I’m going to be in the lakes this weekend – staying in Langdale – and hoping to grab a few hours for a ride. I’m pretty familiar with the area to the west of Ambleside (Black Fell, Tilberthwaite, Loughrigg etc.) so can do a route but am looking if I can add on a bit to the east of Ambleside and end at Brockhole, where I can meet up with the family who will doing outdoor activity stuff…Or even start and finish there – How much of an undertaking is a loop through Applethwaite / garburn pass to Kentmere? I probably have about 3 hours ish to play with.
Cheers

You might have “fun” getting to Kentmere and back in 3hrs – on the JennRide a couple of years ago I was in race mode and took two hours to get from Ambleside over Jenkins’ Crag to Troutbeck and then over Garburn Pass to Kentmere.

Maybe a cheeky ride up Wansfell Pike then there’s BWs leading almost directly down to Brockholes – pulls out on to the main road about 200m on the Windermere side.

If you are starting from Langdale. I’d say your most realistic option is Wansfell to Jenkins Crag. But it will be busy with walkers.

Also consider aiming for the Sawrey Bowness ferry instead rather than roadying it through Ambleside and take in a load of the good riding in Grizedale and/or Claife.

Go across the ferry. Up the long road hill past the golf club to Cleabarrow. Take the track north through Pinethwaite and cross the railway at the eastern of the two crossing. Up to Alice Howe then more road to Moor Howe. Take the Garburn past Dubbs Reservoir and past the first big track coming up from your left. The second track goes down into Limefit Park caravan park. Take that and join the main road. South for 100 yards and take the track just before the church leading to Low Fold. Take Robin Lane. Second or third track on your left towards Wood Farm. You should be on Mirk Lane which comes out on the main road more or less opposite Brockhole. Three hours is just about right for that route. Can do you a GPX if you want!

thanks – yeah I wondered about catching the ferry from Wray castle across the lake so that could work and Claife looks interesting. I’m scouting it on google maps but the most promising stuff looks like footpath – any pointers towards the best tracks?

edit: thanks a lot Sarawak, just traced that onto the map into viewranger so no need for a gpx – cheers

The ferry goes from Far Sawrey, not Wray Castle – that’s a pleasure steamer type thing.

Best (legal) descents from Claife are up Cuckoo Brow Lane from the pub, straight over to the lakeshore track, and Guide Posts either towards Colthouse or Belle Grange.

Apart from that it’s follow your nose or Strava, there are some bits and bobs down the east side of Claife that aren’t on the map.

Personally, I’d head over towards High Cross from Langdale via Hodge Close, then pick off a few of the best descents in sequence – Bacon Slicer to the visitor centre, up the first bit of the North Face trail, then over to Grandad, Dad and Dentist, up from Satterthwaite to Breasty Haw, then Devil’s Gallop, Cunsey and the Cuckoo Brow crossing to finish. That’s about three hours if you get a shift on.

thanks, I’ll take a look at the map and see how that pans out. The boat I was thinking of runs from Wray but only in the summer so I guess it would be a case of ferry to Bowness and then ride back up the lake to Brockhole.

Don’t forget that it’s ‘The Fred‘ on Sunday which, while obviously not affecting the trails, may well make getting round and about a bit a bit tricky, particularly Blea Tarn and Great Langdale. There’s a list of road closures (and the usual local paper angry commenters) here.

Cheers. We go this weekend most years so have encountered the Fred before but it’s not been a problem. I’d be heading south out of great Langdale early on anyway