Lake District routes – local knowledge and advice please

Hi guys,

Planning 4 days biking in the Lakes beginning of May and I've got some routes in mind, but would appreciate some advice on what they might be like to actually ride.

Was there for a week last year and on the whole had awesome riding, except for one day where we followed a long bridleway route that turned out to be mostly un-ridable and ended up back at the hostel at about 1:30am (exciting but would rather not repeat)!

Anyway, just looking for some comments from anyone who knows the area, on whether they're good/bad, marathon/too easy, completely un-ridable etc etc. Any alternatives welcome too. Looking for decent all day rides, but preferably not missing tea!

Here's what I've got so far:

A version of the Borrowdale Bash

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41514811@N08/4479106544/sizes/l/%5B/url%5D

A Helvellyn loop (pretty long)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41514811@N08/4479108090/sizes/l/%5B/url%5D

Same Helvellyn loop with a shorter descent off the summit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41514811@N08/4479109294/sizes/l/%5B/url%5D

A loop near Coniston

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41514811@N08/4478484509/sizes/l/%5B/url%5D

A loop near Little Langdale

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41514811@N08/4478485417/sizes/l/%5B/url%5D

Looks like some big days out there. I did a similar route to your little langdale route which was really good – our loop was longer but had less road miles which might suit you more, also takes in a ride through a cave/quarry which is just bizzare. see link http://ridewithgps.com/trips/26363

Langdale loop was cracking when we did it 2 years ago 🙂
can't find a map route but think this sounds similar : http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/LoughriggFellMed.html

Edit: clockwise as saya below – lovely ride – not too technical unless you add stuff in like mentioned below 😉

for Walna Scar, turn R at the car park and join the BW DH to Spoon Hall instead – much more fun 🙂

The Langdale route is very good, you have the core of the route there, it can be added to, Claife Heights is ad good addition, joining at the botton of your route, via Hawkshead.
I'd certianly start by going over Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside, dropping into your route at Skelwith Bridge, you are riding it clockwise I hope?
You must ride Iron Keld and Arnside south to North, it's a great downhill to the road, with good views of the Langdale Pikes. That fits it better if you do Claife Heights or you could do a road bit from Skelwith Bridge and past the Drucken Duck.

re: Walna Scar Road loop
Just near the western edge of the FC woods on Broughton Moor, I'd be tempted to head up the fireroad (north) until just out of the woods, and then head back down the b.way just the other side of the stream back down to Stephenson Ground. It'd make for a good descent for a straightforward climb

You could extend it by heading SW at stephenson ground toward stainton ground, and theres a few more b.way options round there

Once you get to just south of Little Arrow Moor, (just past the 'walled in' rocky 90deg turns)

I prefer* to cut across to the b.way that follows the stream and then a walled track into Torver as theres more rocky offroad than heading into coniston itself on wide smooth tracks and a road

*I've not ridden the b.way down to Spoon Hall though

re: the langdales
On descending toward Elterwater I much prefer the other b.way descent (that heads N) than the NErly one you've got highlighted. Much tighter and techy
Also the b.way above Clappergate going toward Loughtrigg Tarn was good last time I rode it (though I'm not 100% sure they haven't 'improved' it since October), should be much better than the road anyway

Can i come 🙂

Great tips so far guys. Thanks!

Any comments on the Helvellyn routes? They're by biggest concern 😕

Looks like two rides to me!

Isn't the ride over from Thirlmere to Watendlath a desperate bog? If you want to ride Helvellyn do a loop from Glenridding to Matterdale up to the Dodds along the ridge and down to Grisedale Tarn…..the BW back to Patterdale is the best in the Lakes.

You will do Watendlath during the Borrowdale Bash.

On the Borrowdale Bash route, on the section which climbs to Watendlath, in Ashness wood you can cross over watendlath beck and cycle the track which comes out at Watendlath tarn (running parallel to the road). It's a very interesting track and much more enjoyable than just riding along the road to Watendlath.

B.A.Nana, do you mean the path with this bit in? Tis good, but has certain 'signage' type issues .. although it is/was pretty quiet

We rode that track in the Dark/Wet last Tuesday night 8)

Note: on the BB, you can turn R about 200m past the bus stop in SeaToller and climb a concessionary BW to Scaleclose, missing out the very nasty Honister road climb.

B.A.Nana, do you mean the path with this bit in?

Quite possibly, I recall it being techy, but very ridable, one of the best bits of the route. The markings on the map are a bit confusing as to what exactly the ROW are.

ON Helvellyn route I'd try and avoid Bruts Moss. Its horrendous. Carry up Clough Head from the Coach Road.and follow the path along the ridge to Great Dodd.

+1 for Spoon Hall. Superb.

Wouldn't think the climb from thirlmere up to Blea tarn is ridable, then it's boggy and grassy over the top to Watendlath. I would go up helvellyn from dockray unless very wet, and descend to Patterdale down sticks pass. Sticks pass west to thirlmere side also supposed to be good, but trickier to include in a loop. If you want longer, ride east side of ullswater before/after helvellyn- route in the lakes guide book.

*cheeky alert* Your borrowdale bash route: well worth riding from rakefoot up and along above walla and falcon crags, descending to ashness bridge, but you didn't hear it from me.

*cheeky alert* Your borrowdale bash route: well worth riding from rakefoot up and along above walla and falcon crags, descending to ashness bridge, but you didn't hear it from me.

😀

Wouldn't think the climb from thirlmere up to Blea tarn is ridable

there is a rideable fire road starts a little way along the lake shore. I've only "ridden" past the tarn once, and it was so soft it was hard to tell where the bog ended and the tarn began 🙂

As said above, over Loughrigg N>S via Ivy Craggs, not huge climb but nice easy scenic decent, dont recommend you climb Iron Keld, its Ok as a decent but not great IMO, theres a great permissive route through Tongue Intake, climbing up A593 , take a right and quick right again thru gate, great decent, you can then take LH BW to link up to rest of your route.

dont recommend you climb Iron Keld, its Ok as a decent but not great IMO,

disagree – wicked as a descent and v challenging as a climb 🙂

Don't know the Lakes that well, but have done that bit from Thirlmere up to Blea Tarn over to Watendlath, then down onto the Bash – quite hard work that bit, take the fire road that Simon refers to (no the bridleway) and you can ride a good way up, but its a decent push and intermittent cycle till you're past the tarn.

Throwing Helvellyn into the route after that sounds like a serious ride. But if you're fit and you get an early start maybe it's fine – never done Helvellyn.

The bridleway from Thirlmere to Harrop Tarn is a carry up a gorse-filled, boulder-strewn stream. Absolutely not rideable up, and I'd be impressed if anyone could ride down it.

Once you're at Harrop Tarn, there's a few hundred rideable metres through the forest and then it's further carrying up an indistinct marsh until Blea Tarn.

More marsh awaits – rideable but frustrating – all the way until a very steep armoured track into Watendlath.

I would warn against tackling this section on anything other than a perfect clear day when it's been dry for a while. It'll still be miserable and boggy, just less so.

We did it last year as part of an ill-fated summer ride which saw us back at the car several hours later than we'd joked we would be before we started. Proper white salt-encrusted faces, absolutely done-in and with a sense that we'd scraped our arses over the fence of just and so getting away with it.