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Trying to work out the best* Helellyn double route. Initially I was thinking up Sticks West, done Sticks East, up Keppel and down Birkside.
But I recall the slog up Keppel being shite, and was wondering if continuing right down to Glenridding and then up to Grisedale Tarn would be in any way more pleasant.
Not been that way on a bike for 25+ years so can't recall anything.
I'm hoping that some of it would be rideable up, but perhaps not if it's the second up of the day. It follows the valley for a bit... might be nice in places
Tell me.
PS. Appreciate that GT is only half ( or in this case quarter) of the story. Dollywaggon would of course be HaB from hell, but at least it has steps and is proper steep.
( my thinking being that steep steppy HaB with a proper carry is faster ( at 550 steps per 100m) than too steep to ride but not that steep ( at 700+ steps per 100m)
And yes, I've measured it. Many times 🙂
* best legal
Did it recently. Rode more up to the tarn than I expected but still a fair bit of carrying and pushing. First carry was before the hut. HaB from tarn up was not as bad as I expected but yeah it's hard work.
I've already told you man. Keppel, Birk, Sticks, Seldom.
The reason you do it that direction is
a) Birk side when fresh, seldom when tired
b) Cafes are better in Glenridding / Patterdale for starting coffee and victory beers
If you had to do Grizedale I'd just do Grizedale, carry up dollywagon, Birk, sticks, seldom anyway.
If you wanted a tech monster, then really you're in for an out and back carrying back up Birkside to do dollywagon down as well as up.
Your first route was fine. Done it several times.
But heading up Dolly waggon seems an increasingly popular option with other bikers these days, so that'll probably work fine too.
I’ve already told you man. Keppel, Birk, Sticks, Seldom.
Totally agree that SS is the bestest descent on that side, but:
1) STW will not publish any articles or photos not on legal trails
2) My BC insurance will not cover any accidents except on legal trails.
So full Sticks it is 🙂
Though your suggestion of doing Birkside as the first descent whilst fresh does sound good. Longer drive, but Ho hum.
Did it recently. Rode more up to the tarn than I expected but still a fair bit of carrying and pushing. First carry was before the hut. HaB from tarn up was not as bad as I expected but yeah it’s hard work.
Excellent, that's exactly what I was hoping, and if we started from the east then we'd be relatively fresh to ride up as much of Grisedale as possible.
Your first route was fine. Done it several times.
...Dolly waggon ....ll probably work fine too.
Cool
I wrote a piece going up keppel, down birkside, up sticks west and down sticks east a few years back for the mag*. A great route.
The climb up Grizedale beck is more enjoyable than keppel, but it’s not as rideable. My life’s ambition is to pedal all of keppel cove. I’ve heard rumours of it being done before… Having said that, going via Grizedale beck, once you get above dollywagon it’s pretty much pedalable all the way to the summit.
As for the best legal double ascent of helvellyn, I’d say anything involving Birkside and dollywagon, but that’s a bit too samey, so you probably want to come off via sticks, which brings us back to where we started. What you really want to do is summit 4 times in a day, then you get to ride every descent. A bunch of us did that a few years back and it remains one of the best days on a bike I’ve ever had.
*there’s a magazine?
What you really want to do is summit 4 times in a day, then you get to ride every descent. A bunch of us did that a few years back and it remains one of the best days on a bike I’ve ever had.
Only just seen this.... tell us more 🙂
Erm, what's to say...
We started at the bottom of Sticks Pass (west) at about 6am. Climbed up to Raise, then on to Helvellyn and descended via Dollywagon and Grisedale Beck for breakfast in Glenridding. We then climbed up Swirral Edge for a bit of variety and summit number two, before descending via Raise and Sticks Pass (east) for more breakfast in Glenridding. Then we climbed Keppel Cove for summit number three. Just as we were moving from the top of Lower Man to the trig point, an errant rock took out multiple spokes on a friends rear wheel so he had to walk back to the van at this point. The rest of us descended Birkside to the fireroad, before climbing back up Swirls. This seemed to go on forever, but it was a nice day so we just plodded on to summit number four. Smiles all round, we then hot footed it back via Lower Man towards Raise and Sticks Pass (west).
About 8.5 hours moving time, 37 miles or so and 12,600ft vertical:
https://www.strava.com/activities/5649505260
some ride that james. ace.
Love it.
i am gonna hire a big Ebike and have a go at helvellyn and skiddaw in a oner.
We started at the bottom of Sticks Pass (west) at about 6am. Climbed up to Raise, then on to Helvellyn and descended via Dollywagon and Grisedale Beck for breakfast in Glenridding. We then climbed up Swirral Edge for a bit of variety and summit number two, before descending via Raise and Sticks Pass (east) for more breakfast in Glenridding. Then we climbed Keppel Cove for summit number three. Just as we were moving from the top of Lower Man to the trig point, an errant rock took out multiple spokes on a friends rear wheel so he had to walk back to the van at this point. The rest of us descended Birkside to the fireroad, before climbing back up Swirls. This seemed to go on forever, but it was a nice day so we just plodded on to summit number four. Smiles all round, we then hot footed it back via Lower Man towards Raise and Sticks Pass (west).
About 8.5 hours moving time, 37 miles or so and 12,600ft vertical:
> https://www.strava.com/activities/5649505260
Holy Moly! respect!
Yeah, it was a brilliant day out. I suffered lots on the second climb as I'd not drunk enough, but I refuelled at the YHA and that sorted me right out. Because we were a small group there was minimal stopping on the descents too, so we were able to properly get into our flow and enjoy them
@ton - I reckon the hardest bit there would be the 'commute' on the road between them.
Not if you went all the way north down the Helvellyn ridge and along the Old Coach Road to Threlkeld. Can't think of a way to make it into a circular route without using the road though.
My BC insurance will not cover any accidents except on legal trails.
Wow! really? Their bike, or personal injury cover?
Over 5 years since I dragged myself up to Helvellyn and all of the way along the ridge and down to the Old Coach Road! I'd like to do it again as it is lovely up there but my body is too broken. (no idea if these pics from Flickr will actually dispay or not)
about 2015 when i got my ticker sorted, i managed to get up helvellyn and skiddaw under my own steam. doubt i would be able now.
top of sticks
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just off the top of skiddaw prior to doing ullock in snow and ice.
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Wow! really? Their bike, or personal injury cover?
Prof liability, or whatever it is called