Lake district scarth gap/black sail pass

shocka

Hello there,
Can anyone give me any advice on the best direction to ride the above passes.
The route we are going to do is. Start at Gatesgarth farm and ride (push!) up the scarth gap pass then down into Ennerdale and the black sail pass round great gable on the Moses trod path, past styhead tarn and back down to Seatoller. Then up the honister pass picking up the bridleway at the slate mine and back down to gatesgarth via warnscale bottom.
Is this the best way to ride this route or would it be better doing it in reverse.

Cheers

topsey_turvey

If you are going to do that route I'd seriously consider leaving the bike behind. There's not a lot of riding in it, whichever way you do it. Moses Trod is no place for a bike, even walking there are places where hands are used.

Don't get carried away with the map showing bridleways, just because ponies can get over them doesn't mean bikes can.

sniper68

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Totally agree with him :shock: :shock: :shock:

shocka

Downloaded the route from MBR magazine so thought it must be a half decent route for bikes. Dont mind carrying a little bit. I have walked up the scarth gap pass before & appreciate that it would involve a bit of hike a bike. Did Hellvellyn a couple of weeks ago & rode the majority of that apart from a bit of the lower man accent.

topsey_turvey

Just because it's in MBR doesn't mean that it's rideable. There was a route in there not too long ago that sent you over the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. I pointed this out to them, and received an almighty tirade from Andy Waterman (I think) telling me that if I'd used my common sense I would have seen that they had missed a comma out of the puncuation and with that in the route would have been totally safe. Cobblers, I don't believe they ride half the routes they publish.

Go if you wish, but you have been warned :roll:

shocka

cheers for the reply
We've done quite a bit of riding around the Lakes, Skiddaw, Borrowdale bash etc and were just looking for something a little different to do.
We are staying in Braithwaite, gonna ride at Whinlatter tomorrow and planned to do the other ride on Thursday. Have you got any other suggestions for a good ride out in the area?

Thanks

topsey_turvey

If you want a good long ride try the Skiddaw Loop. Directions are loosely:-

Along the old railway track to Threlkeld, past the Blencathra Centre and up the Glederaterra Beck. Skiddaw House. Cumbria way NE to Mosedale, then minor road to Calebreck. Take the bridleway shown going SW, but soon turn off onto a good tack contouring N of Low Pike to come out at Fell Side. Minor road to Green Head, then fell road to Longlands. Minor road to just S of Orthwaite then fell track to near Dash Farm, cross Dash Beck to pick up Cumbria Way. Past Whitewater Dash, back to Skiddaw House then Cumbria Way on opposite side of Glenderaterra Beck to the morning to come out at the car park near Latrigg. Then take the excellent swooping descent (watch for walkers) to cross the A66 back into Keswick. An excellent long day out in quiet remote hills. Can do you a .GPX if you like.

dave_hill

shocka wrote:

Hello there,
Can anyone give me any advice on the best direction to ride the above passes.
The route we are going to do is. Start at Gatesgarth farm and ride (push!) up the scarth gap pass then down into Ennerdale and the black sail pass round great gable on the Moses trod path, past styhead tarn and back down to Seatoller. Then up the honister pass picking up the bridleway at the slate mine and back down to gatesgarth via warnscale bottom.
Is this the best way to ride this route or would it be better doing it in reverse.

Cheers

It is doable, but it's utterly soul destroying - be prepared to have to walk and carry down as well as up in some places.

Personally I'd start from Seatoller and head up Honister first, then over the top by the slate quarry and down Warnscale Bottom.

Scarth Gap is impossible to ride up - it's a carry all the way - but it's an interesting if slow and tricky descent down to Black Sail Hut.

You're then better of going over into Wasdale from Black Sail. Again, Black Sail Pass is impossible/improbable as a ride up but the drop down into Wasdale is doable again with care.

It's the climb up to Styhead that's the killer. Personally I'd keep to the right-hand (lower) path closest to Lingmell Beck as beign the lesser of two evils. At least once you're at Styhead it's downhill all the way to Seatoller (hence my suggestion to start there).

If you decide to do it, I salute your mentalism. I honestly think that mountain biking's gone a bit soft in some quarters. I was doing this sort of run 20 years ago and had some of the best adventures ever.

topsey_turvey

You're then better of going over into Wasdale from Black Sail. Again, Black Sail Pass is impossible/improbable as a ride up but the drop down into Wasdale is doable again with care.

It's the climb up to Styhead that's the killer. Personally I'd keep to the right-hand (lower) path closest to Lingmell Beck as beign the lesser of two evils. At least once you're at Styhead it's downhill all the way to Seatoller (hence my suggestion to start there).

He's not planning dropping to Wasdale, but going round the back of Kirk Fell, then under Gable Crags, on Moses Trod, or as it's known nowadays - Climbers Traverse. A completly different kettle of fish to climbing up to Styhead, which is purgatory with a bike.

shocka

Smoke it, not gonna bother with that route then. Sound like a right pain in the arse.
Think we'll do the borrowdale bash but add a bit on by going all the way up the honister pass and back down to gatesgarth farm via warnscale bottom then back up to the slate mine on the road to pick up the bash on the way to castle crag.
Topsey, We,ve done that Skiddaw loop before, really enjoyed it.
Thanks for all your replies, would appreciate it if you know any trails that are not in any of the Lakes guides books that are worth riding