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Need a challenge to look forward to and motivate training so plan is Lake district North to South (or vice versa to go with the prevailing wind) off road. MTB not road or gravel and most likely human powered not battery powered. Ideally 2 (long) days but might stretch long depending on route and climbing.
i know i can pick up a map and plot bridlepaths / tracks n roads but in the interests of initial laziness and also the fact map doesnt always translate to great riding, bridlepath or not has anyone done it and have a gpx/route I could steal to canibalise. Or suggestions of whats bridlepath and looks good but in reality is poop!
Brain dump...
Blen cathra, skiddaw, Walla crag, sty head pass, wast water, boot, Dunnerdale, walna scar road, Grizledale, garburn and staveley.
Maybe reverse this order and go from South to north.
Cracking. Great start to the planning. Thanks.
Did it 30 odd years ago on a rigid Diamond Back with a Kartimor Hot Route 45 litre rucksack. It was Easter and snowing….proper epic
blanked most of it out of my memory but I can’t recommend Shap Fell as a pleasant day out!
Edit sorry thought you meant the Whitehaven to Whitby version
What's your start and end point? The flat bit up north is not so interesting, so my suggestion would be to weave around a bit to get full value from the bumpy bits, rather than plough straight through on the closest pass. I reckon S-N might be better, marginally.
What are you riding and how techy do you want it? ie Do you want stuff like Sty Head to Seathwaite, or is that too rough carrying gear. Are you trying to minimise Hike a Bike?
Shap fell is never pleasant. I dont think there’s ever any weather other than howling and horizontal rain on shap!
No fixed plans yet. We were planning on the new Traws Eyri in wales but it looks to have a heck of a lot of roads in it so knocked it on the head for now.
For this we’re still at the “what about….” Whilst out riding.
criteria /aims in no order
- to be able to say we did X and not “we went for a bike ride in the lakes”
- deffo minimise hikeabike although odd section would be tolerated!
- travelling light with a rucksack. Planning on pub/b&b and not camping
- Easy start / finish logistics either dump cars at either end or train and prereably easy off main routes for dumping cars.
- riding mountain bikes. Most likely full sussers human powered. Although not averse to electric if overnight charging is possible. But i’ve a rise, mate a canyon. Latter will be a range anxiety issue so likely human powered.
- more offroad than road if possible.
My mate @el_boufador did this 2-dayer a couple of weeks back, which might give some ideas ...
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/bit-of-a-lakes-adventure-weekend-pictures-addendum/
Bored for the past half hour so sketched something out for you. Best way to start and finish is to use the Lakes Coast rail line. There aren't many options going S-N that don't involve a longish schlepp on day 2 to reach the coast...
Two pretty tough days though, with a stop in Langdale, roughly.
First day - start, Grange Over Sands, head north towards Grizedale on a mixture of lanes and off-road, few nice descents there, then over Claife, through Hawkshead, then over towards Little Langdale via Oxen Fell. Up and over on the road via Blea Tarn to Great Langdale, you could stay at the Old Dungheon Ghyll.
Day 2 - up Mickleden, then get the nasty carry over and done with - Rossett Ghyll. Then one of the best sections of trail in the UK, over to Sty Head and down to Seathwaite. Then onto the west side of the Borrowdale Bash up to Keswick. Up to Skiddaw House via Lonscale Fell, past Dash Falls and down to the flat. Maryport looked like the closest station, but it's a way away, so you might want to overnight in Cockermouth and finish the final bit in the morning.
Quite like the look of it myself.