[Closed] Helvellyn in late April. Which is a decent route to take on the bikes

Up n down once is a tad short to be an all day ride, unless you tack something else on.

Which ever the weather looks good for 🙂

How techy do you like it? Dan of climbs of the challenge on the way down, how far you you want to go?

I started in Grasmere, headed up past Grisedale Tarn and up to the summit. I then rode along the ridge all of the way to the Old Coach Road and then back down the A591 (as I wasn't very fit and was too knackered to do any more offroad!)

That has to be the worst descent off Helvellyn Simon! 😂

Bet you a fiver it snows

Personally i would go up Grisedale Valley up Dolly Wagon summit Sticks Pass turn left 2/3of the way down and do Seldom Scene. Then if you have any legs left Ullswater Singletrack out and back maybe a yomp up Boredale Hause ,works going on on the descent but might be finished by then.
Rich

Then if you have any legs left Ullswater Singletrack out and back maybe a yomp up Boredale Hause

Or up Hartsop to Angle Tarn and then down Boredale Hause.

That has to be the worst descent off Helvellyn Simon!

I only went up there for the views 🙂

😊

On a day like that, Im never in a rush to descend, I love riding about the tops, awesome.

OP. Have you done a search on this. Don't mean to be mean but the wording of your post is so vague and suggests you haven't even covered the basics.

Heading up end of April with intention of doing Helvellyn on the bikes.

Any advice and experience

Well yes shitloads. there are dozens of topics devoted to this one subject. Have you looked at any of them. Are there any specifics you are after?

If you fancy tagging on a bit extra as suggested above then weeksy and me are going for the skiddaw, helvellyn, high street triple later in the year if that floats your boat.....

I like the north ridge as an ascent if it's dry or frozen. But then I like cycling up as much as the decent

Enjoy

Up zigzags, down dollywagon and grizedale is the classic route. Could make it longer by descending birk fell to the lake, hike a biking back up to grizedale yarn then descending from there?

Depends how competent you are at hopping the rear wheel around and bunnyhopping waterbars you are though...

Start at Glenridding, up Helvellyn via Kepple Cove / Lower Man, decend Birkside to Whythburn Church, along to the top of Dunmail Raise, up the FootPath to Grisedale Tarn then decend back down to Patterdale.
Cracking ride

Sticks Pass into Seldom Seen. I cant think of a better descent in England so I would be surprised if there is a better one on the mountain

Hey fellas/girls

Seems the sticks pass and seldom seen look a cracking descent.

So looking for a route that’s around 20miles or so, that can involve the above. Probably aimed to start at glenridding (but that could change if required)

Some gpx routes so the lads can put into garmins would be great thanks
Brokenstones1@yahoo.com

Thanks

No need for GPX, it's obvious tbh.

Sticks pass seldom seen is pretty dull as lake District rides go?

Best descent in england?

I think ullock pike off skiddaw has that one wrapped up...

That's a good one too. So is Grizedale and whiteless. But for length of trail and continuous awsomeness...well my personal favourite if Helvelyn.

Length of trail and awesomeness? Sprinkling tarn down to Stockley bridge, unbelievably brilliant.

Sprinkling tarn down to Stockley bridge

Don't know that one - I will put it on the list 🙂

 

It's the last descent (if you start/finish at seatoller) of the 4 passes. I must've done it 9 or 10 times now, even though it's the best part of 3 hours drive, it's so good. Easiest way to get to it is up the Langstrath, and along the footpath that starts before descending rosset ghyll, over past Angle Tarn, then up to Sprinkling from there.

There's a wee bit of walking through a boulder field, for maybe 200m, on the way down, but it gives you a chance to catch your breath, shake off your arms, and grin like a cheshire cat! 🙂

Sprinkling tarn down to Stockley bridge

That's Grains Gill. It's not strictly the normal descent on the 4 Passes (that's typically Styhead to Stockley), but Grains is far more technically challenging that Styhead. I'd usually take Grains in preference to Styhead but you won't be watching the scenery much!

But back to the OP and Helvellyn...
20 miles in that terrain is a big ride. You'd be looking at summiting twice and >5000 ft of ascent in that distance (mostly hike-a-bike). When we do a double, we usually either:
Park at Dunmail Raise; up Great Tongue to Grisedale Tarn; Dollywaggon; Helvellyn; Raise; down Sticks; Seldom Seen; Up Kepple Cove; Helvellyn again; down Birkside
or as an alternative,
Park at Glenridding; up Grisedale to tarn; up St Sunday; back into Patterdale; up Kepple; down Sticks; Seldom Seen.

That’s Grains Gill.

Nope, never done grains gill, there's 2 ways down, via sty head, my bad not mentioning that!