Planning on a 3 day bivi ride around the Lakes later in the year. Having issues getting between Bassenthwaite and Walna Scar.

Trying to avoid going over Black Sail pass and looking at the bridleway between Rosthwaite and Wasdale Head.

Anyone know if its rideable?

No better than Blacksail. Blacksail is good from North to South. The push is short and sharp and the downhill is virtually all ridable

C

Rosthwaite/Seatoller(Borrowdale) upto Styhead and down to Wasdale wouldn’t be favourable with bivvy kit IMO, just for the uphill. I don’t know what ‘good’ options there are around there. Might be a carry up whichever route you choose?
Probably the longest ‘don’t screw up, or you’re over the bars’-technical down I’ve done. A great down, though I had in my head that it had hospitalized one of the magazine’s staff some time ago (I think they may have been on a lightweight hardtail but .. )

Sty head south to Wasdale I’ve never done, I seem to think an old STmag article (same one as mountain rescue/hospitalisation) said the most south easterly of the 3 b.ways was pretty good, though can’t remember what the wording was. Something like issue 26-31ish I think, at a guess 27? or 28? maybe 29? ..

Geograph isn’t showing a lot
(part of) Borrowdale upto Styhead
Styhead down into Wasdale
Move around a square or two

A few of mine (Borrowdale upto Styhead):




Not the best selection but was going down so stopped when arms were feeling it/had to dab/thought might make a good pic of the down/waiting for walkers/etc

Gav or Max to the forum please

Also walna scar rd, since they levelled most of it (the down on the E/Coniston side) I’d be tempted to try peeling off the walna scar rd climb 2/3 of the way up (from dunnerdale) and head S down this:

which is here

Morning Chew – the most direct route from Rosthwaite / Seatoller to Wasdale is the one already mentioned by James over Styhead. It’d be a carry most of the way to the tarn, about an hour, and the descent’s not too bad (although you’ll presumably be carrying a fair amount of kit).

One alternative might be via Honister (if you’re not fussed about sticking to bridleways) – from the top of the pass, head towards Brandreth, cut right keeping Green Gable on your left and head around the back of Great Gable. You can then descend the path between Gable and Kirk Fell.

Another alternative might be to head to Stonethwaite and over Stake Pass to Langdale, then onto Coniston. Not a bad carry up the Langstrath side of the pass – I’ve not descended the other side myself but hear it’s pretty techie (in a fix-the-fells steps way).

I have done the Black Sail Pass on a Saracen Tufftrax with ridged forks. Its a bit of a push / climb / scramble to the top but its all ridable down into Wasdale.