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I know that the Small Water ascent is mostly carrying so is it worth going via Gatesgarth and Harter instead? How rideable is Gatesgarth from Haweswater?
Depends how far you are wanting to ride and which descents you really want to take in.
We usually park in Haweswater, climb Nan Bield, descend to Kentmere, up and over to Sadgill, climb Gatesgarth then descent down Gatesgarth back to Haweswater.
My favourite long version is Park Burnbanks-Road to Gatesgarth-Harter-Nan Bield-Sadgill-Gatesgarth-Branstree-Selside-Old Corpse Road-Haweswater lakeshore path-Burnbanks
Can be shortened by parking at end of Haweswater and finishing there after Old Corpse Road. Starting up Gatesgarth/Harter gives far more riding and much less carrying.
Do you mean going over Harter Fell???
That's a challenging climb from the road head up Gatesgarth. I've never ridden it, or seen it ridden, but some will no doubt say it's easy! Then up Harter Fell itself is hike a bike. Over the top of the fell is flat and smooth. The descent down to Nan Bield is gnarly in the extreme. There's a reason the route isn't popular!!!
Do you mean going over Harter Fell???
That’s a challenging climb from the road head up Gatesgarth. I’ve never ridden it, or seen it ridden, but some will no doubt say it’s easy! Then up Harter Fell itself is hike a bike. Over the top of the fell is flat and smooth. The descent down to Nan Bield is gnarly in the extreme. There’s a reason the route isn’t popular!!!
The Gatesgarth section is far more rideable than the slog up Nan Bield but certainly not easy. On a good day I can do about the first 50% riding from Haweswater and the rest push/ride to the Harter turn off. Same again on Harter a large part of it is rideable to the summit on a good day about 50% rideable to little Harter Fell and 100 % rideable after to the summit of Harter Fell. Not so sure how gnarly extreme the descent to Nan Bield is but it certainly has a few gnarly moves.
Who says it’s not popular??? Certainly is with the locals here!
the descent from harter to nan bield is good if you like rocky stuff although there is a couple of short sections i still haven't managed to ride yet. agree with above, it is a quite popular route.
i prefer to miss out the nan beild to kentmere descent and go straight on and then round the tops to the top of garburn to get to kentmere, i do still sometimes descend from nan beild and still enjoy it though.
Xc shoes and spd pedals or flats for this type of riding?
Man Bield is up Gatesgarth from Sadgill over Harter Fell down the Northside of Nan Bield. Back up Gatesgarth, over Harter Fell <span style="text-decoration: underline;">and</span> down Nan Bield southside.
Alternative and bigger ride is to incorporate Garburn and Ill Bell to avoid too much Gatesgarth/Harter.
Never ridden all of Harter. Had a big crash on a misry night ride earlier this year and got a good beating. I "rode" further than I ever have, but also fell quite along way beyond where I stopped riding.
A mate does just the Northside as a cheeky on the way home from work special. Hike up from the car park and turn round at the top to come back down.
Unfortunately my question was irrelevant as a member of our group had a little tumble descending Kidsty so I rode with him to Shap whilst the others went back for the car to then pick us up.