lakes in years. The descent from Angle tarn I’m not sure I’d want to do in the wet.

Barrow, you say @thegeneralist!

Keen that.

We have a table booked at the fell pack for 6pm so would be pushing that.

Re mountain rescue I read that the majority of their callouts are lower leg, so slippery rocks.  No mobile reception in borrowdale.

Fell pack looks lovely, can’t beat a breakfast at lingholm kitchen, served till 11.

I highly recommend this one. It’s riotous descent after riotous descent the whole way round. I reckon it’s the best ride I’ve done in the UK so far in 18 years of mtbing. Weatherproof too

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/23109480/Grizedale-WMB-2006

I highly recommend this one. It’s riotous descent after riotous descent the whole way round. I reckon it’s the best ride I’ve done in the UK so far in 18 years of mtbing. Weatherproof too

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/23109480/Grizedale-WMB-2006

That is indeed a great route. Did some of that with my kids in Aug. I believe the decent to Colthouse has been sanitised, so you maybe better heading north to high wray (another cool descent) then west back to Hawkshead.

@colp

This works from Ambleside

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rCKgBYRuxefuT_1mFCC1NHO2cIGgzvL8/view?usp=drivesdk

Not mega hard but scenic and worth while. Ride clockwise. Add claiffe heights to make it longer

Plus one on the Grizedale routes above. The north face trail is A good way to get from Hawkhead to the centre for lunch and a decent way up the hill but The Various bridleways (etc!) Running east west between the lakes have a lot of fun on them. It’s a shame the logging on Claife Has made such a mess.

My thoughts on the riding I did last weekend in the lakes..

I made the most of the incredible weather in the lakes last weekend by driving up Friday night and sleeping in the car.

On Saturday I got up early and did Skiddaw via Ullock Pike – and old favourite. On the way back I did a few laps of Dodd wood – a hill which seems to have inherited some bum clenchingly steep but brilliant off piste trails! During the day I rested and then headed to Whinlatter finding some more chilled but less engaging off Piste + the northern loop of the trail centre which is a lot of fun. As evening approached I headed up onto Grizedale pike and did the superb Hopcarton decent + cheeky forest bit at the bottom which was closed to logging last time. An absolutely epic day!

Due to being exhausted I could not start early on Sunday and so decided to do a legal ride that had not tried before…described by the provider as ‘the best legal ride in the lakes’. The route: Start at Great Langdale, Up Rossett Gill and descend (miles!) down to Seathwaite, road to Borrowdale, Up and over Stake Pass back to the start. The route was definitely harder and took about twice as long as expected. I am still trying to decide whether I had fun doing it. Due to the weather and incredible views probably yes. The two descents were definitely challenging without being what I would describe as brilliant fun – more of a sense of relief at the bottom that both bike and body survived the brutal punishment. Also boy do you have to earn every foot of altitude on that route! I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasnt so tired from the previous day.

Interesting note: while hiking Rossett Gill I saw a chap who was intent on carrying his bike up Skafell Pike and then headed off in that direction!

Im a fan of a bit of Whinlatter North then up Grisdale pike, from there the world is your oyster .. Whiteless pike / Rigg beck  .. or  Sail and Rigg beck . or just off to top of Grisedale back into the trail centre.

Any tips for this? Watched someone’s video (Street Pigeon?) on YT for this ride and didn’t realise the Grisdale Pike bit is cheeky (not too bothered about that – we’ll be doing it on a Friday in November so doubt it’ll be busy!) but the woodsey stuff off the back of it back toward the trail centre looked pretty good…

Also, any idea if there’s any cheek/off-piste in Whinlatter?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYrcRYPFRfo   Sounds like Martin then : )

Friday plans    later sunset ride off Helvellyn  and Sticks .. then Saturday Skiddaw and Ullock  .. sounds like a good couple of hours on the bike .

Thanks for the replies everyone, some great ideas in there.

described by the provider as ‘the best legal ride in the lakes’. The route: Start at Great Langdale, Up Rossett Gill and descend (miles!) down to Seathwaite, road to Borrowdale, Up and over Stake Pass back to the start.

That right there is the danger of smoking too much Crack.

Also, any idea if there’s any cheek/off-piste in Whinlatter?

