Whinlatter

South side was closed on Wednesday last week.

Its not storm damage - South Loop is closed for forestry operations:

https://www.forestryengland.uk/article/whinlatter-forest-updates

In all honesty if you were riding in evening you could probably ride most of it.

North Red, South Red and Blue don't actually take that long to ride in all honesty... It is definitely worth riding as part of a trip to the area though.

Top loop is pretty much exactly 10k. So it’s pretty short and you may have to do laps. YMMV. Haven’t ridden the lower loop so I don’t know which bits you’d be missing out on.

Think there’s quite a bit of off piste you can link in if you are that way inclined.

Go up grizedale pike?

Yep, south loop was closed as recent as yesterday (Sunday 26th).
From Brathwaite you could ride round the Back Of Skiddaw.

Thanks guys,
Is the Northern loop decent enough for a few laps, or am I best giving up on Whinlatter? (17 riders)…not sure if any of us is capable of putting a self-guided loop together at this late stage.

North lap takes about 45 minutes. The final descent is good, but the fire road drag up to it may put off a few by the second lap. You could easily ride the Borrowdale Bash from Braithwaite, it's not hard to navigate, and I'm sure someone off here could supply a GPX if required.

I've also been looking at rides near Whinlatter/Keswick, is this a good Back of Skiddaw loop (there seems to be many variations)? https://pedalnorth.com/back-of-skiddaw/

Also, is it best done clockwise or anti-clockwise?

I think the “Borrowdale Bash” is one of the loops that our guides are intending to take us on.

Also, is it best done clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Anti would be the normal way. Can't imagine there would be a huge difference though.

Think there’s quite a bit of off piste you can link in if you are that way inclined

If 'off piste' is the stuff in the forest a fair bit of it got wiped out in the storms last winter, the north loop had a long unofficial descent to the bottom of the valley but afaik its blocked halfway down (a fence blocking entry to 2nd part as well). There was a few similar trails on the back side of the south loop but not sure if any of it is still passable these days as I haven't been in a year or so

Is the Northern loop decent enough for a few laps, or am I best giving up on Whinlatter? (17 riders)…not sure if any of us is capable of putting a self-guided loop together at this late stage.

I don't think you'd get much out of the north loop for a day.
As the other posters have said, there's stacks of good stuff in the area ( though a lot of the best is cheeky).

How much techie gnarr do you want?
What sort of distance/ height gain?

Assuming there is no typo, and you are indeed 17 riders then I'd personally rule out the cheeky stuff so:
4 passes: I doubt all 17 would be capable of it. Send the noobs to Whinlatter and take a smaller group round 4P....
1 Pass only. Wharnscake bottom. Very difficult, but relatively easy nav.
B'Bash: as you say, I'm sure your guide already has that pencilled in.
Skiddaw Loop
GLENDeratera Beck: The u shaped loop between skidday and Blencathra is good
Back of Skiddaw
Helvellyn: if you want a long one then up Dodds and down Birkside ( loads of other options too)
Drive to Pooley Bridge and do Cockpit to Howtown then Ullswater Bridleway. Bundle the slackers on the ferry then the non-slackers ride back over the pass or over High Street
Etc

Medium/old guys gnar 1.5-2.5k feet height gain and we ride anything from 15-25 miles mainly.

Just for some perspective, riding the North Loop in 45 mins would put you about 2,000th out of 18,000 on Strava, so most folk take longer. Lake District locals ride everything twice as fast and three times as gnar. On rigid bikes. In the snow.

If you're in Braithwaite, you can ride the Skiddaw loop from the door, pretty easy to navigate and only really one sketchy section. Nice ride, especially on a good day.

from braithwaite you can ride up to whinlatter, do a loop of the north loop grab a drink then descend down to thornthwaite through the forest, left out of thornthwaite for a about a mile or so on road then pick up a lakeshore path along bass to the sailing club, road to bassenthwaite village then bridleway up dash falls round the back of skiddaw and down spooney green lane to keswick, tootle back to braithwaite, jobs a good un, get in touch can plot it on a route for you if you want

Just for some perspective, riding the North Loop in 45 mins would put you about 2,000th out of 18,000 on Strava, so most folk take longer.

That's true, I've just looked up my best time on Strava, and I was misremembering slightly.

If you ride up to Whinlatter from Braithwaite, pick up the blue route (obvious route markers where the route crosses the road about a mile up) and ride to the visitor centre on that before you do the North red.

There are a couple of Skiddaw routes

I did this one, in a clockwise direction, at the weekend.

https://lakesmtb.co.uk/routes/back-o-skiddaw/

A nice straightforward route, but riding along the A66 isn’t much fun at the start.

Will try one of the others next time we are up there.

Thanks guys.
Excellent info as always.

Pretty much sorted now with a combo of what’s open at Whinlatter and some of your suggestions.
Our guide is going to elaborate on some of your ideas, and advise accordingly.
Thanks again.

I’ll be happy when that ferry sets sail on Friday, as this one is 2+ years in the planning (as is everything for everyone)

I did this one, in a clockwise direction, at the weekend.
> https://lakesmtb.co.uk/routes/back-o-skiddaw/ < A nice straightforward route, but riding along the A66 isn’t much fun at the start.

The map on that link bears no relation to the route as described, and the route described is just a little Lonscale Fell loop, rather than Back Of Skiddaw.

And the railway path is now fully re-opened, so no need to go near the A66.

My suggestion would be Whinlatter in the morning, Lonscale Fell in the afternoon, or the other way round. Both easily rideable from Braithwaite.