[Closed] South Lakes best rides?

There's plenty of non XC type trails in Grizedale, and off the Parkamoor end.

Grizedale is great, though that route linked above is just ok, there are plenty of bridleways that can be linked up. There are also some off-piste bits that I don't know much about, but you can see them on Strava. If you've only done TC riding before you'll find it very different - much more technical with less flow in places. Personally I prefer that to TCs but YMMV. Oh, and some climbs are an absolute bitch if you're used to TC climbs.

I can ping you a decent route if that's helpful but it looks like I need an email address - can't see any way to just share the link.

Thanks, I've sent you a message with my email address, that would be great.

If by proper riding you mean up a mountain rather than trail center going to Grizedale is kind of missing the point. Try Nan Bield, or a walna scar route

The big descent down from parkamoor on that route was badly sanitised last time I did it.

Garburn and green quarter riding from stavely, or extend up to nan bield of you need a bigger day

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/0JL1SW80cib

Grizedale has all sorts.
It's got a full trail centre - these trails are IMO terrible. Hard to carry speed or flow and lots of wasted decent.

It's got XC options like parkamoor - ok for a pootle but basically like riding fire road (and actual road) all the way round.

Where it really shines is the mix of hand dug stuff and bridleways that run all over it. These are amazing, however there isn't a lot of overlap between these and the waymarked trails so you need to know where you are looking. Generally these trails are in southern half of the forest. There are loads of options that drop down to coniston and will dump you on the lake edge. Some of them have the potential to deal damage so be careful. The climb back up here is steep and long.

Some of the easier stuff to find runs out on to the road just south of the boggle crag carpark. Park at boggle crag car park, ride up the fire road, whenever it splits head right, and look for the stuff dropping off the fire road. Once you see the big slab, you're basically there. Once again, these trails can bite, so if in doubt have a look first. Head over the top of the ridge from boggle and then ride down heading east and pick up the bridleways that drop off this side - plenty of options dropping this way, and they're all good.

You have to explore to get the best out of grizedale - take a bar mounted GPS and it makes life much easier.

Parkamoor is 'recovering' from its sanitation.

If you haven't ridden in the Lakes much personally I'd suggest something round Walna Scar, it gets you out in the fells a bit more and is reasonably easy if you're competent. There's plenty of good riding in Grizedale but for me what makes the Lakes different is the big mountain descents.

Nan Bield as mentioned is also a good shout but is a bit more challenging in a few places, so depends how difficult you want to make things.

Can suggest some routes if you like, but I'm pretty crap at technology so it'll just be a line scrawled on a map 🙂

Satterthwaite and the Grizedale moor/ common has lots of riding in it. I can’t recommend anything specific because I can never remember where I’ve been and there’s a lot there. But Trailforks or similar will have actual routes. It’s a big area and you can take in some real mixed riding. Grizedal the trail centre is only worth incorporating as part of the natural stuff.

but for me what makes the Lakes different is the big mountain descents.

Good point. For me it’s the variety and changing nature of the riding.

I'd say that the Nan Bield descent is more than a bit challenging.

probably a bit too central at ambleside (with the current jams between windermere and ambleside (1hr30 drive last week)

i rode loughrigg fell on friday it was an absolute cracker, found the video on youtube after
'ambleside: a better loughrigg'

If you want to do a mountain route Helvellyn coming down Sticks Pass is pretty cool. Dollywagon is fun in parts but pretty brutal and could be an eye-opener if you've only really ridden trail centres.

I second or third the walna scar recommendation. Park at the church in torver if you want the full route or park at the top of the hill before the woods and instead of going fully to the top when you reach the wall take a right and go down the much better route back to the other side of the woods. If you’re only used to black at degla or gisburn you’re in for a major shock with some other stuff like nan bield and I don’t think grizedale counts as your ‘proper riding’ in the context of Lake District mountain riding but it is rather spicy from an enduro perspective.

Thanks all, Walna Scar sounds like it might be a better option then.

Would this be a good route to follow?

https://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/lake-district-mtb-routes/walna-scar/

Yep not a bad route.

The South loop there is quite a lot more chilled out than the North part. There are other options nearby with bigger/more challenging descents but depending on the level of your group it might start pushing things into doing too much rather than leaving wanting more...

On the walna scar descent, I'd suggest carrying on a bit further down walna scar road before turning right towards Torver. This adds in a couple of pretty techy rock steps which are good for a laugh (both easily rollable if you know the line). Then take a right turn at SD 2765 9644 and follow a track for a couple of hundred metres till you join up with the bridleway again. The right turn is a bit overgrown with bracken at the moment so might not be that obvious but it's pretty clear where to go if you look on an OS map or satellite image. If you take the turning shown on your link it's steepish fast grass/dirt singletrack, so depends what appeals more

That's a decent loop. As NeilC says, leave Walna Scar almost immediately after the rock step through a narrow gap.

Also, instead of dropping all the way to the road out of Broughton Forest just before the Stephenson Ground buildings, take a right and follow the fire road up above the stream, across a footbridge to join the BW descent on the opposite side.

Thanks both, I’ll give that a go.

I also rather liked the loughrigg fell drunken duck longer route - but it's been ruined by the sanitised descent on loughrigg terraces. That said, that's one of the places where I really don't mind then gravelling - it's a massive tourist trap right by Ambleside, not a proper pass.

I did the stavely 3 passes route the other day and that was excellent. The initial drop from nan bield is proper tricky - loose tight rocky switchbacks, I had to hop my foot around more than a few times until on the lower single-track. Lots of hike a bike or pushing though. I found gatesgarth just endless. Too steep and rutted to ride, not quite steep enough to carry.

Walna is a good option if you want the big mountain feel, just be aware of 2 things:

(1) the climb from Seathwaite up to the pass is a very tough climb compared to trail centres - 400m up over ~2.3 km

(2) the top part of the descent from the pass before you cut off is likely to be busy with walkers

OK, I'll jump on here.

We're staying in Coniston for a couple of days next week. Suggestions for a mellow MTB / gravel route, 2 hours max?

The bottom half of the gpx above would do. Or head north to tilberthwaite, round little langdale to elterwater and back via the drunken duck / Betty fold, if you want to descend to the Lakeshore rather than the village carry on into Grizedale at high cross and descend Lawson park, have a paddle at the top of the lake, home for tea and medals

whatyadoinsucka
Free Member
probably a bit too central at ambleside (with the current jams between windermere and ambleside (1hr30 drive last week)

i rode loughrigg fell on friday it was an absolute cracker, found the video on youtube after
‘ambleside: a better loughrigg’

I ended up doing this route, it was one of the best rides I've ever done, highly recommend it, although more technical than I expected / am used to -

@craig24 can I pinch this route off you as I’m up there mid September.

@SOAP I've sent you a message with the route