So, after asking on here last week for non-technical trails around Malham for the cx bike (which I got great responses! – thanks) It turns out that my mate is now coming away with us but only has an enduro bike to play on.

So…any recommendations for any technical riding to do out of Malham? Looking for up to 2 ish hours straight from the door in Malham. I am guessing there probably won’t be that much really, but thought I would ask anyway!

Would be good if worst winter slop were avoidable too.

Thanks! Again!

You are in the Dales…so tech, not so much.

Best I can offer is to head up the BWs up west to Stockdale Lane. Descend this then pick up the FP to cross over via Victoria Cave to the road above Langcliffe. Climb this then descend to Stainforth via the Pennine Bridleway.

Bit of road up and round to Wharfe. BW up Crummackdale, over the stream, head N on track then grassy climb onto Thieves Moss. Head north to gate. There will be a small gate on R, go through, drop steeply onto limestone pavement area, pick up thin singletrack heading eastish and eventually Se to meet track near ladder stile. turn R and follow this to the edge of the escarpment, where you can drop in to a FP heading S (which will be v wet in places, avoid by going the other side of the broken wall) eventually you meet the singletrack you climbed out of Wharfe.

Rejoin the road, turn left then turn R onto BW and climb to a farmyard, then onwards to Feizor Nick. Descend to Feizor then take Dales High Way FP to Stainforth. Here you can find your way back to the northern half of the Settle Loop and return to Malham this way. The climb out of Stainforth is the toughest bit, you may choose to take the road out of Langcliffe instead.

Thanks, thought tech would be a bit sparse. Will check those out – thanks again

may be too late but there’s stuff in littondale/upper wharfedale – all the bridleways over old cote moor are worth riding in either direction, as are buckden pike bridleways tho thats prob too far. But for a from the door round I think the malham tarn to hawkswick/arncliffe cote bridleway will be squishy but ridable, and quick enough when it steepens. I’m sure i’ve done it in feb. You could return via a push up footpath straight out of arncliffe marked as ‘monk’s trod’ from memory, which at some point randomly becomes a bridleway, back to the tarn. Years since I’ve ridden this, and that was in the other direction. And in the dry. Mmmmm slippy limestone…

(tl:dr – drive to kettlewell)

You could return via a push up footpath straight out of arncliffe marked as ‘monk’s trod’ from memory, which at some point randomly becomes a bridleway, back to the tarn.

I suspect the miserable bastard in the farm would shout at you for that, too!

The descent to Starbotton from Old Cote will have enough tech to keep most enduroistas happy. Slippery as ****! Wouldn’t touch arncliffe cote in either direction though. Better to head over to Dawson Close (and probably return that way, too…)

@johnx2 – the Monk’s Trod changes from BW to FP at the parish boundary.

Martin’s suggestions of Stockdale Lane and Crummackdale/Wharfe are probably as much as you’ll get riding from the door.

I’ve a loop from Kettlewell that packs a lot in. Head up the road towards Park Rash (Coverdale), at the first RH just out of the village go straight ahead on the stone track (Top Mere Road) to climb to Cam Head. Drop down to Starbotton via Starbotton Cam Road then take the road up to Buckden. Turn left towards Hubberholme, in about 1km take the BW on the left which leads up over Firth Fell (one short section of maybe 200m that will be hike-a-bike) and descend to Litton*. (upper bit rocky then fast grass). Down the road to Arncliffe but take the BW leading back (very steep at the bottom) over the ridge to Old Cote. On the other side you’ve two options: the tech descent to Starbotton mentioned above or turn right and go past Moor End to descend a rubble track, very much like Potato Alley in the Peak.

*When on the summit of Firth Fell you can short cut the route by riding along the ridge, it is cheeky though.

Wouldn’t touch arncliffe cote

Tempted to ride this to prove you wrong. Okay, perhaps not that tempted…

(It was bumpy as buggery last time I rode it thanks to cows, so be good to have a few folk cut a smooth track through…)

It was bumpy as buggery last time I rode it thanks to cows, so be good to have a few folk cut a smooth track through…

There are more of them than there are of us…

I must admit, it’s just one of those descents where the effort/reward matrix seems out of kilter to me, so much so that I’ll happily scoot over to Mastiles and take a couple of extra road miles.

I used to enjoy the long descent to Arncliffe Cote. As stated above the cows have really mashed up the track leaving a bumpy jolting ride. If it’s still the same it’s hardly worth the effort of the grassy climb from Mastiles.

Think the cow thing is true for the top half of the descent but once the track becomes a bit firmer and the gradient increases towards the bottom it becomes a hoot.
Views are stupendous too

We did Arncliffe Cote yesterday (on fat bikes). Apart from the top gateway which is a little muddy the whole descent is dry, even the small beck near the bottom is almost gone. The section from the top steep bit down through the first gateway to the first gate you have to open (hope that makes sense) is as bumpy as ever.

We did a loop from Hetton via Weets Top, Mastiles, Arncliffe Cote, Kilnsey and back via Boss Moor to Hetton. Generally it’s summer levels of dryness, a few muddy patches here and there but nothing really to worry about. The worst bit was the BW here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=395574&Y=463953&A=Y&Z=115 where holes have formed in the surface of the built track and it was easier to ride across the bog itself as that was dry!