Morning all!

Well luckily I am off work next week and booked a cottage in the Lake District, south end of Lake Windermere, and was hoping for some inspiration on mountain bike routes.

Had a quick search and look at the map and seen a few possibilities but always good to get a recommendation.

Cheers

Fellfoot / backbarrow? Your closest routes with as little driving as possible is Grizedale forest and Coniston. There’s a multitude of routes through the forest as well as the high elevation stuff from Coniston, incl the walna scar ride, which is recommended. The high stuff will usually include some element of pushing or carrying your bike but I doubt you’d do any of that spanking round the forest. What sort of riding would you like?

I grew up in that area 😛

Most of the biking in that immediate area is old school XC type riding. Grizedale Forest is only twenty minutes drive away, Staveley about the same or a little more depending on the route taken. Have a look at the PedalNorth site and see what takes your fancy.

this may help, from people with more experience than me:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-definitive-grizedale-ride

Length elevation?

Couple of fairly easy (but good) ones close by: Grizedale/Parkamoor starting at High Nibthwaite ans the Sam Houghton CHallenge(ish) short route starting from Staveley.

Personally I’d forget the standard waymarked Grizedale trails. Let me know if you need a gpx/link etc

Thanks guys

We are there for the week and looking to get at least two full days in riding.

Thinking maybe a day at Grizdale, the wife will be happy out walking the dog, and then another day somewhere a bit more wild.

Length and elevation wise usually ride in the Peaks or Wales so used to a decent amount of climbing and time in the saddle, I will be taking the Capra with me so not too much road work would be good!

Any links to routes would be great.

thanks again guys

You’re spoilt for choice really – Grizedale, especially if the weather is suspect, then take your pick for a ‘bigger’ mountain day. Big Walna Scar loop from Torver perhaps, or 3 Passes from Staveley (nearer).

If you can drive 40 mins and want a fairly tough classic I’d recommend Nan Bield from Kentmere, with optional High Street chucked in if you want a summit.
5 hours, 15 miles, 5300 feet. Nearly all off road. Some big hike a bike. Perfect descent for a Capra!

This might work – https://www.strava.com/activities/306469961

here’s when singletrack did the walna scar ride (which is pretty wild) incl the drop into seathwaite. If you dig about somewhere you’ll find a gpx or just plot it out yourself. it’s the ‘hard’ one http://singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/north-west/south-west-lake-district/

I did the STW Walna Scar a while back, it’s a goodun. Also did a big (27 mile) loop from Staveley which was mint, I can provide more details if needed but it was a figure 8 over Garburn Pass and Nan Bield (though we took a different route down).

Awesome, think a couple of beers and some proper planning is in order for this evening!

Gravity-Slave, Stava looks good to me, cheers

Currently on hols in Windermere myself and was out today hoping to do the 3 passes from Windermere rather than Stavely but the weather was so crap I had to turn back just off the summit of Gatescarth. Did Garburn down to Kentmere first which was awesome as was across green quarter to Sadgill. Just the rain and fog ruined what started off as a great day. Would recommend chatting to the guys in bike treks in Ambleside for advice as well as flattyres-mtb.co.uk.