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Planning a big day out from Keswick for the weekend, thinking of south out of keswick over to Thirlmere and up Helvellyn from Wythburn.
Whats that bridleway to Thirlmere like? Up/Down/flat - boggy grass/made up gravel path/techy rocks & such? It passes blea tarn and goes through some woods so on the map it looks nice.
thanks.
Are there two blea tarns? Only if it's just the one at the end of langdale I cant imagine how a bridleway would pass it in between watendlath and thirlmere.
looks like there might be then. This is where I mean:
only ever do this on the driest of dry days in a 10 year long drought. Great views but it really does take some time to do. You'll ignore this so good luck.
there are other long days out from Keswick to the north east.
I walked it once in August, during a dry spell and it was boggy.... very boggy.
Very wet
Thanks lads, after that report I don't think I will ignore the advice on this occasion as I was after pedally and swoopy to start. Cheers again.
I rode it in a thunderstorm a few years ago, and it wasn't terrible. Yeah, it wasn't brilliant on the top, but once you started dropping down it got pretty damn good for a while, before becoming impossible!
Ah ye, two blea tarns, sorry.
There are many Blea Tarns in the Lakes. This one is really boggy. Only walked it but can't imagine it'll be fun on the bike. Realy hard going boot sucking bogs
What about the one a little furthe south between Stonethwaite & Grasmere. Looks like it would link with Loughrigg terrace and Stake Pass to make an interesting day out.
I've never ridden it personally but have it on pretty good authority that it is a bit of a pig, good way of linking into the area but pretty much a hike by all accounts. But please let me know what its actually like 🙂
because I plan to do it over the next month anyways.
Done that a few times the other way - doing the bash starting from Grasmere. That way, you can climb to the edge of the wood from Thirlmere on the forest road (Steep but ok), then push up to the tarn and past it for a little bit, then ride once it starts going down hill. Not too bad all in all, even when wet.
Doing it the other way, though, would need a dry day as otherwise I suspect you'd be hiking from Wadendlath all the way to the tarn - the path is not great on the top. You might have a decent descent down to Thirlmere, though - don't know what the BW is like riding down through the woods (looks v steep at the end).
I've done the one from Stonethwaite to Far Easedale Ghyll but going the other way. Mostly unrideable except the lower bits, or super techy if you're good. To get there I'd gone from Keswick up onto the Dodds ridge, down to Glenridding then back over past Grizedale tarn. That's a big day out from Keswick if you want one 🙂
Is that Greenup edge paul? Heard that's a place of despair for the mountain biker.
Anyone know what the next bw along to the west like (think it's the one MrHoppy is refers to) - Flat along Langstrath beck then up to Stake pass.
Stone thwarted to Easdale involves a lot of walking. Ride past Castlerigg and the BW east of high and low rigg to St Johns in the Vale. Go up Sticks Pass and take it from there.
that one does look like a bit of a slog Garry, you're committing yourself to it just by going out that far and it's a long to go on or go back if it's horrible.
What about the woods to the nw of thirlmere, with raven crag in the middle of it, there looks to be a [s]footpath[/s] trail to the very west of the woods and possibly also a track through the wood and down to the path round thirlmere, NCN6.
Also what would be the easiest route to the top of helvellyn from the east? choice of sticks pass, the bw that starts behind a pub on the edge of thirlmere and then splits into two at fisher gill or the one past the chapel at wythburn? I've walked down the wythburn one and remember it being almost completely made up but have no experience of the other two.
Personally I can't stand steep hike-a-bike - does my swede in, so would ride up the old coach rd / bruts moss (unless it was v wet). If you're limber enough that you don't mind a sharp hike towing the bike then the routes you mention are certainly quicker.Also what would be the easiest route to the top of helvellyn from the east? choice of sticks pass, the bw that starts behind a pub on the edge of thirlmere and then splits into two at fisher gill or the one past the chapel at wythburn? I've walked down the wythburn one and remember it being almost completely made up but have no experience of the other one.
Yes Greenup Edge.
The other one I walked partway up a couple of weeks ago. The bottom bit seemed ok but you would be hiking up Stake Pass. Again it depends how awesome your skills are.