A couple of friends and I are looking to do a ride from Wasdale in the next couple of weeks. None of us have ever been over to this end of the world so I thought I’d try and pick some brains on here! 🙂

We are eying up the bridleway that runs roughly North up Nether Beck over to the head of Ennerdale – does anybody have any experience of riding this?

Any advice on which pubs to eat and drink in would also be much appreciated!

Cheers!

Neil.

That’s Black Sail Pass I think, enjoy the walk! Take a camera too.
It’s on most of the C2C route guides as well.

Well the The Wasdale Head Inn would be a good choice since you’re going to be there. Also 3 nice pubs in Boot which is close to Wasdale Head.

I was up there at Xmas, there is 1 pub in Wasdale. Unfortuanley I didn’t ride up that bridleway because it was looking rather like a steream when I did it! However there was some nice bits in Miterdale forest. but beware it is a bit of a hill thought!! If you are using MM I can try and send you over a couple of routes.

Not quite – the underlying reason for the trip is an impending c2c trip this summer… We’re looking to get a circular route together that will let us do Black Sail from the Ennerdale-Wasdale direction.

The BW I mention is further east and is to be our proposed outward leg 🙂

Neil.

Just had a thought the bridleway from Wasdale Head to Sty Head is mostly unrideable! It is a think path with a big drop!!

That’s nowhere near Black Sail, although Black Sail might be preferable. That’s one hell of a route OP has chosen. If you are serious about going that way, I’d get your walking boots out, and leave the bikes behind. Haycock is a big, big mountain, and you won’t breeze up or down it.

What are you going to do once you’re at Ennerdale? You are a long way from anywhere just there. Don’t say you’ll ride it back, because that WILL be over Black Sail.

Going in the next couple of weeks? Do you know what mountain top conditions are like at close on 3000′? Ice axes and crampons are a must, along with the ability to use them. If you persist in going then key this number into your mobile – 999. You’ll need it.

Sorry to be a Jonah, but that is a big mountain route in summer. In the middle of the hardest winter for 20 years it borders on lunacy.

It’s not for bikes. You’d be much better heading along through Nether Wasdale and picking up the BW that take you past Scalderskew Farm/Bleng Forest. Once past Scalderskew and into the woods again, either cross the river and make your way west over moorland (can be hard to follow) to the Cold Fell road, which leads over to Ennerdale, or stay on the west side of the river, using footpath out of the woods, to reach the bridges near the farm (about 1.5km downstream from the stepping stones). Crossing the bridge, climb up and round to the Cold Fell road.

This all sounds vague, but I wouldn’t go near Black Sail at the moment anyway – they’re fairly big mountains and there’s a lot of ice and snow around! At the moment you’d be much better looping west past Burnmoor tarn to Eskdale and back by Miterdale, or head down the Esk trail towards Ravenglass, then back in along lanes/BWs to Nether Wasdale.

Best pubs are The Screes and the one over the road from it, in Nether Wasdale, or the Bower House in Eskdale.

Thanks Guys, sounds like our eyes are bigger than our bellies!

Great info boxelder, not vague at all! I might try the first route you describe when it warms up a bit 🙂

mail me if you want other ideas – there’s some great riding around

As Fagus says,bit too much this time of year,Black sail is best done from Black sail Hut to Wasdale head. It is an exellent decent.

The beck you describe is slightly west of black sail i think,if its the one i am thinking of theres lots of bogs on it,there would be some justification in doing it this time of year as the frost does tend to harden things up a bit.You need a bit of good local knowledge to nail it though and chances are it will be either too icy, or too wet!

Leave it for summer it would be safer as well. 😉

Heading towards Wasdale from Eskdale.

In normal conditions the 4 Passes is a good route if you don’t mind a lot
of carrying. Wasdale Head – Sty Head – Seathwaite – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Slate Mines – round Fleetwith Pike to Warnscale Bottom – Gatesgarth – Scarth Gap Pass – Black Sail Pass. You’ll be carrying 3 of those climbs, grannying the Honister Pass on the road and grannying or pushing up through the slate mines. But the descents are worth it.

I’ve been wanting to do a reccy of the Nether Beck – Haycock – Ennerdale BW for a while – is it really just a big bog fullbouncebill? Thinking Scarth Gap Pass – Black Sail Pass – Nether Beck – Haycock – Ennerdale – 600m carry straight up the FP to Red Pike – Buttermere. Done the Red Pike descent a number of times but always carried (with a smidgen of riding) via High Crag and High Stile.

Its a long time since I did the Nether beck Bridleway,and these routes change so much as each winter passes.I remember it being wet but I think the drop into Ennerdale was worth the climb.