Lakes Routes: Which big mountain route is your favourite?

Off for a weekend in the Lakes at the end of October. We’ve got plenty of choice of rides for if the weather is rubbish (or fairly rubbish) such as Back o’ Skiddaw, Borrowdale Bash, stuff round Little Langdale and the quarry, Grizedale/Parkamoor/Satterthwaite BWs, etc.

However…should we strike lucky and get a good day we’d like to get out on some of the fells. I’ve done Helvellyn before via the Glenridding zigzags (past the YHA) and back down the same way but that’s about it for high stuff on two wheels in the Lakes.

So, what’s your favourite full day ride in the lakes taking in big fells that balances that ‘out there in the big outdoors’ feeling with quality riding? Any photos to inspire us?

Happy for a bit of hike-a-bike (inevitably) and we’re all fairly competenent descenders although prefer descents with a bit of flow to those requiring the trials skills of Chris Akrigg…

Helvellyn: down from Sticks Pass.
3-Passes: Gatesgarth, Nan Bield and Garburn
4-Passes: Honister, Scarth Gap, Black Sail, Styhead
Skiddaw: down Ullock Pike

Going up those Glenridding zig-zags and down the same way is criminal – you’re almost at Sticks Pass, or there’s Dollywagon to Patterdale if you’ve more time, or down Wythburn then up to Grizedale Tarn and down to Patterdale if you’ve several hours. Or 4 Passes is ace – Honister slate quarry to Buttermere, Scarth Gap, Black Sail and Styhead Tarn – epic, with loads of carrying but possibly 3 or 4 of the UK’s best descents. Others on here can give you map refs.

Photos, including routes:

3-Passes[/url]

4-Passes[/url]

I like cannock chase.

ir_bandito – Member
[/quote]3-Passes: Gatesgarth, Nan Bield and Garburn

Done this a few times but started from the troutbeck side of Garburn so you do it twice. Up and over into Kentmere then back over after Nan Bield. Great route, only 20 miles but 5500ft of climbing. Last time I did it I managed it in 6 hrs.

4-Passes: Honister, Scarth Gap, Black Sail, Styhead

Still haven’t done this yet but it’s deffo on my ” to do ” list, looks epic 😀

Favourite “big day out” ride is the Three Passes as described here:
http://singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/north-west/the-south-lake-district/

Garburn first so you do it the proper way, climb up from Troutbeck, descend into Kentmere.

Favourite “all weather route” is the Iron Keld/Loughrigg Terrace loop which can be varied almost infinitely and has the benefit of lots of ups and downs without ever getting too high.

4 passes
ullock pike
nan bield over harter fell back over ill bell, mardale ill bell and back down haweswater. proper mans day out..

Helvellyn is excellent [if badly spelled]
High Street is also good.

Don’t see the appeal of the three passes at all. Did them with Boggies and it just seemed a pointless walk with a bike. Having said which we did go a weird way.

Oh lord, so many to choose from. 4 passes is a superb day out. If you want a few pictures some are HERE[/url]

High Street is also good

On a dry or frozen day. After the weather we’ve had this year, I wouldn’t…

Is Sticks Pass generally rated as a descent then? I really wasn’t that keen, the top was just sliding down steep loose shale, followed by steeper looser shale switchbacks and some nice contoury singletrack, then more steep, loose shale through the quarry.

On a dry or frozen day. After the weather we’ve had this year, I wouldn’t…

+1 and in addition, the riding isn’t actually that great until you get to the singletrack alongside Ullswater on the run home (which is one of the best ribbons of riding in the UK IMO).

You do High Street for two reasons. First for the views and second to say you’ve done it.

My fav is unquestionably Nan Bield.

Don’t see the appeal of the three passes at all. Did them with Boggies and it just seemed a pointless walk with a bike. Having said which we did go a weird way.

Do it right and it’s (mostly) rideable. Do it wrong and you’re faced with one hell of a long day taking your bike for a walk…

Over Garburn from west to east (descending into Kentmere). Over Green Quarter to Sadgill. Up Gatescarth (some of that is a walk unless you’re superfit). My preferred route there is to turn left and go over the footpath across Harter Fell. It’s remote enough that I’ve never had any problems or complaints riding it. Bit of a walk on the descent to the Nan Bield summit. Then down Nan Bield to Kentmere (all rideable). The from Kentmere take the Hall Wood track through the farmyard, turn left at the gate/stream and drop down to Sawmill Cottage.

Doing the Gatescarth descent to Haweswater means a long walk/carry up Nan Bield but you do gain an extra descent out of it.

4 Passes. How long (distance & time), where’s best to park and start, anyone have a GPX they wouldn’t mind sharing (email in profile) ?

4 Passes route:
[/url]
4-pass epic[/url] by ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

I’ll dig out a GPX if I get round to it, but its dead easy to navigate with a map.

Park in the National Trust car-park in Seatoller (free for members, expensive otherwise)

Took us 6 hours IIRC.
Distance is suprisingly short (30km or so?), every climb (bar road up to Honister) is hike-a-bike, and there’s a lot of climbing. Get used to shouldering…

[/url]
P3140021[/url] by ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

ir_bandito. Thanks for that.