There used to be a few good off piste trails at Whinlatter but last time I was there most of it was either blocked off or completely gone due to storm damage and tree felling. One started high up on the North loop and ended at the valley bottom, way past the end of the trail centre but afaik only the top section is still rideable. Coombs Wood nr Penrith is worth a look for STEEP off piste tech, not a big area but fair few trails

That right there is the danger of smoking too much Crack.

Each to they’re own perhaps but i tend to agree! What would you say was the best “legal” ride?

Also, any idea if there’s any cheek/off-piste in Whinlatter?

I’m always surprised how little of piste there seems to be in the lakes. Would expect far more in Winlatter and south of Ambleside but what Little there is doesn’t seem to get much maintenance.

described by the provider as ‘the best legal ride in the lakes’. The route: Start at Great Langdale, Up Rossett Gill and descend (miles!) down to Seathwaite, road to Borrowdale, Up and over Stake Pass back to the start.

That right there is the danger of smoking too much Crack.

Some explanation before we go to try it next time we’re up?  I went up stake pass from Langdale and down into Borrowdale many years ago and I remember a lot of carrying up and a fair bit of pushing down, with one of our party breaking some ribs. Bikes and skill levels have changed a lot since then (might have been on a hardtail).  It’s enough to put me off without a recommendation again, but I might find it brilliant now

2004. Mostly hardtails, sub 100mm travel. Looks like I was lucky enough to have full Suspension but both those forks and rear shock were terrible, and that was before bikes got big enough to fit me properly (must have been my first Nicolai and this is the first pic I have of it)

Each to they’re own perhaps but i tend to agree! What would you say was the best “legal” ride?

Tricky one! I don’t tend to do many legal rides in the lakes . It would have to be Dodds, Sticks, Keppel, Birkside on Helvellyn I guess.

Some explanation before we go to try it next time we’re up? I went up stake pass from Langdale and down into Borrowdale many years ago and I remember a lot of carrying up and a fair bit of pushing down,

That’s pretty much it. Stake isn’t a good pass, and certainly not enough to warrant the hell that is Rosset Ghyll. TBH this exact conversation has been done to death on a couple of really informative threads. I would link to them, but it’ll take a while.

Bikes and skill levels have changed a lot since then (might have been on a hardtail). It’s enough to put me off without a recommendation again, but I might find it brilliant now

Good points. There are indeed loads of proper mountain trails that benefit from new bikes. I suggest  Stake isn’t really one of them thpugh. The insanely tight hairpins in the north side aren’t any easier on LLS bikes. The annoyingly positioned mech eating boulders deep in the ruts on the south side are even worse with long cage twelvebys. And carrying a modern 15 kg weapon up Rosset Ghyll is even worse than carrying a 12kg 26er…. Etc etc

I found that the descents were just a bit too geared towards hikers – Lots of relentless punishing steps, certainly ridable on a modern bike and an engaging challenge to clean but not as much fun as the cheeky stuff. It seems a bit backwards…bridleways designed for people and footpaths (or at least some) which are ribbons of sublime singletrack inter spaced with tetchy delights. I didnt actually mind Stake so much (up or down) it was getting to the bottom of the climb from Borrowdale that was the worst bit of the ride. The gradient was perfect for peddling but the terrain not so much – very slow and frustrating.

didnt actually mind Stake so much (up or down) it was getting to the bottom of the climb from Borrowdale that was the worst bit of the ride. The gradient was perfect for peddling but the terrain not so much – very slow and frustrating.

Did you go up the left side of the river? ( Ie true right bank)

The track on the river left side is much more rideable, but still pretty gnadgery further up. It is a bridleway on my old map, but only a footpath on the new maps :-(

I started up the left side of the river (bridlway on the map) following my route and it was horrendous..bog and boulders. If i was a horse id be fuming! Not long after I noticed people merrily strolling on a nice stony double track on the opposite bank..now i was fuming. No longer caring what its classification was i crossed over and continued on the right bank which was mostly easier going. After a while i had to cross back to avoid going in the wrong direction..after that the track disappeared completely for large sections.

Yes, the FP on the RH side as you climb from Stonethwaite is by far the better option, you can follow it pretty much up to the foot of Stake Pass itself, although it gets less rideable, or at least, much harder work to avoid pushing.

I’d agree that Stake as a descent is not perfect, quite narrow and sunken in places and tough to find flow. Not sure there’s a better option to return to Langdale, though. Perhaps the Sty Head loop should be done as a Borrowdale Bash extension instead.