[Closed] Grizedale or Whinlatter?

whinlatter by a long shot.. if it's a trail centre venture you're planning, if you're going "wild" then there's a fantastic natural loop at grizedale

Whinlatter is the better trail centre I think but there's tons of great bridleways to be found in Grizedale Forest, there's a couple of route maps and gpx files available of them.

Yep got to be Whinlatter if you are just doing the trail centre. It's much fun, and even the blue route is a very enjoyable little warm up!

I'd pick the Whinlatter trails over 'The North Face' in Grizedale any day.

Does one of the five of you have a GPS? If so, get iron Keld and loughrigg terrace loop loaded up as a gpx, kicks the baws of both those trail centres, no driving, starts and finishes in Ambleside. Job done.

Whinlatter for trail centre stuff

Grizdale good for natural stuff

Loads of rides out of Ambleside in wanting/needing natural. Pop in to Biketraks for one of their abbreviated local area classics route maps.

[url= http://www.bogtrotters.org/list_routes.php ]or fill yer boots from here[/url] 😀

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
Does one of the five of you have a GPS? If so, get iron Keld and loughrigg terrace loop loaded up as a gpx, kicks the baws of both those trail centres, no driving, starts and finishes in Ambleside. Job done.

Something along the lines of this 😆
http://www.bogtrotters.org/route/showrouteframe.php?route=27

We're doing a big walk on the Sat too so nothing TOO strenuous.
22 miles and 4000ft of climbing might hurt the next day 😉

Whinlatter's looking like the fave at the mo, which would have been our preferred option anyway I think.
Cheers all.

you're going for a weekend you can easily do both. as has been said tho; if you know, or with someone who knows their way about a bit, Grizdale is better you can link the trail with some really great off piste stuff.

Ambleside, Jenkyns Crag, Dubbs Rd, Kentmere to Staveley is not too hard on the legs. Coffee and cake at Wilfs or the brewery. Then a wander round Wheelbase and back again 💡

It depends on what they like.

Whinlatter is far better in my opinion, it's one of my favourite trail centres actually. Great scenery on a clear day and some great riding. I was bored at Grizedale.

I may even be at Whinlatter on Saturday.

I've done plenty of 'au naturel' in the Lakes and would be up for it then from Ambleside but a few of the gang will prefer Whinlatter. TBH I can see the attraction as it is good point-and-shoot fun where you don't have to think about where to turn and consult a map every 2 minutes - I suppose you get more smiles for your miles when time (and effort) will need to be considered.

How long does it take to get around the North and South loops of Whinlatter?
I don't mean how fast in a willy-waving sort of way...I mean 5 non-XC whippets enjoying it without busting a gut? Trying to work out what time we need to start to get back to the trail centre before it's dark. Cheers

I'm certainley no XC whippet less so my bike and I get round everything including the blue trail in about 2:15 I'd recommend doing the blue first just as warm up almost and with a couple of fun descents it helps get your eye in as it were

The blue is a great warm up!

Last time we did both reds and the blue twice in 2 1/2 hours (actually moving) factor in a bit more for lunch and a wee rest at the top of the climbs!

So a 1pm start and back for 5 should be infinitely do-able...excellent 😛

Whinlatter great fun, 1/2 day ride. Grizedale bit longer if you do the easy to find off piste loop.

We tend to do 45mins each loop, if we're doing them both twice then will probably be 3hrs 15ish overall.

[quote=number18 ]We tend to do 45mins each loop, if we're doing them both twice then will probably be 3hrs 15ish overall.

thats a good pace, I'd allow a chunk longer for a group of 5 especially if you want to have a chat on the way

Lakes weekend done.
How bloody good is the decent on the Whinlatter south red loop?
5 very big grins at the end of that one 😀