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Up in the lakes soon and want to ride a circular route from Nether Wasdale'ish. There are 2 main north/south bridleways across from Was****er to Ennerdale that look useful.
Anyone know what direction the above would be best tackled?
Someone must have ridden there?
Only limited use I'm afraid. Black Sail Pass will be a hike-a-bike (with your bike on your shoulder) from north-south, ie from Ennerdale. We did it on the coast-to-coast a couple of years ago. It's a beautiful area though - we were camping at Wasdale Head NT just a couple of weeks ago.
I normally do a route from Boot, however if Nether Wasdale is your statr point and if you dont mind a hike a bike (not a long one) to start climb up Irton fell which is a grassy carry after a scoot through the woods. The descent through Miterdale forest is nice technical singletrack. Head east through the valley beside the river and climb gradually up towards Burnmoor Tarn and cut south towards boot, descend into boot for a pub stop then climb out North (retrace your steps slightly which is a good ride up and down) over to Burnmore Tarn then a cracking descent into Wasdale Head and back along the road. Great route - thats some pretty good lakes biking that one.
For some stupid hike a bike stuff there is up the front of great gable from wasdale head past styhead tarn mad luggage boulders descent into seathwaite up honister pass on the road then either climb off road and descend beside Warnscale or stay on the road to Gatesgarth then up and over Scarth Gap and Black Sail Pass. All of Great Gable, Scarth Gap and Blacksail and carry's on the way and "proper mountain biking" I believe was stw's article title of the same route - not for the light hearted.
enjoy
iain
http://www.ridethelakes.co.uk/
Did this ride many years ago on my Tufftraxs with ridged forks. The climb up from Black Sail is a real challenge more of a scramble with bike on shoulders in places. The desent the otherside into Wasdale more than makes up fo it
Big, nasty carries up, but cracking downhills if you like it rough.
Its not a good route that mate your doing blacksail the wrong way, its brilliant going Ennerdale to Wasdale but a waste of time that way. Haycock ain't worth the effort. Lots and lots of far far better stuff in that area.
Ditto.
I still have nightmares about the time we thought it would be a good idea to go from Wasdale to Ennerdale via Haycock! The climb and decent both ways is grass/heather bashing carry your bike for hours. AVOID.
As anc says, there's loads round that area that is really good, but Haycock is not one of them.
confer on that one
Blacksail to Wasdale one of the best on the lakes...
4 passes is possibly my fav ride in the lakes
so for you start wasdale - sty head - seathwaite - honister pass (road) - warnscale bottom - scarth gap pass - black sail pass - wasdale.
a great day out of about 1400m climbing/ hike a bike..
Is Warnscale Bottom the rocky descent that goes from just beyond the slate mine above Honister (half a minute's freewheeling after you start descending with the mine behind you, then turn off to the right), down to Buttermere? It's got a noticeable right-hand bend halfway down? Great dh, but I didn't know what it was called.
yep thats the one 🙂
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some more from the 4 passes on a perfect autumn day.
[url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157625146971356/show/ [/url]
Mint descent, although last time I did it we hit (not literally) a walking group of 300 in some kind of event. And yes, Black Sail to Wasdale is a cracker too. Got any more suggestions for similar? I know Rossett and the Helvelyn stuff, but more ideas in that area always welcome - steep, tight, technical or just fast and fun. Ta v much.
Whiteless Pike.....mmmm! Up via Newlands off road to make a good loop. A bit of everything makes for a cracking ride. Some hikey bike but not that much considering the length and quality of the final descent.
I remember doing a lovely hike a bike ride covering 4 passes many years ago - fully rigid bikes (pre suspension). Up Sty Head, then possibly Honiston pass (a road one), then another and back over Black Sail pass, to our campsite in Wasdale head - them were the days 🙂
Thanks all, very helpful.
Chemdog, did your route up through Miterdale-Burnmoor-Wasdale. Superb. That descent in Miterdale is some of the best downhill we've done, up there with our favourites in the Quantocks. Boggy as hell over by the tarn so didn't get all the way down to Boot, retraced to Wasdale. Thanks.