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Got a few days in the Lakes in a couple of weeks and have really fancied riding Walna Scar. I know its been sanitised but that doesn't really bother me. Maybe its my mountaineering background but I fancy getting high up, with great views and long descents, even if easy.
So starting at Coniston I've come up with three options
1) As descibed in the VG book - Coniston - Torver (is there now a cycle path on the old railway??) - broughton forest - Stephenson Ground - River Lickle - Walna Scar - Coniston
2) As above but adding in Stephenson Ground down to Seathwaite. Get an extra descent (and it might be drier than the Lickle Valley) but a loooooong slog up to the pass
3) A bit different. Coniston - Brantwood -up Lawson Park to Grizedale - down Parkamoor (done that descent before, love it) - Blawith Fell - Torver - through the mines to the Walna Scar road - turn left up to the pass top - back down to Coniston. This adds an extra descent via Parkamoor and I've never riden Blawith Fell but as a purist it doesn't feel as good not [i]crossing[/i] the pass! Am I overthinking this
What do people think of these routes? I've done similar distances/climbs in the Peak Distict and technically I'm happy with most of the Grizedale natural bridleways. Any advice gratefully recieved....
All great routes and the only constraints would be time.
I did the last on on your list couple of weeks ago, but instead of going up through the quarries, went up hummer lane, Broughton Forest and then Ickle valley, natty bridge and up and over WS.
Great riding.
Go down to seathwaite, have a pint. Slog up isn't that bad.
As featured in the next issue of the magazine (out on June 26th, so possibly not in time for your holiday...)
I'd say 'definitely do Stephenson Ground down to Seathwaite'. Fantastic descent (and view...)
Plus you can go for a dip in the Duddon just up from the Newfield Arms.
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Cheers everyone - looks like down to Seathwaite is the way to go. The pint is the main attraction (may dull the pain if mostly pushing up the pass) and I get to ride a cracking new descent. The swim will surely depend on the Lake District weather.....
Heres a link to a fairly epic day I had a couple of years ago[url= http://www.strava.com/activities/13639268 ]Strava[/url]
Started off in Elterwater - went through Grizedale doing a fair bit of TNF, then down parkamoor and round Blawith. There was some great singletrack around Stephenson Ground, but after climbing the fireroad there was a very boggy section - Caw Moss - before you joined the Walna Scar road. I guess this could be avoided by going round to Seathwaite. And despite the descent being sanitised I still managed to rip open a tyre !
Torver start, up the lane through the quarries, left up WS, down WS to gate. Left before gate through old mine works followed by boggy bit. Then down the track beside Broughton woods to Stephenson Ground and down to Seathwaite 😆
Then back up'n over the WS 😆
Not far distance wise but for someone who is mot über fit it is/was a tough ride(done a few times)
I was over Walna Scar a couple of weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it is riding after all the reports of sanitisation.
I've avoided for a couple of years but really enjoyed it. We peeled off just after the bridge and went down to Torver, which is also very good. Or you can follow all the way to the car park, and follow track to the right at the entrance gate and bridleway down into Coniston instead of the tarmac road.
Option 2 but Start/finish at Torver. This means on your final descent of the Walna Scar (sanitisation has all but washed away now) take a R after the Goats water path junction, for another descent down past the Tranearth Quarries back to torver, missing out the dull gravel and tarmac descent to Coniston.
If you want it even beefier, at Stephenson ground take the fireroad up the East side of the river Lickle, cross it at footbridge and descend the West side of the river to rejoin your Stephenson - Newfield descent. Expect mega-rockiness on the descent to Newfield - I've torn 3 tires on it 😯
The descent Kettle describes next to the Ickle is good fun, as is down to New field. Coniston Copper mines descent is rather good too.
Cheers everyone. One more question. Just how rocky and techy is the descent from Stephenson Ground to the Newfield Inn Seathwaite. I heard a rumour it had been sanitised? I don't mind walking the odd techy step but I draw the line at pushing my bike on all the downs as well as ups! As a guide I'm ok with Parkamoor and Beastey Haws in Grizedale but anything much harder has me walking.
Newfield descent is more bobbly than gnarr, there are a few drops but the rocky bit at the bottom is more a case of hanging on and trying to stop your fillings falling out.
Do start a t torver - broughton moor forest, jackson ground - stephenson ground - newfield - walna from the bottom, also worth considering the descent to spoon hall on the coniston side
Good day out though, you'll feel like you've earned your pint!
This coming issue of STW has a feature on just this
Looks like it's weathering back in nicely.
Went down it on Friday. The upper zig zags they have put in are weathering down, but still nowhere near as techy as the old bedrock section. You can still ride that bit if you want and miss the zig zags.