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Thinking of having an exploratory ride in upper Wharfedale tomorrow. There's a multitude of bridleways in/out of Kettlewell, Starbottom and Buckden, and around the Buckden Pike and Cam Head area, does anyone have any recommendations on which ones are definitely better as climbs or descents?
3-4 hours
Ok.
Option 1.
Head north west to Yokenthwaite. Up the Lennie journey (bit of pushing) then amazing blast to Halton gill. Head south east to arncliffe then back up over the dale. As you come back down to whaefdale you can go right for a fast wide rocky blast to kettle well or left for some lovely narrow tech to starbotton.
Option 2.
Cycle the backlane from kettle well to coniston (or take the footpath in the east of the dale). Head east and up mastile lane all the way to street gate.
Then 2 choices. Head north on the bridleway over to cowgill beck where it turns into a footpath back into arncliffe OR take the grassy bridleway all the way to hawkwicks cote.
You can then either head straight back to kettle well or do the last climb from option 1.
Point to note is the climbs are massive here. A good 300-400 to the top of the fells.
The trails to the east are ok but hard to build into a loop.
You could ride up park rash and then hang a left on to cam head on the bridleway. It's a nice traverse and either come down any of those bridle ways or bash over to bucken pike. That a nice descent back down to bucken. The last bridleway from the road into bucken is FAST!
I would not bother going further north than that over to stake moss. Bit dull.
Brilliant, will plot and pick one of those!
No worries.
They are good tough routes.
As easier/lower level would be.
Option 3
Head south to coniston. Take the bridleway east all the way to the black edge y and the. Take the double track to the south through the mines. This ain't a right of way but you should be fine.
Wiggle down to hebdan. Follow the road down to the river. Cross the wahrf on the suspension bridge and then rejon the main road.
Head west towards Linton then onto threshfield moor. There is a network of bridleways there where you can avoid the roads and drop into Kinsley and then head home.
Some of the high moorland crossings will be a bit manky and moist. Mastiles to Arncliffe, Old Cote etc.
Everything out of Kettlewell is pretty steep, so prepare to suffer. Best descents are through Fosse Wood to Starbotton and down to the same village from the other side from the flank of Buckden Pike.
Following with interest. The climb over Old Cote Moor looks horrible 😢
Hit the Fosse Wood and Walden Road descents. Both pretty good and what I was expecting for the area.
Will try the Pennine Journey into Halton Gill next time. Is there any intel on the BW between Litton and Buckden, either direction?
Is there any intel on the BW between Litton and Buckden
My personal view is that it is a lot of effort for not necessarily a huge amount of reward. Last time I did it was during a dry spell, from Buckden to Litton. Steep loose track followed by a section of tussocky, still fairly boggy, push. The descent was good in parts, but I felt a bit underwhelmed after the slow-going approach. Opposite direction would offer even less reward.
I think Horse Head (Yockenthwaite to Halton Gill) is the best of the crossings of that particular moor, N to S better.
Old Cote (best to climb up from Littondale) is decent, particularly with the Fosse Wood descent, but the climb is steep as hell to start, and it's a bit marshy coming over the top.
Old Cote it is!
It's all reasonably dry at the moment, my wife went over to Litton and back a few days ago. (From Settle, so only some west bits of what's discussed above, specifically over via Mastiles and returning up Arncliffe Cote). Even after yesterday's rain the sometimes muddy bits on the Settle loop were pretty firm for a run this morning. Bit surprising as it feels like it's been wet, but it drains well and only takes a couple of days to dry up.
I've done the buckden-Litton a few times. In anything but the driest conditions I found it an absolute slog up with some pushing (a fair amount of the descent into Litton ain't the best either). However, the one occasion we did it in very dry conditions I found the slog up very rewarding as it flowed quite nicely in the bone dry (still a bit of pushing near top where it steepens).
I've done all the various permutations over Cote/Horsehead over the last 30 years, and realistically you're pushing up for varying degrees of downhill reward. Last visit was during (because of) that very cold snap in early March, when I slogged up from Buckden, rode the watershed N & W then dropped down to Halton Gill early doors after a high, frosty overnighter (perched pools for water on the summit ridge). Great in drought/icy conditions, wouldn't consider it otherwise. Good connections to Settle and Horton round both sides of Pen-y-Ghent. Wouldn't bother with the Yockenthwaite side up or down in any conditions.
I was on foot from Buckden to Grassington via Mossdale Scar and lead mining moorland back in February - very prominent 'no mountain biking' signs have gone up in response to poorly judged guidebook routes sending people along non-RoW. Total bollox, these are old mining double-tracks used by estate vehicles, but be aware you might get pulled up.
Total bollox, these are old mining double-tracks used by estate vehicles, but be aware you might get pulled up.
Never have been, despite encountering the odd gamekeeper up there.
Quite funny when there's so many bridleways to nothing
It may be a little way out of the OP's way but there is also a fairly new bridleway up through the Cam woodland that isn't on many maps. Following the forest track that is marked on the 1:50,000 map.
(oh, OP was talking about today anyway, so it's too late to be useful anyway.)
Late to this one. Ridden round here quite a bit over the last couple of decades, though only a couple of times so far this year.
Anyway, all the descents off the Cote moor ridge are good, bar the one to Buckden. My preferred is to ride the watershed from top of the climb up from Buckden (that I've just dissed as a descent), that's instead of the descent to Litton though that's good. It rides okay even when a bit wet (unlike the watershed further north, which I've ridden once which was more than enough).
It improves as you go until you swoop down to the starbotton/Litton bridleway. This rides well in all directions, though I've never been that into the fosse wood/starbotton route and it's got worse with a tree across in the last couple of years. I prefer the fast washed out blast down to kettlewell.
Buckden pike side rides okay. The cam head climb up from kettlewell is a good challenge. I've cleaned this the last couple of times (pacing) but it's always going to be touch and go... I like the full bridleway down from the top of the pike, tricky steep section I dodge over the tussocks. Then a blast spoiled somewhat by gates.
Both bridleways down to starbotton are good. I prefer knuckle bone pasture, again straight down from the top, though the peat will be a bit soft to liquid right now. Some of the footpaths and old mine tracks are good too ...
My usual half day loop is something over Buckden pike, then something on the cam fell side. Best dales mountain biking south of swaledale.
I've recently moved back to the area so continued advice appreciated!
I do like the idea of the buckden/Litton watershed. I might just pop up for a play.
Many years ago I remember a group of us getting to the bottom of the horse head descent and Nigel realising he'd left his helmet at the top.
He and every one else was wasted so muggins rode back up to get it. Well I got to do it twice 😁