Up Grains Gill, right to Styhead Tarn then back down to Stockley bridge is a good loop. The descent down Grains Gill is pretty dull.

What is poo about Gillercomb ?

The bottom of the valley is an unridable rock garden – also, there are a couple of climb-downs once you reach the waterfall down to Seathwaite.

Moses Trod looks like a nice traverse over to Fleetwith which I fancy doing.

It’s good in both directions.

Off the summit of Great Gable down to the stretcher box is okay – a bit messy at the top, then quite steppy. We tend to descend Aaron Slack more. There’s also a descent into Gillercoombe and down Sour Milk Gill that looks tempting from Green Gable – don’t bother, it’s poo, as is the descent off Base Brown.

Capt. Kronos – Member
I would be looking at Caldbeck, Hesket Newmarket and Sebergham myself… and the other villages/hamlets in that kind of an area.

Never noticed the stench – and Innovia is one of my sites

To be fair, I’ve only ever passed through Wigton once in the 15 years I’ve lived in Keswick, and I didn’t notice an usual smell. Capt. Kronos will know better than I do 😀

monkeysfeet – places like Fletchertown, Bothel and Ireby are also worth a look.

Anecdotally there is the legend of the ‘Wigton Stench’ – an all pervading smell, allegedly from the Innovia Films factory in the town.

2,222km, 211 hours, 73,599m, 108

FunkyDunc – Member
Just last week I booked a holiday cottage (with a nice little stream out the back) up a little ravine out the back of Thornthwaite.

I hope its survived ok, the owners havent been in touch yet…

Hi FunkyDunc,

There’s a strong possibility you’ve booked my neighbours’ holiday let in Thornthwaite. Their own home has been flooded out in the centre of Keswick so they’re dealing with that madness at the moment. However, I believe their holiday let is fine. Send me an email (address in profile); if we are talking about the same holiday let, I’m happy to be a go-between if it helps.

grum – Member
Am I right in thinking there’s a bit of the Lake District in that trailer? Thirlmere maybe?

Close Grum – it’s Derwent Water.

Pic one looks like the jetty at Abbot’s bay (called Highbrandlehow by the launch company), pic two is the sculpture by Victoria bay, and pic three looks like the jetty at Barrow bay (called Ashness by the launch company).

We caught the thello sleeper earlier this month, but stayed on all the way to Venice. We booked a full 6 berth couchette for 4 of us to give us privacy and extra space. Treat it like ‘posh-ish’ camping: it’s not luxury by any means and it was easily the oldest train we travelled on during our three weeks of interrailing around France and Italy. We also made sure we’d taken plenty of supplies on board as the shop isn’t great.

Yep, looks like Crummock with Fleetwith and Haystacks in the background.

I recently ordered an AL2 – the predicted dispatch date was four weeks away but it arrived in under 5 days. I don’t think communication is their strong point, as they then confirmed it had been dispatched around two weeks after it had arrived.

Beechings Folly is the old Station Master’s house. The railway line / path is right on your doorstep, which will take you out to the Dodds if you wanted to take that route up Helvellyn, and Spooney Green Lane (which takes you up Latrigg and onwards to Skiddaw) is just around the corner. The centre of town is a short five minute walk across the park.

Green up edge is now the target. starting at grasmere, but which was back.

The descent to Stonethwaite isn’t great. Turning back and retracing your steps to Grasmere is pretty poo too. There’s a descent down to the Dunmail Raise end of Thirlmere but it’s a bit of a bogfest. Or you could head over Ullscarf to Blea Tarn or over towards Stake Pass ?

What TomB said, plus Grasmoor down towards Crummock is also an okay descent. The front of Grisdale Pike (down Slate Howe) is also excellent, or off the back down towards Force Crag Mine and into Braithwaite. Another quickish loop out of Braithwaite is up Stoneycroft and either down Rigg Beck or over and down Causey Pike, (the latter is the more techy / interesting option). You could also try heading up Gasgale Gill / Crag Hill / Sale / Sale Beck to Buttermere.

They’re all options that require a little hikeabiking and are best ridden after 2/3 pm to avoid walkers.