Don’t see the appeal of the three passes at all. Did them with Boggies and it just seemed a pointless walk with a bike. Having said which we did go a weird way.

thegenralist – 3 Passes – You need to do them again. First time I did the Nan Bield I swore I’d never do it again… ‘too much bike hike and not enough reward and the weather was shite’. Combined it with the Garburn and Gatescarth and did it in good weather and thought it was one of the best routes in the Lakes. Didn’t enjoy it the third time though when I had 2 punctures and three offs !!!…
It’s good, it’s shite, it’s good, it’s shite, seems to be order of things (currently good).

Don’t see the appeal of the three passes at all

Nah, no appeal here at all
[/url]
P7210006[/url] by ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

I,ve been working on that route I r bandito making it more climber friendly just placing rocks in helpfull places 🙂
Still struggling on he first switchback descents 🙁
The best routes across the tops are all cheeky 😉

Tour de Great Gable – 4-Passes: Honister, Scarth Gap, Black Sail, Styhead is a cracker. plenty of hiker bike action but the decents are really challenging.
Park before the campsite at Seathwaite.

Garburn and Nan Bield are great too but Nan Bield is quite washed out at the moment – can’t think why?

Crazy Legs has it right, but, take into account the damage that has been done to the paths going up from Sadgill. How the repair work has been going on I’m not sure, but THIS is what is was like a couple of months ago.

I do like Helvellyn down via dollywagon to glenridding:

Dollywagon is a biatch!!!

Some fave routes
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Lemon Drizzle Cake eater!!!!![/url] by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

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P9010040[/url] by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

Skiddaw then Ullock Pike, 4 Passes or else Helvellyn via Dollywagon would get my vote (from what I’ve done).

Forget High Street, it’s really dull, apart from the views which are ok for England.

On my hit list are: 3 passes, Ullswater cheekiness or some of the stuff to the west of Hardknott Pass, which is really scenic, techy and deserted.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Postierich, where are those 2 photos taken please?

I rode Sty Head down to Seathwaite on Saturday having ridden via Langdale and Rosset Pike. Marvellous riding! I won’t pretend to have cleaned it all. Some of the rocks were super slippy as it had rained overnight into the morning but it was brilliant.

However, we hadn’t done enough carrying so it was up Honister for a carry up to Dale Head then onto High Spy and Cat Bells to finish. Again, marvellous! A couple of sections were steep, scramble climb downs and the descent off Dale Head was a riot of steep stone pitched trail.

Sunday was Ullock Pike with a climb back up to ride the Doups descent which is just a bit silly. Loose, rocky and steep – an absolute hoot to ride down in a controlled falling with style manner.

Sorry. Lots of cheeky in there but well worth the effort to get up to them. Definitely the kind of riding that you pick carefully the folk you ride with and the time you do it.

Cheers

Sanny

I’ll throw the descent off Fairfield to Rydal in. 100% cheeky but a hoot particularly on the snowy day me and a mate did it. No trails were damaged in the making of that ride! 😀

Oh and I’ve still not ridden blooming Skiddaw from bottom to top without dabs. Gutted! Yesterday was looking really good until my back wheel spun out and the foot was down. After that, I was resigned to take a couple of stops on the less steep sections to snap off some photos of my mates pushing up behind as the clean ascent was off the menu. Kudos to anyone who can ride it sans dabs without stopping. 😀

Sanny – on your Saturday ride did you track back to Langdale??

Those descents are cheeky hence the disguise 🙂

Heres a wee film of me and Sanny coming off the back of Skiddaw, Ullock Pass and Doups. Doups being v steep.

Cracking film, Dene!. I knew when Chris and I were pushing up that Ullock pike track on friday evening, that it would be a wee bit better the other way….d’oh!.

That grassy section at doups is insanely steep, back wheel kept coming round to meet the front!, must be **** mental in the wet. Couldn’t have picked a better weekend, weather was awesome.

Greg.

Nice vid Deneo and looks like a cracking evening. I do think that given the super cheek (or really for any trail where walkers ‘step-aside’) you might say a quick thanks as you whizz past.

Either that or get a tune edited over the top so you don’t get found out.

PS not trying to pick a fight.

Out of my house, across the road, into the bakers, to the counter, steak pie, back the same route, eat pie, little snooze. Epic.

Walna Scar, seathwaite and broughton moor for me, best scenery going

Cheers Greg, was indeed a wonderful weekend!
Scuttler, we did manage to say a pleasant ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ to most of the cheery walkers as we descended, the wee gopro mic doesn’t always pick it up though 🙂

Cracking video 🙂
Which is the Doups descent? Is it here?
And how do you get back up to after coming down Ullock Pike? I guess up through Dodd Wood.

Hi Bandito

That’s the one. When you come off the hill at the gate below Ullock Pike, if you keep taking the paths to your left, you will travel up the side of a fence which will drop you out on fireroad that takes you to the saddle by Dodd Woods. If you go over the stile, there is an unmarked path beside a dry stone wall which can be ridden if you don’t have trendy superwide bars. This pops you out onto the main Doups descent. I’ve never seen the descent busy with walkers at any time of day as it’s simply too steep for most folks taste meaning that it is a lovely, clear run down.

Oh and we were unfailingly polite on the ride. 😀

It’s definitely steeper than it looks. If you come off or put a foot down, getting started is pretty tough so better to go for the clean descent without dabs if you can even though you may have some “How steep!!!!!” moments.

Doups looks fun 😛
must try that next time.

Helvellyn via Dollywaggon
Loops round Garburn
Loughrigg & Iron Keld
Loops round wasdale
Great loop following bridleways round Loweswater
Grizedale BW’s

Just a small selection of weekend friendly routes