Ease of Ennerdale Bridleway

paulswilliams2

Hi,

Am up in the Lakes this weekend with the better half, and was looking for an v. easy route - technically. I have seen Blawith Loop and Claife Heights routes in the VG Guidebooks Lakes book, but am still a little worried that they might be a little too challenging. The other half has completed half the Follow The Dog at Cannock, but that scared her a little - its a Red XC course.

Any suggestions of other easy routes, particularly in the SW Lake area. In particular, we walked half the Ennerdale Horseshoe last year, and pondered riding up the bridleway towards the YHA hostel - how easy is this path?

OwenB

How far is it that you're wanting to ride? Don't think that the Blawith one is anything to worry about really.

There's one I do occasionally for a quick blast which is about 8 miles, mostly fire road really with a bit of bridleway nothing technical at all.

Its at High Newton, just past Newby Bridge

topsey_turvey

Ennerdale isn't really in SW Lakes. More like West, or North West, and there's quite a drive to get there. By the YHA hostel do you mean Black Sail? That's really just up a long fire road.

Either the Blawith or Claife Heights should be well within the capabilities of anyone who can ride a bike. Claife will be full of trippers having their first ride of the year - usually on hire bikes. Very pretty if the sun shines. There are few better places for a novice than the tracks round Claife: gentle gradients, broad tracks, nice views and plenty of escape roputes to pubs/tea shops/gift shops etc. (For the more expert there are lots of little hidden gems)

paulswilliams2

I was thining about 12 - 15 miles providing there isn't TOO much climbing. Something that will take maybe 3 hours to ride for a newbie.

Topsey Turvey: It was the central path up Ennerdale to Black Sail that I had seen. I just didn't know the path quality - but a simple bridleway might be a little too easy!

cheers fo the responses

OwenB

The Blawith route should be ideal if a little short for you, there's not a lot of climbing on there really, other than that perhaps the Cartmel Fell route there's a bit of road riding on there but mostly to go down hill.

There are a few routes on here that may be more appropriate http://www.mountain-bike-cumbria.co.uk/trails.php

dave_hill

paulswilliams2 wrote:

I have seen Blawith Loop and Claife Heights routes in the VG Guidebooks Lakes book, but am still a little worried that they might be a little too challenging.

Claife is the ideal beginner's playground! It's very compact with lots of varied riding - you can easily do two or three circuits of it in the day, plus you've got a good choice of pubs and caffs in Near and Far Sawrey and Hawkshead.

paulswilliams2 wrote:

Any suggestions of other easy routes, particularly in the SW Lake area.

Yes, loads. PM me your e-mail address, I'll send you some route maps. There's also loads of very easy riding in Grizedale Forest - there's four waymarked trails other than the North Face Trail which are all on fire roads.

paulswilliams2 wrote:

In particular, we walked half the Ennerdale Horseshoe last year, and pondered riding up the bridleway towards the YHA hostel - how easy is this path?

Piece of cake, its a road. But as TT says, it's a bit out of the way and unless you're a lunatic (like me) you can't do a lot once you get to Black Sail hut other than turn round and go back again.