Hi all,

I have a trip to Lakes coming up in July courtesy of my best mate who is arranging it as a 40th birthday present. I am a lucky boy I know.

We have two days, one of which absolutely has to be the Nan Bield pass. The other day can be equally as epic but I would love some suggestions. I’ve ridden there quite a bit but not for maybe six years so I don’t know what’s still good, what has been graded out of existence (the Garburn Pass and Walna Scar road spring to mind there).

Also, I have a Garmin 810 but while I have OS maps on it, you don’t seem to be able to plot MTB routes. I’d like to be able to plot the route and then see what the distance and vertical gain are. Is there an alternative to Garmin Connect that lets you do this?

Where are you staying? No point driving past good trails to get to others…

As for route planning, http://www.bikehike.co.uk lets you plot a route using google maps, or free-points on an OS map. It gives you elevation details and lets you export the gpx file

The Kentmere side of the Garburn pass was rebuilt a few years ago, and the Troutbeck side was rebuilt last year (I think, might have been the year before last). The Sadgill climb from Longsleddale up to Green Quarter has also been resurfaced of late meaning it’s not a lot less technical, though still lungbusting

Helvellyn has to be in the mix if you want epic. Can be made rel. short as well, if you wanted something shorter (but still epic) to compliment a longer day.
You have to have a backup route, though. If the weather is bad then Helvellyn is fairly pointless IMHO, as you’ll see nowt when you’re up there.

The footpath off Skiddaw is supposed to be good (and the bridleway up is kinda rideable), best done early morning though in July I imagine. Have a 2nd breakfast in Keswick then do the route upto Skiddaw house (YHA), go up the east side following the stream and back down the west side of the valley on the more technical rocky trail (and back down the last bit of the skiddaw bridleway, the water bar jumps are huuuuuuggggggeeeeeeeeee).

Good ideas guys, keep them coming. NBT I have ridden Nan Bield once before and remember the climb out of Longsleddale being a monster.

If you’ve done Nan Bield before you could consider starting in Longsleddale, up over Gatesgarth and down to Haweswater, up Nan Bield and then up onto Harter Fell before descending back down to Longsleddale?

geetee1972 – the gauntlet is thrown, as nbt cleaned the climb out of Longsleddale at the weekend, only stopping for gate opening duties to let me through 🙂

if he was riding at your speed then it would have been easy 😉

Skiddaw cheeky footpath is the best i have done in the Lakes tbh
Would want it dry and not windy though – suppose it gives you whinlatter as a bad weather option. Personally riding a trail centre when you are in the lakes seems wrong to me tbh but at least the weekend wont be ruined

there is always this option – they have other routes on there

http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/coniston-wasdale

if he was riding at your speed then it would have been easy

cheeky boy, however you are correct I am a pootler and remain so 😉

geetee1972 – the gauntlet is thrown, as nbt cleaned the climb out of Longsleddale at the weekend, only stopping for gate opening duties to let me through

Impressive that he made it up from Longsleddale. I remember that climb from when I did it in 2005 and it nigh on killed me.

So what’s the best way up and then down Helvellyn? I’ve read that the steps down to Great Tarn aren’t much fun unless you enjoy nadge tech, trials riding. I would prefer faster but still rocky.

GT,
If the weather good then the 4 passes is hard to beat…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157625146971356/

Also make sure you do Harter Fell above Nan Bield.

Ullock Pike off Skiddaw as well

As I said, it’s been stone pitched so it’s now just a matter of lungs. I didn;t quite clean it, I stopped at the gates and had to stop halfway up the switchbacks as I ran out of puff