Linda Howard-Bates in her day job.

On the ground, those tops don’t really lead one into the other. Probably the least worst combination would be: from the top of Gasgill, up to the summit of Grisdale, turn around and head up to Hopegill Head, down Sand Hill and up the valley between Crag Hill and Grasmoor, then down Whiteless. It’s worth considering the Coledale Horseshoe too, up from Stoneycroft and end with the descent down the front of Grisdale Pike.

The Riverside in Rosthwaite (attached to the Scafell Hotel).

Blease fell is probably the easiest descent, rough singletrack and grass. Halls Fell and Doddick are the trickiest; rocky, technical with tight turns and drops. Down to the tarn and round the valley is a fun, inbetween option.

The cairns are not only an eyesore, but are also a safety hazard as they encourage walkers to follow them rather than planning their route properly and using a map or other navigation device to guide them.

The cairns on the Cumbrian fells are an important navigation tool that we use on a twice weekly basis, particularly when riding in the snow, the dark and in cloudy conditions.

With your back to Stonethwaite, the right hand side of the valley is ridable, the left hand side is pretty rubbish.

Coledale Horseshoe, up Stoneycroft and down the front of Grisedale. All cheeky so best done after 2pm.

It’s possible to park there right now but not for long – there are some new houses being built nearby and the road will soon be yellow lined. Your best bet would be to use the car park by the hospital. It’s cheap and rarely full, and is a minute’s ride from Spooney.

Birkside is bigger and induces epic arm pump as it’s extensively stone pitched.

Perhaps you’re thinking of the descent to Swirls which matches your description there. Birkside is a nice mix of man-made and messy singletrack, with a short, steep pitched section about 3/4 of the way down.

Birkside is the best descent on the Thirlmere side of Helvellyn. Avoid the Thirlmere side of Sticks Pass as a descent; it’s dull (as you’ll see on the carry up).
There are still patches of snow and ice around on the summits.

Yep, the dip between Cat Bells and Maiden Moor.

I’d maybe give Frith Wood a miss (sorry Mike); there’s a tree down blocking the path. If you’re happy with technical descents, you might enjoy carrying up to Hause Gate from Manesty, turn around and come back down. Short but fun.

There are plenty of opportunities to bail back into town on tarmac if the weather does turn too foul.

http://www.greystokeguesthouse.co.uk

Dog friendly guesthouse in the centre of Keswick, owned by a local biker.

I’m taking a group to the Azores for a week of riding at the beginning of June, followed by a family rail tour of Europe in August (with a little bit of riding slipped in somewhere I’m sure 🙂 )

The quickest loop is up through Burtness wood to Bleaberry Tarn, onto Red Pike and take a left. There’s a longer, less steep route up the back by Scale Force.

+1 Gavgas: the descent is High Stile / High Crag into Scarth Gap.
Edit: sorry, really should have read the earlier posts 🙂

I’ll be taking a group out to the Azores in the first week of June. Great riding, great food, amazing scenery.

Gable summit to the stretcher box by Styhead tarn is the best route down. Bit messy at the start then fix the fells style steps. Aaron’s Slack from Green Gable is arguably more fun.

grum – Member So, anyone here ridden Hall’s Fell Ridge on Blencathra?

Halls Fell and Doddick are both worth a go. We don’t tend to ride off the summit into Halls – there’s an unridable section, so we usually carry up the ridge then turn around just below the top. However, my preferred descent would be down to Scales tarn, down the steps and along the valley, ending at the White Horse pub.

The carry up Swirls isn’t too bad – it’s certainly the quickest way from a road to the summit.

As Mr Stone says, Swirls is just an endless fix the fells steppy descent – really dull. Down to Wythburn is good fun – a little bit of everything: zig zags at the top, into a nice natural rock garden section, and finally some tricky, techie steps with waterbars. Do it all in one and your arms are really pumping by the time you hit the deer fence at the bottom.

clareymorris – Member
Srubbish really. Hate living here

Excuse me Ms Morris – we live in the Lake District, you live in Cumbria 😀