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A few of us are off to Keswick for a weekend's biking soon and looking for a good full day ride for while we are there..
What are your recommendations for a mountain ride in the area? Always fancied something like Helvellyn but mindful the more popular spots may have a lot of weekend walkers.Happy to travel from Keswick as needed.
What would Singletrack recommend?.
Plenty of choices on Helvellyn and worth it (matching route to skill levels)
Though best wait for some locals to pop along for stuff in current conditions between the weather and fell fixing.
Plenty of great riding nearer to Keswick if you're prepared to embrace a few FPs. I've always found walkers to be far grumpier on low-level bridleways than higher level FPs, assuming you treat everyone you meet with respect and courtesy.
North West Lakes around/beyond Keswick is brill for cheeky hike-a-bike. So first questions are do you mind cheeky and shouldering your bike? Courtesy and respect is mandatory.
Keswick - Braithwaite - Coledale - Wandope - Whiteless pike - Rannerdale - Gasgale Gill - Grisedale Pike - Braithwaite - Keswick
On one day, then the bash with Walla crags add on for the next day.
A great weekend on the bikes is that.
Borrowdale Bash (is a half day at most really, but expect it can be extended)
Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike for a big hike a bike day.
Back O'Skiddaw for a decent more Old Skool XC-ish type ride.
Do not ride Back o Skiddaw, it's about the least 'Lakes' type ride I've done down there, saving grace was meeting a good mate to do it, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.
Another option, not far from Keswick, and probably my favourite descent anywhere, not just the Lakes, is -
Langstrath Inn - Langstrath - cut across footpath to Angle tarn - Sprinkling tarn - Sty head tarn - Stockley bridge - Langstrath inn.
Absolutely sublime....
hardtailonly
Borrowdale Bash (is a half day at most really, but expect it can be extended)
Totally depends on the rider. Whilst I'd agree, my wife was pretty knackered when we did it together in May. Though it only took us 4 hours with a tea stop in Grange. I'd definately add on the Walla Crag bit as well, well worth the effort.
TBH, I'm only really posting so I can find the thread again, NoBeer's routes intrigue me a lot.
Sam, I mapped nobeers route out last year after a recommendation from lowey. It looks quite a shortish route but in the lakes you can never take anything for granted eh. nobeers might be a bit more cheeky than this:
https://www.justgoride.co.uk/Routes/31612
Op my recommendation would be for Borrowdale Bash plus standard extras. I've done Helvellyn and I've been up Skiddaw and unless you really want to tick off 'I've gone up a mountain' then the BDbash is a better ride imo. Going up a mountain is a lot of pushing and if the weather's bad your visibility at the top will be rubbish. Much better to go somewhere where there's more riding than pushing. Plus low level you won't be so much affected by the weather so much and you'll have the option to bale and go to the pub. I did the route the other week and I'll just have to edit the gpx to knock off some stupid bits so pm me if you'd like the gpx. 😊👍
Jekkyl, The one I described is basically that one of yours, without the descent and hike a bike of Rosset ghyll. Instead you head over a footpath direct to Angle Tarn.
It's amazing Sam, gimme a shout if you want company, I'd gladly drive the 3 hours to get there for that one descent...
Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike for a big hike a bike day.
From some comments I'd avoid Ullock on a weekend and certainly during the day, it's a footpath and can be very busy with walkers. It's still not open season on everything up there.
Aye, echo that - Ullock on the weekend is a bit risky, unless done near sunset.
Just downloaded the gpx for safe keeping Mike thanks, I'm hoping for lots of Lakes trips next year so hopefully get plenty of routes ticked off. Is Rosset Ghyll not worth the effort of the hike back up?
Definitely will Greg but it won't be till next spring now though. I've got plans for a few others, Grisedale/Whiteless Pike being one and the four passes being another. Also fancy a double ascent of Helvellyn taking in Birkside and Sticks/Seldom seen. Sure there's loads more.
All sounds ace Sam, I've not done RG descent, first time i did that route it was at the end of a tough weekend, and I didn't fancy what looked like a bit of a monster hike back up. I reckon I've done the route 5 or 6 times since, so good is it.
Oh and to be fair unless it's dark Ullock is a bit tame 😉
I love the riding in the lakes and the routes there are far and away the best I have ridden. I love the surprise of the elevation... you spend hours pouring over maps at work in the grey office planning your weekend and you might look at a marked bridleway and reckon hmm that might take me 30 minutes perhaps. And then you get there and you're at the bottom and you're like lol f me! Look at that wtf! and your estimation was way off. 😄
A very timely thread as I'm staying near Grange for a few days from this weekend. Nobeer, which FP did you take to avoid Rosset Gill - the one after Stakes Pass or do you follow Angletarn Beck up to the tarn? Thinking of doing this but starting at Grange then adding the Castle Crag descent from the B/dale bash on at the end.
Here are a couple of pics to whet your appetite
first top of HV
second looking down Langstrath top of Stakes
Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike for a big hike a bike day.
From some comments I’d avoid Ullock on a weekend and certainly during the day, it’s a footpath and can be very busy with walkers. It’s still not open season on everything up there
We were up there 3/4 weeks ago. Must have struck lucky! Grisedale Pike was busy (didn't much matter going up as we were walking too!), and once on the rideable section of the descent, very few walkers to contend with. By the time we'd sumitted Skiddaw, it was later in the day (4pm ish) and we saw virtually no one on the Ullock Pike descent. But yes, weekends and good weather will make a lot of places busy.
Faz71- the one after stake pass, on the 1:25000 it starts right at a wee pond, in reality it's just a marshy bog.
Some great options on here. Thanks for all the suggestions, may need a week at this rate. Cheers
@Nobeer - thanks, it looks a cracking route.
Bookmarked as some new ideas round Keswick that are interesting.
Must have dropped lucky a couple of weeks back as only met 5 people on Ullock.
Carlos